2025 Marco Bortolozzo SP/MH

This 2025 Marco Bortolozzo is a spruce and pomellè mahogany classical guitar made in Milan, Italy, with a low-depth tornavoz, an Arias-inspired rosette and an ultra-lightweight build.

Bearclaw Spruce and Pomellè Mahogany

This is the latest creation from Marco Bortolozzo, yet another artistic masterpiece from this fine maker. For this guitar, Marco used a beautiful bearclaw spruce top with exquisite pomellè mahogany for the back and sides, which has a 3D "lava lamp-like" appearance when viewed from different angles – absolutely mesmerizing. He also added a low-depth tornavoz, as he's done many times in the past, which lowers the body resonance, giving a boost to the bottom end. The guitar also has a hidden adjustable titanium rod inside the neck for added stability.

Arias, Reynoso and Milan Design

The aesthetic details are (as usual) of Marco's individual style, although one can distinguish some inspiration in the rosette design from one of the more spectacular rosettes of Vicente Arias, featuring interlocking circles – meticulously and perfectly executed. The hard "modern" edges and angles of the inlays and shapes (look at the headstock, for example) come from his background in industrial design and are fused with traditional elements drawn from the architecture of Milan, one of the great design capitals of the world. He even gives a "tip of the hat" to his good friend Richard Reynoso with similar-style inlay work in the heel cap and a stained black neck.

An Explosive, Hauser-Like Sound

As bold as its appearance, it is equally matched in sound and playability. The ultra-lightweight and efficient build results in a powerful, explosive sound with deep, resonant basses and singing, voice-like trebles. The response is immediate and fast, making it incredibly easy to play, particularly for the right hand due to the quick attack, yet there is a solid firmness to every note, reminiscent to us of the more lightweight guitars of Hauser I and II. Marco has nuanced the top to maximize sustain and control the overtones, so the guitar modulates easily through a variety of tonal colors and dynamics, and his very thin double sides add power, sustain and an extra boost to the bottom end, along with clarity and brilliance in the trebles. The smooth neck shape and easy action make it very comfortable for both hands – a fantastic guitar built on the most traditional of foundations, with a unique and very tasteful aesthetic.

Photos of this guitar taken prior to shipping to GSI

From Industrial Design to Lutherie

Marco Bortolozzo was born on April 5, 1983, in San Vito al Tagliamento, in the province of Pordenone in northeastern Italy, in the midst of vineyards, vegetable gardens and dismantled engines, and learned early in life from his father how to hold every type of tool in his hand. He played guitar and electric bass as a teenager – his first instrument was a bass he built himself – and later studied industrial design at university, where he learned about materials, production processes and design.

Inspired by Torres

Towards the end of his studies, Marco picked a luthier at random from the yellow pages and met Dario Pontiggia, who shared the story of Antonio de Torres. After an hour of conversation, Marco knew that being a luthier was what he wanted to do in life. He has been a professional guitar maker since 2010, and his guitars are easy to play, with correct intonation, deep basses, brilliant high frequencies and broad dynamic capabilities.

From Milan to Portogruaro

For many years Marco built his guitars in Milan, one of the great design capitals of the world, whose architecture still shapes much of his aesthetic. In 2026 he began moving his workshop to Portogruaro, near Venice – not far from the town where he was born. GSI represents Marco Bortolozzo in the USA.