2026 Otto Vowinkel SP/CSAR

This is Otto Vowinkel's latest concert guitar. His instruments are among the most lightweight of anything in our inventory, likely the result of a slightly more compact body size and efficient use of materials. It is incredibly easy to play, ultra-responsive and very powerful. The materials on this classical guitar are stunning featuring a beautiful piece of spruce for the soundboard and dramatic, aged CSA rosewood with a lighter, milk-chocolate-like color throughout as well as some yellow-ish sapwood elements in the sides - simply gorgeous. Workmanship is to the highest standards as always, giving this guitar a unique aesthetic flair. Vowinkel's unique rosette design features herringbone in the purfling surrounding the mosaic (which is the motif found in the flag for the city of Amsterdam). The headstock is carved in the style of the building in Amsterdam where Vowinkel houses his workshop and the MOP dot at the top represents a "winch" - something seen on Amsterdam's canal houses which are a hook and pulley system used to hoist furniture and goods through the large windows, due to the buildings having narrow, steep staircases inside (see photo in gallery). Although purely aesthetic, these are charming, "extra" details that give the instrument a place of origin. The shellac finish, using the traditional French polish method, is done with great care and adds a beautiful luster to the finished instrument. Tuners are Sloane. This slightly more compact body size produces what we believe to be his best-sounding model to date – huge volume production with little right hand effort, a plump and lively quality of tone – very lyrical and beautiful at the same time.

Several concert/recording artists who have played Vowinkel guitars include Denis Azabagic, Esther Steenbergen, and the Amsterdam Guitar Trio. Several competition winners play these instruments as well, including Tariq Harb (1st prize winner of the 2011 Barrios World Wide Web Competition and 2011 Montreal International Classical Guitar Competition), Chia-Wei Lin (a Taiwanese guitarist who recently won 1st prize at the Singapore International Guitar Competition) and Sanel Redzic (a young Bosnian guitarist who won the Vienna Competition and the Oberhausen Competition using a cedar Vowinkel).