How to care for your high quality classical guitar

When you buy or commission a brand new guitar, or even buy a second hand guitar, it can be a daunting thing to actually play it for fear of scratching it, damaging it, knocking it over etc. A new guitar in particular is so shiny and flawless that every tiny scratch really stands out! And on the other hand, once we get used to a new guitar, it can be easy to go too far the other way and not take as much care of it as it needs.

Therefore, I have compiled some tips here to help players look after their quality musical instruments, and form good habits to ensure their instruments remain in the best shape. At the end of this article, I have compiled everything into a do and don’t list for guitarists which I hope will help. Of course, players needn’t become too neurotic in the care of their guitars, but the tips here should really help with the health and lifespan of an instrument.

Daily playing habits and guitar scratches

Different guitarists will have different attitudes and tolerances towards scratches on their guitar. Some consider their guitar to be a mere tool to be used hard in the service of music. Others are more careful.

What finish does my guitar have? It helps to be aware of what finish you have on your guitar, as some finishes are more delicate and may require greater care than others. French polish, for example, can begin to wear with constant skin-to-guitar contact and can even wear in reaction to sweat; it’s therefore advisable to have some cloth/clothing between yourself and the guitar. After playing, it’s always good practice to wipe down your guitar with an ever so slightly damp cloth, preventing any build up of grime and dust. This is a good habit, whatever the finish. 

Hands off that soundboard! While playing, if you want your guitar to play in the best shape, it would help if your right hand fingers don’t touch the soundboard. Some players rest their thumbs or pinky fingers on the soundboard, or their fingers scrape the soundboard in particular motions. Of course, over time the scratches build up. It is possible to adjust your playing so that your right hand doesn’t touch or create scratches on the soundboard. With classical guitars, there is a great demand for the thinnest possible finish. Be it lacquer, french polish, or varnish, on a high quality classical guitar, these various finishes will be applied as thinly as possible, so as to not impede the vibration of the soundboard. Spruce and cedar themselves - the woods used for classical guitar soundboards - are quite soft and easy to dent. Therefore, it’s always quite easy to scratch a classical guitar.

If the back and sides of your guitar are french polished, you should be wary of attaching any affixings or anything that uses suction cups, as these can easily mar the finish. This is especially true on a new guitar when the finish may still be quite fresh. Lacquer back and sides are more hard wearing, when it comes to affixing things to the guitar, with suction cups etc. 

Fear string dings no more! When changing strings it really is easy to scratch the soundboard or the head of the guitar. During string changes, most people use a piece of card pushed up against the underside of the bridge, so that the strings will scrape against the card instead of the soundboard. Another danger of changing strings on a classical guitar is “string-dings”. They are so common; people see them and often think “that looks bad but it will never happen to me”. It happens when a string, usually one of the treble strings, hasn’t been tied securely enough at the bridge; then, as the string is being tuned up to full tension, it suddenly comes undone, and it does so with enough force to gauge a small hole in the soundboard! That’s a string ding. It really does happen and only needs to happen once to leave a mark forever. I have found that carbon strings in particular have more of a tendency to slip like this. Therefore, when tying my strings I use a soundboard protector, which is a thin layer of plastic covering the soundboard; it stays on until all the strings are tuned up to tension.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1545087219/soundboard-protector-protect-your

Some people use products such as kling-on guitar protectors; a thin plastic covering you leave on the soundboard as you play. However, it’s possible that some finishes react poorly to having such a covering left on for long periods of time. I think a better solution is to adjust one’s technique so as to not touch the soundboard when playing.

When scratches happen, what are our options?

Despite our best efforts and care, accidents will inevitably happen and guitars will pick up scratches and dings over time. This is particularly true for classical guitars because we prefer the thinnest finish possible, and the woods we use - spruce and especially cedar - are soft and easy to scratch/dent. What to do about scratches depends on the finish. All options would involve either taking the guitar to a skilled luthier, or just accepting the scratch as a battle scar. 

French polish’s delicateness is more than made up for by its beauty, thinness, and reparability. With just a few precautions, guitarists should have no problem with French polished instruments.

You can refresh your french polished guitar! Of all the finishes, French polish can be most easily touched up; it is possible to “refresh” a french polish finish, or french polish over the existing finish, minimising the appearance of the scratches there. Lacquer, at least the type I use, is more difficult to repair without redoing/reworking the whole surface in question. Many classical guitar luthiers will be able to touch up a french polished guitar; you don't necessarily need to send them back to the original maker. With lacquer finishes, guitar repairers from the steel string world will also be able to help and might be more experienced.

Refinish at your peril! Refinishing a guitar means removing the old varnish/finish, and then finishing it anew. Luthiers/repairers will always seek for a way to repair and keep the original varnish, because removing the varnish and then redoing it always entails removing some wood as well, which is dangerous for the structure of the guitar and can alter the sound. This is particularly true with lattice and double top guitars. They can have soundboards made from only 0.6-1mm thick pieces of wood. It is always slightly risky to remove the finish, especially as one never knows how deep any inlays such as the rosette or purfling go, or how the sound might be affected by the removal of material. There is not much room to do repairs there, so certainly worth taking very good care of the guitar in the first place. I have written about the construction of both lattice and double top guitars here:

https://www.michaeledgeworthguitars.com/en/blog/what-are-double-top-guitars-what-are-lattice-guitars

Find the master repairer. Regarding repairs, it is worth bearing in mind that classical guitar repair is an art in itself. It is possible for someone to be a master guitar maker and not be brilliant at repairs. So when taking a guitar to be repaired, it’s best to try and find someone experienced and confident at doing classical guitar repairs. 

Of course, I would say the best solution to scratches is prevention rather than repair.

Should I keep my guitar in or out of its case?

Humidity, humidity, humidity. The answer to this question mostly relates to humidity. Wood expands and contracts with changes in humidity and temperature, and keeping a guitar in its case protects the instrument to some extent from these changes. It protects the guitar from changes when you turn on the central heating, open a window, have a shower etc. Keeping a guitar in its case also makes sense if you don’t have a dedicated music room, and your guitar is in danger of being knocked. 

Humidity relating to musical instruments is an interesting subject. I’ve written a separate blog post on the subject here: https://www.michaeledgeworthguitars.com/en/blog/humidity-humidity-humidity . I recommend that at a minimum, all guitarists own a hydrometer and keep it near their handmade classical/flamenco guitar. Wood swells and expands at high humidity, and shrinks at low humidity. You must at least be aware of the humidity around your instrument. If the air is too dry, your guitar can crack; too wet and the wood can swell and distort. You may also find that the sound of your guitar changes along with swings in humidity.

How is the soundboard of your guitar constructed? Different construction types are more affected by changes in humidity. For example, a spruce soundboard will expand and shrink more than a cedar soundboard. Double top guitars are less likely to crack than traditionally made instruments; they expand and contract less due to the construction design. Certain traditional designs will behave differently than others. Guitars are usually made at 45% relative humidity; this gives the most leeway for expansion and shrinkage without damage. Most guitars will perform best in the same humidity it was built, so I would recommend keeping a handmade guitar between 45-55% relative humidity. 

There are a few good ways to control the humidity around your guitar. I love to use two-way humidity packs made by D’addario and Bodeva. You put two or three in the guitar case, along with the guitar, and this controls the humidity within the guitar case. If you have a dedicated music room where you keep all your instruments, it would be worthwhile to consider controlling the humidity of the whole room. I’ve been controlling the humidity of my workshop for many years so I know a few things about it. Because I live in the UK, where the humidity is high, I’ve always had to use a dehumidifier to bring down the high humidity. In other, fryer climates, the opposite machine, a humidifier, would be necessary instead. 

The importance of a good hardcase:

You and your guitar can travel with confidence! If you have found a classical guitar you love, now you need to find a good case for it. With a really fantastic case you can walk in rain, snow, travel on a plane, stay in hotels etc, and the temperature and - combined with a humidity pack inside the case - humidity within the case should stay relatively stable and safe for your guitar. 

Many cheaper cases aren’t completely sealed, and while these are fine for storing your guitar at home, if you want to actually take your guitar places without the worry of being caught in the rain or bad weather, a better, higher quality case is in order. I have been caught in the rain before, with a less than ideal hardcase, and when I got home and inspected the guitar, I found the rain had got inside the case. As high quality guitars are expensive and fragile, a high quality hardcase case is more than worth it. 

I would advise never even considering a soft case for a high quality classical guitar, not for any circumstances. They simply won't protect a classical guitar. 

As I am designing and getting ready to launch my signature guitar model, I am thinking about which hardcase will be best to provide along with the guitar. Here in the UK, the most standard hard case is the British made Hiscox Pro ii Classical which costs around £180. The most expensive cases made by companies such as Visesnut, Pegasus, BAM etc can cost around £800. I will write a blog post detailing the various guitar case options available.

How do I travel on a plane with a classical guitar?

I will make a few points regarding travelling on a plane with your high quality classical guitar, even though this question probably deserves a blog post of its own. When travelling on a plane with a guitar, the guitarist will likely need to buy an extra seat for the guitar. 

On some airlines, with longer distance flights for example, it can be possible to just turn up with the guitar, and the cabin crew will find a suitable place in the cabin to keep it. This is obviously quite risky, because you don’t want your guitar to end up in the hold with the other large items of luggage. 

You don’t want your guitar to go in the hold of the plane, because airport/plane staff are notoriously rough with baggage, and your high quality instrument, even in a hardcase, could easily end up broken. If I were to transport a guitar in the hold of a plane, I would pack it up as if I were shipping it internationally, in its case, with lots of bubble wrap, in a cardboard box.

When travelling with my guitars, I have always bought an extra seat. One thing I’ve noticed is that humidity in the cabin gets extraordinarily low. So it’s important to have a well sealed hardcase, with some humidity packs inside.

How long is a guitar supposed to last anyway?

Guitars are quite delicate instruments. Though with some care, there's no real reason a high quality guitar wouldn't outlast you! Professional players tend to consider a 10 - 15 year old guitar as starting to get on a bit. By that time, the finish may be showing signs of wear, and the sound may have changed over time. 

Do and Don’t List for classical guitarists. How to care for your guitar

DO be aware of how your guitar is polished. French polish, lacquer, varnish and oil finishes require different levels of care.

DO adjust your right hand technique, so that you don’t touch the soundboard with your right hand’s nails.

DO be careful when changing strings. Use a string protector so you don’t get scratches and string dings around the bridge: 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1545087219/soundboard-protector-protect-your

DO keep your guitar in its case when not in use and use humidity packs within the case. Alternatively, keep your guitars in a devoted music room, and carefully control the humidity of the whole room.

DO wipe down your guitar with a slightly damp cloth from time to time, to keep it from getting grubby.

DO buy a quality hardcase for your guitar. 

DON’T keep your high quality guitar in a softcase.

DON’T scratch the soundboard of your guitar with your right hand.

DON’T leave your guitar for long periods in direct daylight, by a radiator, next to a draft or fan, or in a too hot or cold car. 

DON’T let just anyone try your guitar. Inexperienced guitarists may accidentally scratch it.

What are double-top guitars? What are lattice guitars?

Guitars are fascinating instruments! Their design is constantly being experimented upon and improved, in the search for better tone, volume and projection. It is fascinating to track the guitar all the way from the baroque period, until today. Guitarists have always been eager for improvements, and guitar makers ever willing to innovate. Over the past 30 years, two innovations in particular have taken the classical guitar world by storm: the double top guitar and the lattice guitar. What are they? How, why and from where did they appear? What do they sound like? 

The guitar before lattice and double top bracing:

You are probably aware that different guitar makers specialise in using different bracing patterns. Many makers develop their own designs, and it’s these different designs that give guitars their unique sounds. The narrow lengths of wood we call ‘bracing’ support the interior of a guitar's soundboard, keeping the guitar from caving in on itself under the pull of the strings. In balance with this structural purpose, the bracing is also designed not to be so stiff or heavy as to inhibit the vibration of the soundboard.

Throughout the 20th century guitar makers mostly used what we now call ‘traditional bracing’. This kind of bracing was pioneered in the late 19th century by a maker called Antonio Torres. A traditionally braced guitar in the Torres style generally has a soundboard with a thickness between 1.8mm and 2.5mm, the interior of which has 7 struts made of spruce laid out in the shape of a fan. 20th century makers built on this design, finding their own unique sounds within this concept. For example, French maker Robert Bouchet added a brace going across the soundboard under the bridge, and reduced the number of fan braces to five. A Spanish guitar builder called Ignacio Fleta started using cedar, as opposed to spruce, as his material of choice for the soundboard, and he increased the number of fan braces to nine. Within this general framework - a solid spruce or cedar soundboard with fan braces - many great guitars have been built and continue to be built. This fan braced instrument in all its variations is what we think of as the traditional classical guitar.

The lattice braced guitar:

The basic idea of lattice bracing had been around for a while. Using bracing across the guitar soundboard was not a new idea, though the rationale behind its use had been different. Lattice bracing not only has strutting along the grain of the soundboard, as in fan bracing, but also has struts across the grain of the soundboard. The bracing forms a grid-like trellis structure, which is stronger and stiffer than regular fan bracing. Due to the strength of the bracing, the thickness of the soundboard can be made much thinner, between 1mm and 1.5mm and in theory the result is a louder guitar and with a different sound quality. 

Often the term ‘lattice guitar’ is associated not only with the bracing, but with the fact that many lattice guitars also have very thick back and sides, and are generally very heavy. However, not all lattice braced guitars are like that; this is just one way that they can be constructed. Guitar makers are exploring many possibilities of lattice bracing; some makers use carbon fibre to reinforce the lattice structure to make it really stiff; some makers conversely only use wood bracing; some lattice guitars are constructed with thin back/sides, others with thick. The very heavily built lattice guitars are associated with the Australian school of guitar building and particularly with the luthier Greg Smallman, who was one of the pioneers of the lattice guitar.

The lattice guitar began to rise to prominence and be accepted in the 80s. It seems that Australian guitar builder Greg Smallman, Japanese builder Kohno and English maker Paul Fischer all separately came up with lattice based designs at that time, and probably other makers did too. I like the story of Greg Smallman developing his guitar; if I recall correctly, he would doggedly try to get feedback on his guitars from players (particularly collaborating with very famous guitarist John Williams), trying to understand what guitar players wanted and needed from their guitars, and adjusting the design of his guitars in accordance. What he eventually came up with was something quite far from the traditional guitar. In England, Paul Fischer collaborated with a scientist called Bernard Richardson; together they experimented on designing a bracing pattern, for a guitar with increased projection. The result was Paul’s Taut model. Technically, both Paul and Greg’s guitar models have lattice bracing, but they are very different guitars. Well known and fantastic players such as John Williams (on a Smallman guitar) Xuefei Yang (Smallman and Fischer), Jason Vieaux (Fischer), play using lattice guitars, showing that this type of construction must have some merit.

The double top guitar:

Many luthiers over the centuries have searched for some innovation to make a drastic improvement to the guitar. But I don’t think any such innovation has been quite so successful at making such a huge impact on the guitar world, as the double-top guitar.

The construction of the double-top is clever and modern. “Double-top” refers to the soundboard, which, rather than being one solid piece of wood, is actually made up of three layers: two very thin layers of wood - hence ‘double-top’ - and sandwiched between them, a layer of a man-made material called nomex. Nomex has a honeycomb structure, so there’s a lot of empty space. It feels a bit like paper, quite light and fragile. However, once the nomex is glued up between the two layers of wood, the whole structure is very stiff and strong. Each layer of wood can be around 0.3-0.6mm thick! Extremely thin. The whole rationale behind double tops is to decrease the overall weight of the soundboard, and the resulting sound is supposed to be much louder. 

There are two guitar makers associated with the creation of double top guitars. They are Mathias Dammann and Gernot Wagner. I believe it was Dammann, in his search to build his ideal guitar - and dissatisfied with attempts so far - who initially experimented with double top ideas, in the late 80s/early 90s when he was in his early 30s. I believe initial attempts involved using strips of wood as the middle layer of the double top, but he soon discovered the material nomex, and was able to see its potential for guitar building. I do admire the ingenuity of the double top invention, particularly as nomex was initially developed for use in fields completely unrelated to guitar making

While Dammann was building the first double tops, fellow German luthier Gernot Wagner had reached similar conclusions while trying to improve the sound of his guitars. He had realised that when he used the lightest material for his soundboards, he came closer to achieving the sound he wanted. He would therefore immediately see the merit in an idea that reduces the weight of the soundboard considerably. Somehow, the two luthiers met and exchanged ideas, around the time when Dammann was building his first double tops. I think such a collaboration is quite enviable! And from it has emerged the double top classical guitar that we know today. As with lattice guitars, and traditional guitars, there is a spectrum of double-top guitars, and many different construction styles. They tend to sound differently to traditional guitars, but each double top builder will have their own unique design and sound.

So, double top, traditional or lattice?

Usually, it’s best to simply judge every guitar on its sound, playability and aesthetic, and not worry initially about what the interior construction is. There are many stereotypes regarding materials and construction methods, such as: spruce sounding more articulate; cedar’s tone being darker and louder; double tops and lattice being louder but with a less pleasing tone. It’s important to be aware of the different construction methods out there, but I would  recommend disregarding such preconceptions and try to judge each unique guitar impartially. Also, you will have different priorities, depending on if you’re a professional constantly touring musician, a student, a teacher, or someone who likes to play guitar in their free time. There are professional guitarists playing all different types of construction, so there is no clear consensus as to what is better; it is really down to personal taste.

So far, I have built mostly traditionally braced instruments. There is a huge gamut of tones, colours, loudness levels etc to be found, even only among traditional guitars. It is in fact extraordinary to hear the wide range of possibilities. I have experienced this when attending guitar making competitions - where there is the opportunity to hear many guitars in comparison with each other - and when visiting classical guitar dealers, where of course you can try many guitars. I have built one experimental double top guitar, which I wasn’t at all happy with actually, but it was just an experiment; in the end it was a loud guitar but with a voice that barked rather than sung. I would say that knowing how to build a good double top, or lattice, is its own art, as valid as building traditional guitars. I think it’s fantastic that lattice and double tops exist; I think it broadens the possibilities of the classical guitar, and increases the chances of finding the ideal sound for you.

I was able to meet Gernot Wagner, one of the first double top makers, while visiting London Guitar Studio one December. Since, Gernot was scheduled to arrive soon, the owners said I should stay and get get some feedback on a guitar I’d built. Gernot, like many luthiers, is extremely open about his methods, for the sake of furthering the craft. I had the fortune to receive from him what he called a free lecture. He told me in particular about his general building principles which eventually led him to building double-top guitars. When I was studying at college, I attended a lecture by guitar maker Paul Fischer. He developed a kind of bracing, not dissimilar to lattice, that he called taut bracing. It takes a certain curiosity and bravery to really push the limits in guitar making, and a lot of talent to do so successfully. I do admire the lattice and double-top guitars of the world. I don’t know whether my quest for my perfect sound will lead me down the double-top/lattice path in the long run. Having said that, I am building my first lattice guitar now, in collaboration with a guitar maker called Rik Middleton. I look forward to seeing how it sounds. 

Excitingly, many luthiers who are considered quite influential today, such as Smallman, Wagner, Dammann, Friedrich etc, started to settle upon their signature sound around their early 30s. I’m approaching that age! I’m at a time in my career, where worries about craftsmanship are getting smaller as skill increases and my perfectionism regarding my guitars is more satisfied. That leaves the sound as the main focal point of my attention, and I look forward to seeing what sound-paths I tread in the coming years.

What are handcrafted classical guitars and who are they for?

As far as classical guitars go, handmade reigns supreme, as shown by the fact that just about every professional plays a handmade guitar. This is different to the steel-string or electric guitar world, where factories and big-brands are king. For me and many others, it is one of the most charming things about the classical guitar. But for those newer to the classical guitar, or perhaps asking themselves questions such as, “Am I good enough for a handmade guitar?”, this article is for you.

Looking inside the soundhole of a guitar, you see a label and on that label a name, the name of a man or woman who dedicated perhaps much of their life towards honing the sound of their instruments, and diligently refining their unique aesthetics. That is at least how I felt as a teenager, peering into the soundhole of my grandpa’s old, quite cracked but well loved Harald Petersen guitar; I felt I was holding a small piece of an artist’s work. A piece of art I could hold, play, look at, listen to - experiencing it in many different ways.

The artistry and craft of a classical guitar maker lies not only in the visual aspect, though each maker decorates their guitar uniquely to distinguish their instruments from others, and display their technical ability. It lies not only in the functional aspect - for example how comfortably the neck is shaped - or in the tactile aspect, such as which polish has been used and how well. Many would say the most important aspect is the sound, and partly I would agree; each guitar maker chases their individual idea of the perfect sound, refining their unique sound throughout their career. But I would really say that the best guitars bring all these aspects together and that this is the aim of the handmade guitar. But there is also an additional element; it would be better to say that the aim is to bring all these elements together, in a way best for that particular customer, as the maker and guitarist can correspond during the building process or perhaps just know each other anyway.

This aim is for the most part quite beyond classical guitars built in a factory. Part of the reason is that every single piece of wood is different and needs to be treated differently. The properties of each piece of wood can vary from piece to pieces, even when cut from the same tree. This is particularly true of wood for the soundboard on a classical guitar, which influences the sound most of all. Factories, due to the demands of mass-production, build every instrument exactly the same, despite variations in wood. Not only that but the priorities of factories don’t necessarily correspond with what is best for a great classical guitar. Priorities such as needing to limit returns and repairs, therefore building for robust instruments, and prioritising speed, so finishes like French polish are usually out of the question. This situation is unique to classical guitars, mostly arising from the fact that it’s a difficult job to make a classical guitar sound really good. It’s much easier to build a bad sounding classical than a bad sounding steel-string. Conversely, the priorities of factories and players of steel-string/electric guitars, usually more or less align, therefore factory guitars remain popular with those players.

Classical players choose their guitar maker by a number of factors. Perhaps the guitarist is initially drawn in by the aesthetic style and craftsmanship of a particular maker, and the aesthetic details. Maybe a maker has a particularly brilliant signature sound. Perhaps a guitarist has gotten to know a maker and likes his ideas. 

Let’s zoom in on some of these different details. Firstly, the craftsmanship. Often, classical guitar makers, apart from putting their name on the label inside the soundhole, will distinguish their guitars by decorating them in a recognizable manner/style. There is limited scope to do this, since the guitar is a classical instrument and not much in the design can be changed. However, if you look at the headstock, here the maker distinguishes himself with a unique design. It has to be unique, something he has thought up himself; it is actually considered poor form to copy someone else's design here. Therefore, you can usually recognise a guitar maker by their headstock design. There is also the rosette, the pattern around the soundhole. There are guitar makers who make every rosette unique and different; others buy the rosette; but there are some that create a distinctive design here and use the same design on each guitar. Growing up, I always loved the Paul Fischer rosette (a guitar maker from Oxford, UK. A maker with a distinctive rosette today is Philip Woodfield. I personally like it when you can distinguish a guitar’s maker by the rosette design. It somehow ties together their whole body of work. Some makers also decorate the tie block on the bridge with a pattern corresponding with or complimenting the rosette. If you look at guitars throughout the careers of many makers, often at first the design varies, then as they mature they begin to build essentially the same instrument design over and over, as they fine tune their ideal design.

Aside from the aesthetic design choices, there is also the level of workmanship. I think the best makers are very exacting in their workmanship. The workmanship represents the guitar maker’s pride in his work. I think with the best guitars, the closer you look, the better it gets; rather than the opposite with guitars with poor workmanship.

Secondly, the sound. There is such variety in sound with classical guitars, it is a truly brilliant situation! A small anecdote: years ago, I attended a violin making competition in Malta. Some of the judges lamented the fact that all the violins there essentially sounded the same; this is because violin players and makers idolise Stradivarius and Gueneri violins, and achieving that same sound has become an art. The situation is so different with guitars. There are fan braced guitars of many different varieties; fan bracing is what we consider traditional bracing. Newer innovations are common such as double top guitars and lattice braced guitars, and such designs are ever being refined. Older types of bracing exist too, such as ladder bracing, from the 18th and 19th century. Within each type of bracing, many sound-worlds exist. Some of these sound-worlds become associated with particular guitar makers. For example, a guitar maker who lived in 20th century Paris named Robert Bouchet, inspired by a 19th century guitar he had, began to brace his instruments with a cross brace under the bridge, giving his guitars a distinctive sound which became very famous. That type of cross brace is now known as a ‘Bouchet bar’. 

The sound is the real meat of the matter when it comes to the classical guitar. Personally, I think a classical guitar maker will have long mastered the craftsmanship aspect of guitar making before he masters the sound. Often when guitarists try out a guitar, the sound is really the thing they pay attention to. A louder guitar, sweeter, more colourful, bassier, responsive, dry, crisp. A guitar maker plots his course in this deep forest of sounds. The guitarist must go into that forest too, and in there find the guitar maker most suited to him. 

Finally there is the aspect of collaboration between maker and guitarist. Although often the best results can be achieved when a guitar maker is left to build his signature design, sometimes two people can come together and create something better than one person could ever do alone; two people inspiring each other

With that background covered about what a handmade classical guitar is, we can answer the question about who they are for. The answer is that they are for many groups of people. There are musicians who like to enrich their lives by playing the classical guitar as a hobby; there are professional touring musicians, students, teachers. For some players the handmade guitar is a luxury, a feast for the senses, and in a way I actually think it is this group of players who most appreciate the classical guitar maker's art. For professional classical guitarists and serious students, it is essential for them to have a guitar that doesn’t limit them. Just as long ago a warrior might prefer to go into battle with a well crafted and sharpened sword, the professional musician needs a serious instrument too. For them, the handcrafted guitar is not just a luxury, but an essential tool. Once a player has discovered the vast range of sounds possible with handmade guitars, it is difficult to return to worse instruments. As a player progresses and grows as a musician, they might notice limitations in their instruments that they weren’t able to perceive initially. I would think when that happens that they are ready for something better. A guitar can seem limiting for any number of reasons, soundwise, visually, or due to functional issues such as neck shape or intonation. 

This blog post has me thinking of many of the guitar makers through the ages whose different sounds and designs I admire greatly. I think if we were to ask them, who their guitars are suitable for, they would agree that if you will play the guitar, enjoy it and take care of it, then you are ready for a handmade guitar.