2026 Marco Bortolozzo "Gold Record - REG Limited Edition" SP/SW

This 2026 Marco Bortolozzo "Gold Record" is a spruce and satinwood classical guitar made in Milan, Italy, with a soundboard polished using shellac from a vintage 78 rpm record, built for the 2026 Roma Guitar Expo.

A Guitar Built for the 2026 Roma Guitar Expo

This is the latest creation from Marco Bortolozzo, built especially for presentation at the 2026 Roma Guitar Expo, and this guitar really got a LOT of attention – as a first quick glance will make clear – due to its daring and strikingly beautiful design concept.

The Story of the "Gold Record"

The origin behind this begins several years ago, when Marco had been here in Los Angeles to see us. He had visited some record shops in Hollywood and found an old 78 rpm record of Caruso singing "O Sole Mio" – so he bought it and took it back to Italy as a souvenir. Marco is an extremely creative and artistic luthier, always looking for new design ideas, and so when he recently realized that this vinyl record was largely composed of shellac... well – the rest is history! He simply broke off a small part of the record, melted it, and found it took to alcohol just like regular shellac, and voilà, he was able to polish the soundboard as normal, but obviously with a strikingly different result! Matched with satinwood back and sides that sparkle like gold (this is a particularly beautiful and dramatic set), and fitted with a brass "fluted" tornavoz that reminds us of the horn of a vintage gramophone, we have lovingly all agreed to call this guitar the "Gold Record"! Included with the guitar is a certificate of authenticity with a small sample of the very 78 rpm record used for the top varnish.

Milan Design Meets Tradition

Several other aesthetic details of this guitar are (as usual) of Marco's individual style, which is deeply connected with his background in industrial design. The hard "modern" edges and angles of the inlays and shapes of the guitar (look at the headstock, for example) are fused with traditional elements that Marco draws from the architectural wonders of his home city, 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 tie-block.

Sound and Playability

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. As already mentioned, the soundhole is fitted with 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. As per his usual style, this instrument has an immediate and fast response, making it incredibly easy to play, particularly for the right hand due to the quick attack. At the same time, 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 to control the overtones, helping the guitar modulate easily with a variety of tonal colors and dynamic range. The guitar plays very comfortably with both hands thanks to the smooth neck shape, easy action and fast responsiveness. Absolutely delightful to play and hear, this is a fantastic guitar built on the most traditional of foundations, but with a unique and very tasteful aesthetic. Simply spectacular!

From Industrial Design to Lutherie

Marco Bortolozzo was born in the early eighties in a small town in 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 in Milan since 2010, and his guitars are easy to play, with correct intonation, deep basses, brilliant high frequencies and broad dynamic capabilities.