years Bert Kwakkel guitars
Jubilee guitar no. 500 finished!
Bert Kwakkel has built classical guitars for forty years now. 2011 is also the year in which he is going to build his 500th guitar. Next to his orders he started building this Merula Special with the intention to make a very exclusive instrument because of this jubilee. Bert Kwakkel just finished guitar number 500!
In 1971, at the age of 17, Bert Kwakkel made his first guitar . He made this guitar of plywood and neck of oak. Four years later he made his first guitar of solid wood. The back and sides of that instrument were made of mahogany. For that guitar he designed a remarkable intarsia rosette. Bert Kwakkel used the same pattern for his jubilee guitar no. 500, but three dimensional this time.
Of course his guitars have changed and improved a lot during the past forty years. Most of the guitars Bert Kwakkel makes nowadays are Merula Special type guitars, with Brazilian rosewood back and sides and mainly spruce for the tops. The neck and fingerboard of this type of guitar are made out of one piece of Brazilian rosewood or African blackwood.
Nr. 500 has been constructed with the most beautiful Brazilian rosewood Bert Kwakkel had at his disposal. Together with an excellent Austrian spruce top, a handmade three dimensional rosette in which five diamonds and Rodgers tuning machines makes this jubilee guitar very exclusive. Interest in Bert Kwakkel's 500th guitar? It's for sale ...
| Bert Kwakkel - Classical Concert Guitar nr. 500 | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Merula Special |
| Back and sides: | Brazilian rosewood* (photo) extremely nice figured, at least 40 years old |
| Top: | Spruce Austrian |
| Fingerboard and neck: | Brazilian rosewood* one piece |
| Scale: | 65 cm |
| Thickness fingerboard: | 1st fret 22mm – 9th fret 24,5 mm |
| Width fingerboard: | nut 53 mm – 12th fret 63 mm |
| Position mark: | VII (2 mm diamond) |
| Tuning machines: | Rodgers Hauser style, nice engraved brass side-plate with oval black mother-of-pearl knobs |
| Rosette: | handmade 3-dimensional, inspired on BK-guitar from 1975, five 2mm diamonds |
| Case: | Hiscox de luxe |
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| Interest? | Send an email or call Bert Kwakkel at +31 315 340440 |
* All Bert Kwakkel guitars made of Brazilian rosewood are delivered with a CITES document meaning the used wood is legal.
"Superb balance, clear & focused tone and unrivalled projection"
"This is a concert guitar of the very highest standard."
"Bert Kwakkel's guitars rank among the finest I have ever played: projection, tone quality, balance and sustain are exceptional; effortless to play and built to the most exacting standard of craftsmanship."