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Julian Dammann, 2015

Cedar / Wenge

Overview

Julian Dammann’s guitars are among the hardest instruments in the modern classical guitar world to acquire, with a wait list well over ten years and only a handful circulating among top players. As the son of Matthias Dammann, the creator of the double top, Julian builds instruments that carry forward the lineage of one of the most influential families in guitar history. His guitars are now being played by leading international artists including Marco Topchii and Łukasz Kuropaczewski, both of whom record and perform on Dammann instruments around the world.

This 2015 cedar double top is a deeply expressive and immensely powerful concert guitar that captures everything players love about the Dammann aesthetic. It is impossibly lightweight, extremely responsive, and capable of enormous dynamic range with the slightest variation in the right hand. The sound is among the deepest and most resonant of any modern guitar I have played, with clarity and projection that stand alongside the finest examples of the double top tradition.

Key Features

  • 650 mm scale length

  • Cedar double top with four fan braces and minimal additional bracing

  • Wenge back and sides

  • Low profile bridge with tie block detailing echoing the rosette patterns

  • Raised fingerboard

  • Scooped heel design in the style of Matthias Dammann

  • Sloane tuners

  • Manuel Ramirez–inspired headstock shape

  • V-joint at the back of the neck, a hallmark of the Hauser lineage and seen on both father and son’s guitars

  • Extremely lightweight and exceptionally lively under the hands

  • Very low action with room for adjustment at the saddle

  • 650 mm scale for added comfort compared with the 664 mm models from Matthias Dammann

Aesthetic Details

The rosette is unmistakably Julian’s. It features small triangular motifs forming a circular mosaic, filled with texture and subtle wood patterns best appreciated up close. Golden-yellow accents appear in both the inner and outer rings of the rosette and continue along the bindings, echoing the visual language of his father’s work.

The wenge back and sides are beautifully figured, and the polish shows natural areas of wear where the instrument has been lovingly played. A repolish, would of course make the instrument new again should the next owner choose to do so. Several light top scratches are present, consistent with concert use. The label is elegant, signed, and dated 2015.

Condition

This instrument has been genuinely played and shows normal signs of use consistent with a professional-level concert guitar.

  • Light scratches and handling wear are present on the top.

  • The back shows chest-area polish wear from regular playing.

  • No structural issues - light lines can be seen in the top if leaned in the light which have been confirmed to be non-issues by the maker, as its likely something within the doubletop construction.

  • Neck, relief, and action are excellent with room to adjust at the saddle.

Overall, it is in very good condition, fully stable, and performing at an elite level.

Sound and Playability

This guitar offers one of the deepest, most responsive voices I have encountered on a classical instrument. The clarity and projection are strikingly reminiscent of the greatest Matthias Dammann guitars, evoking the sonorities heard on the Manuel Barrueco and David Russell recordings that defined the modern double top sound.

The sensitivity is extreme. Every nuance, every subtle shift in articulation, and every small change in nail angle is captured and transformed into expressive detail. Players with a controlled right hand will find a powerful partner here. The guitar rewards relaxation, allowing beautiful, full tones to emerge with almost no effort.

Dynamic control is astonishing. Crescendos, decrescendos, timbral shifts, color palette exploration, and shaping of long phrases all feel amplified and magnified by the design of the instrument. This is one of the most colorful double tops I have ever played, with a vast spectrum of voices that contradict any stereotype about modern construction lacking tonal variety.

Volume is enormous. It is one of the loudest guitars on the planet, a characteristic that does not need to be mentioned for a Dammann, but is nonetheless true.

Conclusion

This 2015 Julian Dammann is a rare and exceptional concert instrument for the serious player or collector. It represents one of the most refined voices in modern luthiery, with power, sensitivity, color, and control at the highest possible level. Instruments like this almost never become available.

If you're interested in purchasing, please write to me at evan@guitarcollection.com

Please note: Free UPS 2nd day air shipping is included if paid via a feeless method. Please contact for payment information.

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