Matthias Dammann, 2009

This 2009 Matthias Dammann doubletop is one of the most extraordinary concert guitars we have ever offered. Dammann is widely regarded as the inventor of the doubletop guitar and arguably the most visionary luthier since Antonio de Torres. His instruments are played full-time by some of the greatest names in classical guitar: David Russell, Manuel Barrueco (who began playing Dammann guitars in 1993), Pablo Sainz Villegas, and the Beijing Guitar Duo, among countless others.

This particular guitar holds a significance that is hard to overstate. Evan first played it roughly three or four years before acquiring it, and immediately considered it among the best doubletop guitars he had ever played. Years later, the opportunity came to purchase it, and it is now offered here. It has appeared in videos with Lorenzo Micheli, and has been played by Laurel Harned, Penelope Shvarts, and many others. This is what many players would consider a holy grail instrument, and Dammann guitars are among the rarest guitars on earth.

The sound of this guitar is the deepest, most rich, and most clear we have encountered in a doubletop. The main air resonance is E, giving the basses a thunderous depth and openness that very few instruments can match. From the first note, you feel how alive the top is: the guitar begins to resonate even as you speak near it.

This guitar is extraordinarily responsive, and rewards a thoughtful, controlled touch above all else. Move your right hand, change the angle of your nails, vary your point of contact, and you get an entirely different color. It can move from ultra-warm and dark to bright and crystalline in an instant. The dynamic range is genuinely vast: pianissimo is as compelling as fortissimo, and every gradation in between is available with complete control.

That responsiveness comes with an honest caveat: this is not a forgiving instrument. It holds a mirror to your technique, amplifying both the beautiful and the imprecise. An inconsistency in nail angle, a slight buzz, an off contact point: this guitar notices everything. For a serious player seeking to refine their sound production, this can be profoundly rewarding. For someone wanting a warm and comfortable guitar, this is not that.

One small caveat that comes with extremely lightweight, ultra-responsive, powerful doubletops, Dammann guitars included, is that certain notes on the high frets do not carry quite as much sustain as others. In real playing it all but disappears, as the sympathetic resonance of the open strings fills the sound in beautifully.

The top is cedar over a Nomex core, forming Dammann's characteristic doubletop sandwich. The cedar carries a warm orange tint visible in strong light, and you can see the Nomex honeycomb through the top, suggesting just how thin and light the construction truly is. The bracing is a five-fan design with angled braces, diverging from a typical symmetrical fan in a way that is distinctly Dammann. All braces are lightweight cedar.

The back and sides are a stunning set of old Brazilian rosewood, deeply dark and beautifully figured. The guitar weighs just 1,270 grams, making it one of the lightest doubletops at this scale length we have encountered. The fingerboard is an unusually thin piece of ebony. The heel is exceptionally trimmed, aiding upper-position access, and the raised fingerboard further facilitates this. The headstock follows the classic Manuel Ramirez design, with a V-joint on the reverse. The bridge is a very dark wood with a mother-of-pearl tie block. Tuners are Scheller.

No two Dammann guitars look the same inside. The bracing pattern, the use of Nomex, and the construction choices of this 2009 model reflect Dammann's relentless experimentation. He has kept the same rosette on every guitar since his first: a distinctive design with gold-colored inner and outer lines, running into the purfling of the guitar.

Specifications

Top: Cedar / Nomex doubletop
Bracing: Five-fan, angled cedar braces
Fingerboard: Ebony, raised, thin profile
Headstock: Manuel Ramirez design, V-joint
Bridge: Dark hardwood with mother-of-pearl tie block

Matthias Dammann is himself an accomplished guitarist, and his entry into guitar building came from replacing tops on less expensive instruments. Noticing how dramatically a new top could transform a guitar's voice, he began experimenting, and has never stopped. The inside of every Dammann looks different: bracing patterns that go in every direction, varying combinations of Nomex and solid wood, and a pursuit of the ideal acoustic response that has not slowed in four decades of building.

Dammann is widely credited as the inventor of the doubletop guitar. His production is extremely limited, typically one to two instruments per year, with a waiting list that will not realistically be completed. When his guitars appear on the market, they are sold quickly and privately. This 2009 Cedar and Brazilian Rosewood doubletop is an instrument most players will never have the chance to play.

The action has been set to a low specification by the current owner to optimize playability at the 664 mm scale length. Please see the photographs for a complete view of the instrument.