Otto Vowinkel is a household name in the classical guitar world; a renowned luthier with customers all over the world. A guitar maker with great attention to detail and a strong preference for traditionally built guitars.
His instruments are physically light, incredibly easy to play, ultra-responsive and very powerful. His guitars have outstanding tonal qualities, evenness in sound colour and a perfect intonation.
His concert guitars are completely French polished with shellac finish. The 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 after the facade of his workshop.
In addition to the traditional, classical model, Otto Vowinkel builds baritone guitars (fifth bass), cutaway’s, seven-string and flamenco guitars. His study models are hand-built under his supervision in Spain.
Otto Vowinkel uses Canadian cedar or European spruce for the top and different types of rosewood for the back and sides. He also uses, with very good results, coco bolo, maple and Spanish cypress (flamenco guitars).
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Pieter Nanne now feels what he is playing
Loosing both parents, getting divorced and becoming a grandfather in a period of four years has had a great impact on Dutch gitarist, teacher and organizer Pieter Nanne. “But now, when I play a note, I feel it.” After fifty years of playing the guitar, “my physique is declining, but the intensity of my playing…
Frits Nierstrasz actually was a guitarist
Frits Nierstrasz in my workshop Back in 2016 I got a phone call from Mister Nierstrasz who wanted to buy a concert guitar. I told him about my waiting list. Would I, in his case, be so kind to make an exception, he asked. Mister Nierstrasz happened to be 90 years old. Frits Nierstrasz (1926-2021)…
Arne Willems performs Marius Bajog
This is Arne Willems, a classical guitarist from Wuppertal, Germany. The picture above was taken back in 2017 when he visited my workshop to collect his guitar. The picture can be found on his instagram account. Every now and then, Arne drops by for lunch, combining his holidays at the Dutch coast with a social…
