Charalampos Koumridis

Kavala, Greece

Charalampos Koumridis builds concert classical guitars in Kavala, Greece, where players are welcome to visit his studio and try instruments in person. Remarkably, he is self taught: his path into lutherie began at home, sparked by his daughter's interest in the guitar and his wife's musical background, and grew into a full command of both traditional methods and modern concert construction. Over more than fifteen years he has completed over 250 guitars, now playing in more than 25 countries, with top Greek guitarists, particularly from Kavala, offering invaluable advice and feedback along the way.

Koumridis is refreshingly direct about his aim: these guitars are built for the concert stage. His catalog spans a traditional model inspired by Daniel Friedrich, a Nomex cored double top, a lattice braced design, and the reduced body Elegante, but his defining innovation is the patented Carbon Frame, conceived with fellow Greek luthier Madimenos. In place of conventional linings, a carbon structure runs around the body and crosses up through the top, paired with lightweight carbon reinforced fan bracing. The design increases sustain, power, and overtone presence, and his guitars recently appeared in both the semifinal and final rounds of the GFA Concert Artist Competition.

The 2026 cedar double top he built for us, No. 289, backed up every claim. From the first note you feel tremendous power, an almost unbelievable amount of sustain, and a sea of overtones, yet the dynamic control is precise enough to hear every step between piano and fortissimo. The cocobolo back and sides, olive tree rosette, and perfectly integrated armrest show the same care as the engineering underneath. His waiting list has grown quickly and the guitars are increasingly hard to find, so we are especially glad to have his work in Austin. Our expert team welcomes showroom visits.