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Otto Vowinkel

Guitar maker Amsterdam

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    • Concert Model
    • Model 2a
    • Model 3a
    • Fifth bass guitar
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Otto Vowinkel _Tara Stewart_fillingholes

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.

otto vowinkel - rosette - concert model-large
rozet concert model

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).

Concert model
Model 2A

Model 3A
Baritone- Fifth bass

BLOG

Boi Akih Entangled

Boi Akih_Photo Krijn van Noordwijk These are vocalist/lyricist Monica Akihary and guitarist/composer Niels Brouwer, the solid and inseparable duo BOI AKIH. The duo started in 1997. I wrote about them earlier, when, during the Covid-19 pandemic, they performed in a recorded livestream. Since then, they have made new recordings, traveled the world, and in 2023…

Continue Reading Boi Akih Entangled

Florian Amann performing Niccolo Paganini

This is Florian Amann, a young guitarist from Germany. This summer his father sent me an email to let me know that his son is playing one of my guitars since December 2025. It also turned out that in June 2026, Florian had been awarded an Excellence Certificate as the youngest participant in his age…

Continue Reading Florian Amann performing Niccolo Paganini

Niels Eikelboom performs Dutch guitar music

This is Niels Eikelboom. After he came to Amsterdam to compare his cedar guitar with a spruce top I wrote this post. Back then he concluded both types of wood have their own strengths and qualities. He decided to keep the cedar and to add the spruce top to his collection. He has continued doing…

Continue Reading Niels Eikelboom performs Dutch guitar music

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Lauriergracht 110-winkel
1016 RP Amsterdam
The Netherlands
t +31 (0)624742403
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