Résumé

Workspace

Since September 2004, I work in my own workshop in Kemmern, near the world heritage city Bamberg in Upper Franconia. As a luthier, I claim to also deal with the history and scientific fundamentals of the guitar. Regularly, I teach music instrument making in Markneukirchen at the West Saxon University of Applied Sciences in Zwickau.

Apprenticeship

From 1996-199, I learned the trade of guitar making at the company Hanika in Baiersdorf. After successfully passing the final apprenticeship examination, I wanted to learn more about the functionality of the guitar and visited a seminar of the Israeli luthier Boaz Elkayam. In this seminar I gained the first insights into the Kasha construction.

Studies

In order to investigate the scientific fundamentals of guitar making and to develop an own style for guitar making, I studied from 2000-2004 at the University of Applied Sciences for Music Instrument Making in Markneukirchen. At the beginning of my studies it was important to me to fully examine the Spanish guitar making tradition in order to form my own idea of a traditional concert guitar with highest aesthetical, handicraft, and tonal aspiration.

Overseas experience

I used my practical semester in the main course of my studies to return to the workspace of Boaz Elkayam in Mexico, where I tested the Kasha construction on site. In my diploma thesis I grappled with the theoretical fundamentals of the Kasha guitar and realized its practical implementation n my own Kasha model.