Rafael Turkowiak, 2020

Double-top Alpine Spruce / Redwood | Lattice-braced | Imbuya Back & Sides

The Opus Magnum is Rafael Turkowiak’s highest achievement — a guitar that blends visionary acoustic engineering with rare, museum-grade materials. Built in 2020, this instrument features a double-top soundboard pairing Alpine spruce from Tirol with old-growth redwood, supported by an advanced lattice bracing system that maximizes projection and responsiveness while preserving a natural, organic tone.

The back and sides are crafted from master-grade Imbuya with striking sapwood contrast — among the most visually arresting tonewoods in existence. Every element of the build reflects Turkowiak’s pursuit of acoustic perfection: an asymmetric sycamore neck, elevated ebony fingerboard, integrated armrest, and a set of custom tuners with ebony knobs and mother-of-pearl details.

A defining feature of Turkowiak’s design is his “Acoustic Tubes” system, built into the neck — the first of its kind in the world. These internal resonating channels enhance sound transmission from the nut through the neck to the body, increasing stiffness and resonance. Acoustic pressure exits through the small openings visible after the 12th fret, creating a supportive resonant area that contributes to the guitar’s unique projection and tonal response.

This guitar is also fitted with built-in adjustable electronics, discreetly integrated with an output jack at the butt, allowing seamless amplification without aesthetic compromise. The sound is equally refined — powerful and full-bodied with exceptional clarity, sustain, and color. The tonal balance between the spruce and redwood layers creates warmth and sparkle in perfect proportion.

This isn’t a guitar that fits my usual preferences, but it’s easy to see how someone will fall in love with it — the aesthetic alone is stunning. Turkowiak’s work has a devoted following among players who appreciate a bold, modern voice and world-class attention to detail, and this one is a perfect example of that.

• Top: Double-top Alpine Spruce (outer) / Old-growth Redwood (inner) — Master Grade

• Back & Sides: Imbuya with Sapwood — Master Grade

• Neck: Asymmetric Sycamore with built-in Acoustic Tubes — Master Grade

• Fingerboard: Elevated Ebony, bound — Master Grade

• Bridge: Manually carved Ebony — Master Grade

• Electronics: Built-in discreet system with adjustable settings and output jack

• Finish: Proprietary high-resonance, antistatic high-gloss varnish, hand-polished

• Binding & Details: Ebony binding, natural bone side dots, bone nut and saddle

• Condition: Excellent (9/10) — very light marks on the top, barely noticeable

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