This is a spectacular guitar from Tobias Berg. Materials are gorgeous including a stunning set of aged and gorgeous flamed maple for the back and sides (and headplate) which Tobias acquired in December 2000 from German Luthier Björn Welsch who himself bought this wood in Mittenwald in March 1992. Tobias selected this for its very nice sheen and tap tone, and paired it with a spruce top that has impressive sustain and a dark, rich and velvety grain pattern. The sound of the guitar is as elegant as its appearance. It has a thick and overtone-rich quality across all registers, with very sturdy, powerful basses and smooth and creamy trebles. The guitar has a noticeably nice response, particularly in the trebles where the notes just seem to "pop" with the slightest touch of the right hand. This guitar also has a lightweight build, and is a bit more "compact" in body dimensions making this a very comfortable, fun and easy guitar to play. As we've said many times about this makers 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 in its usage of perfect lines and sharp edges. He has seamlessly and delicately integrated elements of this into his unique and beautiful design.
It also features his double-sided construction method. Tobias has been perfecting this method in his own guitars for some time now, and we have been very pleased with several of these that have come through our doors. To see more on the technique, see our blog post for the full story. For tone, the double-sides give the guitar a deeper, almost "cathedral-like" presence to the sound, a quality we've only heard before in modern Friederich guitars. Tobias also reinforces the neck with two, square-shaped titanium rods and hard rock maple which, unlike many makers of the Madrid school, Tobias' are invisible from the outside. This both improves stability of the neck for setup purposes and enhances sustain noticeably. 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.
