Charalampos Koumridis, 2026

We're thrilled to introduce this brand new 2026 cedar doubletop from Greek luthier Charalampos Koumridis, No. 289, built for GuitarCollection.com and arriving to us straight from his workshop in Greece. It's built around Koumridis's patented Carbon Frame design, and the result is a guitar with tremendous power, an almost unbelievable amount of sustain, and a sea of overtones.

Koumridis's instruments have been making waves in the classical guitar world. At the most recent GFA Concert Artist Competition his guitars appeared in both the semifinal and final rounds in the hands of Filippos Manoloudis and Remy Patel, and Manoloudis has taken first prize at the Tokyo International Guitar Competition, at Koblenz, and at the 2026 Concerts in America competition playing his Koumridis doubletop. Koumridis is refreshingly direct about his aim: these guitars are built for the concert stage. These instruments are becoming increasingly hard to find, and he has built up quite a wait list, so we're especially thankful to have this one in the shop.

Specifications

Luthier: Charalampos Koumridis
Year: 2026
Number: 289
Top: Cedar (doubletop, Nomex core)
Back & Sides: Cocobolo (doubled sides)
Construction: Doubletop (Carbon Frame)
Finish: Oil (top), Nitrocellulose Lacquer (back & sides)
Scale Length: 650 mm
Nut Width: 52.5 mm
Air Resonance: G
Weight: 2,285 g
Neck: Spanish cedar, carbon bar reinforcement
Fingerboard: Ebony, raised, 20 frets
Bridge: 12 hole tie block
Armrest: Integrated, Indian rosewood
Tuners: Alessi H5
Strings: D'Addario XTC45FF with normal tension nylon first string
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Condition: New, unplayed

Construction & Design

The cedar doubletop is built with a Nomex core and a satin finished top that sits somewhere between a matte look and a gentle shine. The rosette carries Koumridis's signature central motif of an olive tree, framed inside and out by a meandering Greek key pattern that reads as a simple band of brown wood from a distance and reveals its detail up close, a nod to the great Torres guitars. The same olive tree motif reappears on the 12 hole tie block bridge.

Where this guitar gets really fascinating is just underneath the top. In place of the traditional lining that joins the top and sides, Koumridis uses his patented Carbon Frame, a carbon structure that runs along the exterior of the body and crosses up through the top, paired with a very lightweight carbon reinforced fan bracing (more on the concept here). Koumridis says the design increases the guitar's sustain, its power, and the presence of its overtones, and having spent time with the instrument, we have to agree.

The back and sides are a striking set of cocobolo with a beautiful reddish hue and a band of lighter sapwood down the center of the back. The sides are doubled and the back is slightly domed, both of which push the projection outward through the top. A side sound port opens the sound up toward the player, and a perfectly integrated Indian rosewood armrest flows smoothly from the side into the top. The raised ebony fingerboard gives easy access to the upper frets, with a 20th fret, and the heel cap carries the Koumridis logo.

The Spanish cedar neck, reinforced with a carbon bar, has a very comfortable thin C shape with tall frets. I couldn't correct a single thing about this neck, it is very, very easy to play. There are no side dots, though those can always be added. At the headstock, a bold cocobolo inlay matches the back and sides and makes the guitar recognizable from across a room, topped off with Alessi H5 tuning machines fitted with a carbon plate, a little clue as to what's inside the guitar, and what appear to be satinwood buttons.

Sound & Playability

You immediately feel tons of power and an unbelievable amount of sustain. Even in a normal room this guitar sounds phenomenal, and you feel completely supported by the power of it, by the richness of the basses, and by the sheer amount of overtones on the trebles. The first string absolutely lights up the whole guitar. There is plenty of fundamental here, but if you love overtones on a guitar, you will love this.

What impresses us just as much is the dynamic control. You can hear everything between piano and fortissimo, and you can access all of those steps with real accuracy, which opens up far more interesting music making on the instrument. That abundance of sustain makes you relax and even try new ideas. On top of being such a gloriously sustaining guitar, it is also so easy to play, and everything about it feels refined, yet you can really drive it when you want to.

Built on a 650 mm scale with a 52.5 mm nut, the guitar weighs in at 2,285 grams. The carbon, doubled sides, and domed back add some heft compared to the lightest guitars out there, and that structure is exactly where all that power and sustain come from.

About the Luthier

Charalampos Koumridis is a guitar maker based in Greece, known for his Carbon Frame doubletop design, which combines carbon fiber reinforcement with traditional tonewoods. His instruments have recently drawn attention on the international competition circuit, with consummate professionals choosing them and performing with them on the biggest stages.

New and unplayed, arriving to us directly from the maker.