Luthiers with Copies of Early Romantic / Classical Guitars


When this website was first created, copies of romantic guitars were much harder to find. Today, many luthiers are offering historical guitar reproductions in addition to modern guitars. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but just a list of links that I have found and been asked to publish over the years. If you know of a great luthier who makes romantic guitar reproductions who is missing from the list, or wish to advise of a correction, please contact me.

Angel Benito Aguado Angel Benito Aguado

(Spain) A variety of historical plucked stringed instruments: vihuelas, baroque guitars, lutes, theorbos, and romantic period guitars. Contact him via the Zavaletas site. Note: Yunah Park is currently running the site; Yunah is a top luthier in Madrid making concert classical guitars. In 2024, I purchased a Yunah park modern concert guitar, cedar top, while I was in Madrid.

Simon Ambridge Panormo Simon Ambridge

(England) "19th century guitar in the style of Panormo" model available as well as Torres copies.


Guitarreria Bellido - Granada, Spain

The legendary builder Manuel Bellido recently retired, and his tradition carries on with Mauricio and Jesús Bellido. Jesús builds an excellent Torres and Panormo copy, which I had the pleasure to try when I visited them in 2024. I came home with a Manuel Bellido concert guitar. They make custom guitars and have a shop called Superb Guitars which sells concert instruments from their stock and other builders.

Guitarreria Bellido
Superb Guitars

Jesus Bellido, Len Verrett, and Mauricio Bellido
Jesus Bellido left, and Mauricio Bellido right.


Philippe Mottet-Rio (Anselmus)

(Switzerland)
1. Romantic guitars:

Grobert, Paris c. 1820 (Paris, Cité de la musique E375), 63,5 cm
Juan Pagès, Cadiz 1808 (Bruxelles, MIM M1542), 63 cm, 6 choeurs (*)
Etienne LaPrévotte, Paris 1838 (Paris, Cité de la musique E679), 63 cm (**)
Luis Panormo, London 1849 (coll. privée), 63 cm (***)

2. Also :
Lutes, vihuelas, Renaissance guitars, Baroque guitars and modern guitars

email : mottet-rio@bluewin.ch


Asier de Benito Terzina Guitar Asier de Benito

(Spain) Luthier of early instruments, including a Terz guitar. Located in Bétera, near Valencia.


Lawrence K. Brown: (USA-North Carolina) Renaissance, Baroque and Classical Guitars. Larry has made a number of Lacote copies, full-sized and terz that are well-regarded and a large number of lutes. Currently Dream Guitars represents his work, and it is not clear if Larry is still active.


Robert Brune 1821 Gaetano Guadagnini II unrepairedRobert Brune 1821 Gaetano Guadagnini II restored Richard Brune

Restoration specialist for historical guitars, luthier. (USA-Chicago) Offers appraisal and authentication services for instruments brought to the shop for personal examination. Brune has extensive experience in restoration work: "An avid collector and restorer of instruments, he has examined, photographed and measured hundreds of old and antique instruments...artists as diverse as Andrés Segovia, Julian Bream, Earl Klugh, the Romeros, the Pearl Gray Duo, .. Sabicas, and many others too numerous to mention (engaged) the services of R. E. Bruné."

Photos from Brune's web site:

"1821 Gaetano Guadagnini II with the back removed showing the extensive soundboard damage. The Guadagnini after restoration. Instrument is now perfectly playable."


David Edwards

(Virginia, USA) Maker of modern guitars, Lacote and Panormo romantic guitar copies, and reseller of antique and new classical guitars.


Wolfgang Emmerich

(Germany) Maker of early plucked instruments, and the Thibout and Lacote reproductions.


Gil De Avalle Romantic Guitar Gil De Avalle

(Granada, Spain) Luthier of Spanish guitars, including a copy of the important Juan Pages romantic guitar model.


Kenny Hill London Model Kenny Hill Guitar Company

(USA - California) Has made Panormo copies, 6 & 8 string models and other fine instruments.


Martin Hurttig Romantic Guitar Martin Hurttig

(Germany) Restorer and luthier with early plucked instruments and romantic guitar models.


Lacote Model Historical Guitars

(UK) Michael P Nalysnyk - luthier - maker of Baroque, Vihuela, Romantic French/Lacote, Parlor, and Spanish instruments.


TANAKA KIYOTO Mirecourt Replica Tanaka Kiyoto

(Japan) Replicas of Lacote, Laprevotte, Mirecourt guitars, Panormo, etc..

Email: kiyond-guit@carrot.ocn.ne.jp


Kresse Anton Stuaffer Bernhard Kresse

(Germany) Replicas including the Anton Stauffer, Luis Panormo, and Rene Lacote models, restoration, and original period guitars. I personally own a Kresse Anton Stauffer replica and a Lacote replica by Kresse; both are very fine instruments, among the very best I have ever played.


Lehmann Strings Panormo Copy Lehmann Strings

(USA-NY) Classical guitars and a Panormo 1830 model, based on the guitar used in the Boston Museum "Dangerous Curves" exhibit and book.


Marfione Lacote Build Marfione Guitars

(USA-NC) Classical guitars and a Lacote model.


Stuaffer 1809 Sebastián Núñez

(Netherlands) Replicas and restoration.


Lorca model 1847 John Ray John Ray

(Granada, Spain) Maker of the Lorca model, a copy of the Spanish master Antonio de Lorca Garcia 1847. John Ray notes that verbal tradition in Spain holds that Lorca was recommended by Fernando Sor to his students, but no independent confirmation of this assertion has been found, especially given Sor's death in 1839, and his long prior exile from Spain preceding. In any event, the Lorca guitars are high quality guitars with very similar construction to guitars by the Pages family, which were specifically recommended by Sor in his Method.

"Antonio de Lorca Garcia was born in Cartagena, Spain but worked in Malaga in the mid 19th century. His son and grandson continued to build fine instruments. I was told by a guitar scholar that Fernando Sor had recommended the instruments by Lorca to his students along with those of Pages in Cadiz, and that this information appeared in one of the collections or methods of Sor. I have since looked for some confirmation of this and have found none. I am beginning to think that this person was mistaken and was thinking about Pages or one of the other makers Sor does recommend in his method.

I was given the opportunity by Angel Luis Cañete Díaz to closely examine the original from his collection and I make a very precise copy which has become very popular as a second instrument for concert guitarists. From studying the original I learned that he was an extremely knowledgeable and skilled maker and that he learned either directly or indirectly from the Pages family. I say this based on the similarities in construction. The original guitar is in the collection of Angel Luis Cañete in Malaga and is in very good condition." - John Ray

John also makes a fine Torres model and is an expert builder and historian, a Canadian who made his home in Granada.


Roseberry Guitars Roseberry Guitars

(Canada) Specialist in early romantic guitars, with various models and options available from luthier Scot Tremblay.

I had the chance to meet Scot at the 2010 GFA Convention in Austin and try out his fantastic Aubry-Maire and Staufer (8-string) models which he had on display at the convention. In 2024 I purchased a Russian 7-string reproduction from him.


(Australia) Builder of modern concert classical guitars and early romantic reproductions, including Panormo, Lacote and Gaetano Guadagnini. I could not find a current website and I am unsure if the email address is valid, but he appears to be active and can be reached by Google searching and on FaceBook.
Lacote model Simon Rovis-Hermann
Email: simon@rovis-hermannguitars.com


Heidi von Rüden

(Germany) Historical replicas include early German guitars, Pages, and Stauffer. Cannot locate contact information.


Jack Sanders

(USA - California) An accomplished luthier, Mr. Sanders builds classical and flamenco guitars, as well as historic reproductions of vihuelas and 19th Century instruments. A faculty member of Pomona College since 1980, he has also taught guitar-building courses at California Institute of the Arts and Pomona College. He received his BFA and MFA degrees from California Institute of the Arts, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Guitar Foundation of America since 1995.


Lacôte Guitar c1850 Gary Southwell

(England) Historical replicas include Lacôte, Panormo, Stauffer, and Tertz guitar. Gary Southwell is a renown luthier whose clients include David Starobin and others.


Lacôte Guitar copy Michael Thames

(USA) Historical replicas include Lacôte, Panormo, and Torres, as well as other period copies based on Michael's collection. Thames is a respected classical guitar luthier as well.


Clive Titmuss

(Canada)
Guitar after Benito Sanchez de Aguilera, Madrid 1797 Panormo and Terz guitar replicas, Baroque guitars, Lutes. Nice web site with an interesting photo gallery. Several of Clive's Baroque and Romantic guitars are shown on this web site. I personally own a Clive Titmuss Terz guitar.

"I have been making more guitars (period) than lutes lately, as the market seems to have finally matured to include them. The potential is vast. Imagine the possibilities if every guitarist decided they could not be without at least one or two period instruments, and no lutes at all. There is plenty of music, not funny tunings, simple structure and great utility. Period instruments have finally made sense economically and musically. Lets hope that trend continues." -Clive Titmuss

Dake Traphagen (Washington, USA).

Dake is a high end classical builder, endorsed by Pepe Romero and others. He makes a Panormo and a Terz replica.

19th Century


Jan Tulácek (Czech Republic).

Jan is a renown builder of many romantic guitar models and a specialist. Check out his website and videos of his instruments on the web.

N. G. Scherzer 10-string guitar after an original 1858 instrument


Guitar after Rene Lacote Van Gool

Interesting photos of a Fabricatore restoration. Around three models of "transitional guitars" were available for reproduction. (Netherlands).


Hans van Löben Sels

Guitar after Panormo available (Netherlands).


Guitar after Guadagnini Jose Verdi

Guitar after Guadagnini available, based on an exact copy of a surviving original (Argentina).


Grobert Paris 1820 (Paganini-Berlioz guitar)

Matthias Wagner Grobert Paris 1820 (Paganini-Berlioz guitar), Lacote, Panormo models of romantic guitars. (Germany). Unable to locate a website; Google search and contact on FaceBook.


Ian Watchorn

(Australia) Some restored period instruments, as well as replicas of several makers:

Joseph Benedid, Josef and Juan Pagés, Cadiz, 1780 - 1830
Louis Panormo, London, 1819 - 1845
René François Lacôte, Paris, 1820 -1860
Johann Georg Stauffer, Vienna, 1815 - 1840
The Fabricatore Family, Naples, 1770 - 1845
Carlo & Gaetano Guadagnini, Turin, 1800 - 1840
Anton Swozil, Vienna, 1840 - 1890


Dr. James Westbrook

(England) Authentic replicas and repairs. The 1838 Louis Panormo guitar copy was largely based on PhD findings; using original c. 1830's London-made tuners it sounds and plays just like an original Panormo.


Martin de Witte

(Netherlands) Replicas of Panormo, Lacote, Stauffer.


Zontini Marconcini Italian 1800 copy Zontini Filano Guitar 1835 Fabio Zontini

(Italy) Close replicas of:

Joseph Marconcini (Italy 1800)
Antonio Rovetta(Italy 183?)
Louis Panormo


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