New Stenzel Guitar Coming to the USA Very Soon

[rojarosguitar]

So finally the new Stenzel guitar with the sister cedar top of another Stenzel guitar that came to the USA few years ago made from a cedar tree that died in fire in 1930s and stood upright since then, and a body made from Sorbus Domestica (witty pear) will come very soon to GSI. If you search "Coming soon - Sebastian Stenzel" blog 2 March, you will find a detailed description with pictures (accidentally shot by my son Paul who is a photographer)

I nad a chance to play that guitar very briefly and it is sonically and aesthetically absolutely breath-taking. I believe some great musician needs an appointment at the show room there.

I referred to that guitar already here: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=109421

[rojarosguitar]

Seems to be already on hold or even sold...

[astro64]

I think at least half of all the new guitars GSI sells are pre-ordered. I wouldn't know if that is the case for the Stenzel, but it could be. Either way, it looks like a very nice guitar and it is good it is not languishing in a store.

[rojarosguitar]

No, this particular guitar was not pre-ordered, it was one of those standing orders of GSI with Sebastian Stenzel. There is the other guitar that also has been delivered that was preordered (reachly ornamented spruce/maple that is decribed in one of the recent blogs).
Stenzel guitars were outstanding for a long time already, but now there is a significant leap as he realised for the first time some constructive changes he was developing since some time. But yes, these are just words, one would have to see and, most importantly to play and to listen...!

[rojarosguitar]

The sorb tree (witty pear)/cedar guitar made by Sebastian Stenzel has finally appeared on the GSI new arrivals page. This guitar is absolutely stunning. Even if you can't or don't want to buy it it's worth going there to see and possibly play it, if you are close enough to Santa Monica.

[petermc61]

Robert

You said at the start of this thread the sound was breathtaking. So you think he achieved something with this guitar better than other cedar guitars of his you have played or owned previously? If so do you put it down to the very rare woods or just Sebastian's general progress in making better guitars over time?

Regards
Peter

[rojarosguitar]

Peter, it's beyond my experience to attribute the quality of the guitar to the wood or to the progress of his work. I think it is also closely interrelated, because a certain material may well inspire the maker to greater achievements. But this guitar surpass any other cedar guitar I have ever heard from any maker (including Daniel Friedrich or Miguel Rodriguez guitars that have been in his workshop for referetting).

What I know for sure is that Sebastian was really exhilarated about the sorb tree wood and that he appraised it is of highest quality guitar wood comparable with best Brazilian rosewood.

[petermc61]

I aspire to own a cedar that connects with me musically as well as my favourite spruces. I have not yet decided whether to get a spruce or cedar from Sebastian - your comments may encourage me to try his cedar.

[Tom]

Would love to keep a spruce Stenzel as my collection.

[rojarosguitar]

I should correct myself: one of the four guitars I'm talking about was not the Madagascar rosewood/spruce (that was in a previous recording session) but rather a walnut/spruce. As i said, all these guitars were equally great with subtle timbre differences (especially the cedar top one was of course distinct).

[rojarosguitar]

Would love to keep a spruce Stenzel as my collection.

What I gather from talks with Sebastian is that he always aims at certain characteristics regardless of wood, like great flexibility of tone, great dynamic bandwith and a lyrical voice of the guitar. When he works on a specific wood he aims at getting support from this kind of wood for all these characteristics.

So he is not after a clichée spruce or cedar voice but rather to get the best possible guitar in the context of his understanding of what such a guitar might be. So probably you're not going to to make a mistake either way.