2026 Luigi Locatto SP/CSAR

This 2026 Luigi Locatto is a classical guitar with a bearclaw spruce top and CSA rosewood back and sides, built in Pino Torinese near Turin, Italy, by the maker behind instruments heard on acclaimed Naxos and Stradivarius recordings.

Luigi Locatto's Own Design, Inspired by Simplicio

This absolutely breathtaking and meticulously built guitar is Locatto's own design. Structurally, many elements are taken from the work of Simplicio, primarily his technique of treating the top in such a way as to help make the first string more balanced with the second and third. It also has a slightly longer body (like the larger Simplicio models) with a deeper body resonance, which contributes to the dark, deep and beautiful sound of the instrument – not just in the basses but also in the extremely lyrical and fat trebles. It is an expressive instrument, rich with color and sensitive to changes of timbre, like the old Spanish guitars he so much loves.

Rosette and Aged CSA Rosewood

As per Locatto's style, the decorative elements are inspired by an assortment of other great Spanish guitar makers of the past – Luigi mentioned that the central mosaic in the rosette is inspired by Manuel Ramírez, while the herringbone and zig-zag inlays are inspired by Simplicio. Materials used are drop-dead gorgeous, particularly the stunning set of CSA rosewood for the back and sides, which has been aged for over 60 years – the bearclaw spruce top for 25.

Played and Recorded by Concert Artists

His instruments are played by a large number of concert artists and have been used on several recordings, most notably the Naxos release of Castelnuovo-Tedesco's works by Lorenzo Micheli (winner of GFA 1999), and Shin-ichi Fukuda's 2007 recording of Barrios and Villa-Lobos for Meister Music. Luigi's son, Pietro Locatto, has also become a very fine player, and his recent recording of the music of Torroba on the Stradivarius label was made on one of his father's guitars.

Golden Guitar Award, Alessandria 2019

We'd also like to congratulate Luigi for receiving the "Golden Guitar" award from the Convention of Alessandria in 2019, along with our friend Alberto Martinez from Orfeo for photography, among others. We're very happy to be working with this fine maker and representing his instruments in the US as his only US dealer.

Photos of this guitar taken during construction

Orfeo Magazine article on Tacchi, Locatto and Frignani

Luigi Locatto: Guitarist, Teacher and Luthier near Turin

Luigi Locatto has been building guitars for over 30 years in Pino Torinese, just outside Turin in northern Italy. In addition to making guitars, he is also a guitarist and teacher.

Restorations and Replicas of the Great Masters

His artistry as a luthier has attracted several top collectors for restoration work, which has given him access to some of the most prized vintage instruments in the world. This restoration work has prompted him to build replicas of many instruments, and he has made copies of Panormo, Lacote, Simplicio, García, Torres, Fleta, Hauser and Ramírez. He credits Torres, García and Simplicio in particular as his most important influences.

Traditional Roots, Modern Power

Although Luigi's style is rooted in these traditional makers, particularly with regard to tone color and expression, he is at the same time attentive to contemporary concerns – above all, making sure his instruments have the power, projection and balance that modern concert artists require.