2022 Tobias Berg SP/WN

This pre-owned 2022 Tobias Berg classical guitar, with a spruce top and European walnut back and sides, was built in Germany in Tobias' favorite tonewood – and is back at GSI in amazingly clean condition.

Tobias Berg's Favorite Wood

Materials on this instrument are gorgeous – the soundboard is a lovely set of spruce, and for the back and sides (and head veneer) Tobias used a stunning set of European walnut with a golden, shimmery glow. This wood has become Tobias' favorite to work with, so we couldn't resist having him build one for us!

Sound and Design

The sound matches the looks: rich and velvety throughout, with powerful, very sturdy basses and smooth, creamy trebles. Response is excellent – in the trebles in particular, the notes "pop" with the lightest touch of the right hand. As we've said many times about this maker's work, the guitar has a unique and bold aesthetic – the headshape, rosette and bridge reveal a fondness for traditional Japanese architecture, which Tobias admires for its understated elegance and its use of perfect lines and sharp edges. He has seamlessly and delicately integrated elements of this into his unique and beautiful design.

Double Sides and an Ebony-Reinforced Neck

Like his other recent guitars it has double sides, a method Tobias has been refining for years – our blog post tells the full story. Tonally, the doubled sides lend a deeper, almost "cathedral-like" presence to the sound, which we had only heard before in modern Friederich guitars. Tobias also reinforces the neck with an ebony strip (unlike in many guitars of the Madrid school, his is invisible from the outside), which noticeably enhances sustain. A fantastic concert guitar by any standard – bold and beautiful in sound, unique and classy in looks.

Condition

Although pre-owned, this guitar is in amazingly clean condition, with almost no signs of prior use.

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. GSI is proud to be Tobias' exclusive dealer in the USA.