Ross Gutmeier Classical Guitar (2004)
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Ross Gutmeier Classical Guitar (2004), made in Baltimore, MD, French polish finish, maple back and sides, spruce top; Spanish cedar neck with ebony fingerboard, black rigid foam case.
Ross Gutmeier is a highly skilled modern luthier who effortlessly blends the traditional with the cutting edge, creating guitars drawing from the best of both 19th and 21st century ideas. Based in Baltimore, Gutmeier began building guitars in 1993; by 2005 he was attracting notice internationally specifically for modern double-top guitars, but he also builds more traditional instruments, typically in the style of Santos Hernandez.
This unusual maple bodied guitar is a one-off design, a very modern instrument in concept combining several late 20th-21st century design elements. The instrument is marked 3/04, completed over 20 years ago in March 2004. It is constructed in the "Millenium" mode with a negative neck angle, as developed by Thomas Humphrey. The very tight grain spruce top braced in the Australian lattice style primarily attributed to Greg Smallman, a very different layout than the traditional fan bracing still used by most makers. Gutmeier spent some time perfecting his take on the lattice bracing; he specifically created this guitar to adapt the basic Smallman lattice-brace system but took it in his own direction, creating a unique piece.
This guitar also features twin forward sound ports (often called "Ruck Ports" after luthier Robert Ruck) which are small round holes on the side bouts above and below the neck heel. Some players find this feature provides an inspiring "stereophonic" effect as the instrument is played. An ebony arm rest is built into the top edge.
This instrument is beautifully crafted to a very high standard, with superb woods all around including dramatically flamed tight tiger grained maple for the back and sides and superb narrow-grained spruce for the top. It offers a very powerful rich and responsive sound that never gets harsh or muddy even when pushed. The previous owner told us "Ross found a way to capture the traditional tone of the best classical guitars from the past with a modern approach to building that allows for exceptional balance and beauty of tone coupled with immense volume and projection." We couldn't have said it better!
Overall length is 39 in. (99.1 cm.), 14 7/16 in. (36.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 7/8 in. (9.8 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 5/8 in. (651 mm.). Width of nut is 2 1/16 in. (52 mm.).
This 21 year old guitar shows only very light signs of play, with a few scuffs and tiny dinks to the finish but no really notable wear. There are strap buttons at the endpin and on the bottom of the heel for stand-up play we assume were added. This instrument plays beautifully, a featherweight, exceptionally powerful sounding guitar in a high-end modern hard foam case. Overall Excellent + Condition.
Ross Gutmeier is a highly skilled modern luthier who effortlessly blends the traditional with the cutting edge, creating guitars drawing from the best of both 19th and 21st century ideas. Based in Baltimore, Gutmeier began building guitars in 1993; by 2005 he was attracting notice internationally specifically for modern double-top guitars, but he also builds more traditional instruments, typically in the style of Santos Hernandez.
This unusual maple bodied guitar is a one-off design, a very modern instrument in concept combining several late 20th-21st century design elements. The instrument is marked 3/04, completed over 20 years ago in March 2004. It is constructed in the "Millenium" mode with a negative neck angle, as developed by Thomas Humphrey. The very tight grain spruce top braced in the Australian lattice style primarily attributed to Greg Smallman, a very different layout than the traditional fan bracing still used by most makers. Gutmeier spent some time perfecting his take on the lattice bracing; he specifically created this guitar to adapt the basic Smallman lattice-brace system but took it in his own direction, creating a unique piece.
This guitar also features twin forward sound ports (often called "Ruck Ports" after luthier Robert Ruck) which are small round holes on the side bouts above and below the neck heel. Some players find this feature provides an inspiring "stereophonic" effect as the instrument is played. An ebony arm rest is built into the top edge.
This instrument is beautifully crafted to a very high standard, with superb woods all around including dramatically flamed tight tiger grained maple for the back and sides and superb narrow-grained spruce for the top. It offers a very powerful rich and responsive sound that never gets harsh or muddy even when pushed. The previous owner told us "Ross found a way to capture the traditional tone of the best classical guitars from the past with a modern approach to building that allows for exceptional balance and beauty of tone coupled with immense volume and projection." We couldn't have said it better!
Overall length is 39 in. (99.1 cm.), 14 7/16 in. (36.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 7/8 in. (9.8 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 5/8 in. (651 mm.). Width of nut is 2 1/16 in. (52 mm.).
This 21 year old guitar shows only very light signs of play, with a few scuffs and tiny dinks to the finish but no really notable wear. There are strap buttons at the endpin and on the bottom of the heel for stand-up play we assume were added. This instrument plays beautifully, a featherweight, exceptionally powerful sounding guitar in a high-end modern hard foam case. Overall Excellent + Condition.