2025 Vladimir Druzhinin SP/AR

This 2025 Vladimir Druzhinin is a classical guitar with a spruce top and African rosewood back and sides, built near Moscow, Russia, with a symmetrical top design developed with Timofey Tkach.

Vladimir Druzhinin's Latest Design

This is a fantastic guitar from Vladimir Druzhinin, who lives and works just outside of Moscow. Just a look at this instrument reveals a very tasteful and skillfully executed style, highlighted in his classic rosette, elegantly carved headstock and beautiful selection of materials - including a quartersawn spruce top and a striking set of African rosewood for the back and sides.

This guitar is his latest design, which includes features developed by Vladimir's good friend and mentor, Timofey Tkach (1966–2026), who was considered the leading teacher of lutherie in Russia and was highly respected for his deep knowledge of the designs and structural details of a vast number of historical and contemporary builders. For this guitar, Vladimir went back to the work of the "First Madrid School" to re-evaluate several details, primarily from the Manuel Ramírez shop - specifically by implementing a symmetrical design of the top. Over the years Vladimir and Timofey had been discussing and sharing ideas, and in 2022 he began applying Timofey's design in his instruments. The overall goal of these changes is to improve the sound potential without sacrificing the natural timbre and color of the sound - Vladimir and Timofey describe all of this in greater detail in the articles linked below.

Physics and the Spanish Tradition

In addition to revisiting the historical approach, Vladimir also applies his scientific knowledge to his craft - besides his music training, he holds a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in physics, which allow him to better understand the nature of sound production. His main aim is to make the top, back and sides vibrate in coordinated resonances, equalizing and balancing their contribution to the sound, for great dynamic efficiency, color and balance and a solid, focused and brilliant sound. Also in the spirit of the early Spanish masters, the guitar is lightly and efficiently built, with a very focused and fast attack to every note. The quality of sound is beautiful - singing and lyrical trebles with smooth, lush yet firm basses - and the volume is excellent for any concert setting, solo or with an ensemble. We are very pleased to be working with this fine maker as his exclusive representatives in the USA, and believe his unique approach creates a beautiful, nuanced and highly satisfying instrument for player and listener alike.

Photos of this guitar taken during construction

Featured Article: "The Evolution of the Classical Guitar & the Issue of the Longitudinal Coupling in the Design of the Soundboard"

Featured Article: "Reproducibility and evaluation of the result in the Spanish Classical Guitar Making" by Druzhinin & Tkach

Vladimir Druzhinin: From Physics to Guitar Making

Vladimir Druzhinin was born in 1983 in Novosibirsk, Russia, into a family of scientists. He earned his Bachelor's (2004) and Master's (2006) degrees in physics at Novosibirsk State University, specializing in accelerator physics, and worked at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics from 2002 to 2008. At the same time he studied the double bass at the Novosibirsk Music College and played in the local philharmonic big band, on the city's jazz scene and as a studio musician.

Timofey Tkach and the Moscow School

In 2010 Vladimir moved to Moscow, where he was accepted as an apprentice guitar maker by Timofey Tkach (1966–2026), considered the leading teacher of lutherie in Russia, and from 2011 he worked in the Liuteria workshop, a luthiers' union founded by Tkach. Today he builds in his own workshop in Sereda, outside Moscow. His focus is the classical Spanish school, which he approaches both historically and with a physicist's understanding of how sound is produced. GSI is his exclusive dealer in the USA.