2022 Tobias Berg CD/WN

This 2022 Tobias Berg is a classical guitar with a cedar top and European walnut back and sides, built in Germany with a flamed cedar neck and Masur birch bindings.

Marbled Walnut, Masur Birch and Cedar

Another exceptional guitar from Tobias Berg. Materials are gorgeous, including a stunning set of very dramatic European walnut for the back and sides (and head veneer), with a colorful, marbled quality. The neck is flamed cedar and the bindings are Masur birch, and the top is a beautifully cut, quartersawn piece of Western red cedar with plenty of cross-grain silk.

Sound and Design

It sounds as elegant as it looks, with a rich, velvety quality in every register - very sturdy, powerful basses and smooth, creamy trebles. The response is especially nice in the trebles, where notes seem to "pop" at the slightest touch of the right hand. The design carries his trademark touches: a headstock, rosette and bridge inspired by traditional Japanese architecture, whose understated elegance and perfect lines and sharp edges Tobias has delicately made part of his own unique style.

Construction and Condition

As in all his guitars since 2011, the sides are doubled - see our blog post for how Tobias does it. The tonal reward is a deeper, almost "cathedral-like" presence, reminiscent of modern Friederich guitars. Inside the neck, invisible from the outside unlike many Madrid-school guitars, are two square titanium rods and hard rock maple - for setup stability and noticeably enhanced sustain. Although used, this guitar is in excellent structural condition with only modest wear in the finish. Overall, this is a fantastic concert guitar by all standards, with a bold and beautiful sound and a unique and classy look.

Photos of this guitar being built

Tobias Berg: From Sweden to Germany

Tobias Berg was born in 1972 in Helsingborg, Sweden, and grew up in the fishing village of Viken. After building his first classical guitar in 1995, he set out to learn the art and craft of guitar making, with courses and diplomas in Canada, England and the USA and time spent with top luthiers including Robert Ruck and Jeffrey Elliott. In 1998 he settled in Germany, where he worked for six years at Lakewood Guitars before earning the German master title (Meister) in Mittenwald in 2004 and opening his own workshop. Today he works in Kirchhain-Anzefahr, in Hesse.

Light, Compact Guitars with Double Sides

Tobias builds traditional, lightweight guitars with a slightly compact body, in the spirit of the Spanish makers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and since 2011 he has built them with double sides - a practice known from Madrid builders and from Daniel Friederich, whom he holds in very high esteem. His headstock, rosette and bridge designs reflect a fondness for traditional Japanese architecture. GSI has been working with Tobias since 2005, when he sent us his 20th guitar; in 2026 he built his 50th guitar for us.