2026 Brian Itzkin No. 65 SP/AR

This 2026 Brian Itzkin No. 65 is a full-size classical guitar of Swiss spruce and African rosewood, made in New York – the fifth Itzkin to come to GSI, his only dealer in the USA.

Another Exceptional Guitar from Brian Itzkin

Here we have another exceptional guitar from Brian, whose work continues to impress us enormously. He is one of the most exciting up-and-coming builders we’ve encountered in recent years, and his instruments seem to embody so much of what we love about the great Spanish guitars of the past. His devotion to the traditions of Antonio de Torres and José Luis Romanillos is evident throughout his work, but what makes his guitars so special is that he has managed to capture the essence of these historical instruments while developing a very distinctive voice of his own. This latest guitar is another wonderful example, combining extraordinary materials, thoughtful construction and a sound that is remarkably mature for an instrument that is brand new.

Moon-Harvested Swiss Alpine Spruce

The materials are particularly noteworthy, beginning with a beautiful soundboard of Swiss Alpine spruce that was harvested according to the lunar cycle. This is a rather unusual practice, even among fine guitar makers, and involves carefully timing the felling of trees to coincide with particular phases of the moon. It is a level of selectivity that certain especially meticulous builders and wood suppliers pursue in their search for the finest possible soundboard materials. Brian acquired this old stock from American luthier Tom Rein shortly before his passing, giving the wood a meaningful personal history as well.

Dalbergia trichocarpa: A Rare African Rosewood

For the back and sides, Brian selected Dalbergia trichocarpa, a relatively obscure species of African rosewood that is considerably heavier and denser than most of the more familiar varieties. According to Brian, its physical properties are remarkably close to those of African blackwood. It is a fascinating material choice and another indication of his willingness to explore unusual woods in pursuit of his ideal instrument.

Romanillos-Style Bracing and a Rosette after Torres FE-17

The construction follows a traditional fan bracing system with a bridge plate, strongly influenced by the work of José Luis Romanillos and similar in concept to the previous Itzkin guitars we’ve offered. The rosette is especially beautiful, its central motif inspired by Antonio de Torres’ famous FE-17, although Brian has altered the colors to create his own interpretation.

A Bridge from Copenhagen

Henrik Ballowitz and the rosewood for the bridge, on its way through Copenhagen

The bridge is made from CSA rosewood that Brian acquired from a cabinetmaker in Copenhagen while visiting fellow luthier Henrik Ballowitz. Apparently, he transported his newly acquired wood in the basket of his bicycle, a rather charming story that gives this particular detail of the guitar a personal history of its own! The instrument is finished in traditional French polish, with the meticulous craftsmanship and tasteful detailing that we’ve come to expect from Brian.

Sound

The sound is very much in keeping with the other Itzkin guitars we’ve had here at GSI, and that’s a very good thing indeed! There is a wonderfully dark, deep, old-world quality to the voice, with an abundance of harmonic richness that surrounds each note without ever obscuring the fundamental. The result is a sound that is at once lush and complex, yet remarkably clear and focused. Particularly interesting is the body resonance, even lower than that of the “635” model we recently offered, despite this instrument having a full-length scale. This low resonance contributes to the impression of great depth and richness, especially in the basses, while the trebles retain a lovely singing quality and clarity. There is a tremendous range of tonal color available to the player, with subtle changes in right-hand position and attack producing a seemingly endless variety of expressive possibilities. The guitar responds beautifully to the slightest nuances of touch, yet has plenty of power and dynamic range when called upon. It is that rare combination of intimacy, richness, clarity and responsiveness that makes these guitars such a joy to play.

Playability

Despite the depth and complexity of its voice, this is an exceptionally comfortable and manageable instrument. With its traditional full-length scale, standard nut width and pleasingly light weight, it feels wonderfully natural in the hands. The sound has an immediacy and openness that we associate with the finest traditional Spanish guitars, and although the instrument is brand new, it already possesses the kind of tonal maturity that one normally associates with a guitar that has been played for many years. We can only imagine how beautifully it will develop as it continues to open up with time.

A Bright Future

What is perhaps most remarkable about Brian’s work is how successfully he has translated his passion for the great historical Spanish makers into instruments that satisfy the needs of the modern concert guitarist. The power, the colors, the responsiveness, the balance and above all the sheer beauty of the sound are all here. There is a very special musical quality to these guitars, the proverbial “symphony in a box”, that makes them endlessly rewarding to explore. We are thrilled to be working with Brian and feel that his future as a maker is exceptionally bright. This is another outstanding example of his talent and a guitar that we’re very proud to offer.

Photos of this guitar taken during and after construction.

A Classical Guitarist from Long Island

Brian Itzkin was born in 1996 just outside of New York City, on the north shore of Long Island. He began guitar lessons at the local music store at age 8, originally wanting to learn his favorite rock and roll riffs, but found himself with a classical teacher who was at the time a DMA candidate at Stony Brook University. Brian remained with this teacher for 10 years, learning to read music and play in the classical style. His childhood teacher, Jason Priset, is now the director of the Lute Society of America’s “Lute Fest” and an adjunct professor at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Brian has recently been working on his playing again and is doing quite well.

First Guitars and Ervin Somogyi

His introduction to guitar making came when he built his first guitar at the age of 13 from a C.F. Martin kit in his father’s poorly equipped basement workshop. Brian says that it was somewhat playable, but it inspired him to build another. After that second guitar, Brian began a correspondence with the highly regarded steel-string maker Ervin Somogyi, which lasted from the ages of 14 to 18. During this time Somogyi sent Brian assignments by mail and email, and the two met yearly at the Woodstock Invitational Luthier Showcase. Their correspondence focused on guitar design, and although Somogyi is a steel-string maker, the ideas he taught and shared with Brian were a major catalyst for Brian’s switch to classical guitars.

Training in Spain with Stephen Hill

At 20 years old, in 2016, Brian took a “semester” off from college after his sophomore year to attend Stephen Hill’s guitar making course in Spain. This proved to be a revelatory experience, and Brian decided to postpone his university studies in favor of studying guitar making. The following year he spent 3 months studying with Daniele Chiesa in the south of Spain and further immersed himself in the Granada guitar making tradition. Back at home, from the end of 2017 until the first months of 2020, he equipped his workshop, collected materials and independently studied the life and work of makers like Antonio de Torres (his chief influence – those of you familiar with Brian will know that he even has a Torres headstock design tattooed on his forearm!), Robert Bouchet, Santos Hernández and Hermann Hauser, before returning to Stephen’s shop in March 2020.

The Granada Tradition

Brian stayed in Spain throughout the Covid lockdown until early September, and in that time built and sold 3 guitars. He learned enormously from this opportunity to spend so much extra time with Stephen, Evan Kingma and Alessandro Perciaccante, who at that time was taking over the role of Stephen’s apprentice as Evan prepared to return to Canada. Brian has since returned to Spain for at least 3 months every year, and has befriended and (in a very informal sense) learned more about the Granada tradition from Rafael Moreno Rodríguez, the varnisher Javier Campos and many others. He also assisted Stephen Hill in teaching his guitar making course in 2022 and in May 2025.

Recognition

Brian has been featured in an article in Acoustic Guitar magazine, and in videos by Brandon Acker after building him an homage to Torres’ FE-13. He also built the first-prize guitar for the High School Classical Guitar Competition held in association with the Long Island Guitar Festival. GSI is proud to be Brian’s only dealer in the USA.