Otto Vowinkel 2012 - 6000 euro

The guitar maker

Otto Vowinkel

Otto Vowinkel was born and raised in the historic center of Amsterdam, in a family of tailors. His first guitar was built in 1984, inspired by the book “Classical Guitar Construction” by Irving Sloane. With only basic tools and an old pool table as a workbench, he began building guitars in the attic of his home. Lacking formal training, he improved by showing his early instruments to experienced guitarists, integrating their feedback into each new build.

In 1989, he began a long and influential collaboration with Dutch luthier Alex ‘Alejandro’ van der Horst (1959–2009). Together, they refined their shared vision of the ideal instrument: one with a flexible tone, fast response, and clarity of sound as the true driver of projection. Over the years, Otto Vowinkel has developed into a highly respected guitar maker, known worldwide for his traditionally built concert instruments characterized by clean aesthetics, exceptional balance, and playability.

Construction & Design

This guitar represents the top tier of his production, a model designed for the needs of professional performers.

The guitar is traditionally built with 5 fan bracing, and a shellac finish applied in the traditional French polish method adds a beautiful luster to the finished instrument. Snakewood bindings, a Brazilian rosewood bridge, and Sloane tuners with snakewood buttons round out a remarkably elegant build.

The top is made of cedar, carefully selected for its richness and color depth, paired with Brazilian rosewood back and sides.

Otto Vowinkel wove his home city into this guitar. The rosette takes its motif from the flag of Amsterdam, and the headstock is carved after the facade of his own workshop, right down to the mother of pearl dot at the peak. That dot represents the hoisting beam found atop Amsterdam's canal houses, a hook and pulley rig used to lift furniture and goods in through the tall windows, since the houses were built with staircases far too narrow and steep for anything bulky.

Sound & Playability

This is a genuinely loud guitar, but the volume never comes at the expense of refinement. The sound is powerful and remarkably even from string to string and register to register, with a consistency of color that few instruments achieve. Response is immediate: the guitar speaks the instant you ask it to, and the intonation is impeccable everywhere on the fingerboard.

This guitar is in excellent condition, with only minimal signs of playing.