Our philosophy, our ambition is to dedicate ourselves to classical concert guitars of quality whether they are ‘lattice’, double-table or ‘traditional’. Most guitarists rarely test these new instruments in good conditions and even less of them can compare several of these instruments.

It is the reason why, www.concert-classical-guitar.com is dedicated to discover and promote instruments that revolutionize our little world. With its website translated into six languages – English, German and french – and its 700 videos seen more than 900,000 times. www.concert-classical-guitar.com is at the service of the passion of the guitarists.

hilippe mariotti

A former student of Alexandre Lagoya, a graduate of CNSM in Paris and a guitar teacher, Philippe has extended his training to numerous master classes with prestigious concert makers (David Russell, to name but a few). Philippe performs in recital, duet and in a quartet. He is also a founding member of the band Mariotti Brothers which performs throughout Europe.

Andre BLANC

Former student of Javier Hinojosa, lute player and guitarist. He is passionate about guitars and was disappointed he could not try these famous lattice and double-table guitars. In 2011, Andre decided to create a concert hall dedicated to classical guitars in the image of those that exist in the United States, United Kingdom, and Spain or in Germany.

Our team is comprised of guitarists who are passionate about guitar making and the technical possibilities afforded by modern instruments. Following Torres, Fleta, Bouchet, and Friedrich, many important developments have seen the light of day in Australia, the US, and Germany, by luthiers such as Smallman, Humphrey, and Damman; and their innovations in turn have been taken up by young, talented builders who have incorporated them into their own work.

Testing out — and buying — these new instruments overseas can be difficult because of the obstacles of language, international payment practices, shipping, insurance, customs fees, delays — not to mention the always-thorny issue of after-sales service. As a result, many potential customers decide against buying an instrument they cannot play beforehand.

Every guitar is different — even those made by the same luthier — which is why ordering an instrument without playing it beforehand is a gamble: you always run the risk of being disappointed, especially when you have waited several months for the guitar to arrive. That is why our main objective is to make concert guitars available to the public so that you can make your choice easily.

Though the work of these guitar makers has become accessible to all thanks to Internet, the concert guitar market remains national, at times even local. Though European luthiers are without a doubt quite skilled, they are often limited by what can only be called “traditional” methods.”

Their dependence on a traditional aesthetic limits sound range drastically, especially compared to lattice-braced and double-top instruments. While this modern touch is a prerequisite for today’s concert performers in international competitions as well as touring professionals, it is rare to find these kinds of new techniques in instruments produced in France. The consequences on our young concert artists can be quite drastic, since they have to perform onstage with instruments whose sound carries 30 to 50% less than those of their colleagues.

This is why we decided to found www.concert-classical-guitar.com — in order to help any guitarist play these instruments, get to know them and form their own opinion about them.

We also feature traditional guitars and even a few romantic guitars that we have selected for their sound qualities and fame.

Without delving too deeply into technical considerations, one thing to keep in mind is that lattice guitars (with a top 0,8 to 1mm thick, a composite framework, and a high, arched, and carved back) produce a sound that is 30 to 40% fuller and richer than traditional guitars. The quality of the sound, the timbre, the harmonic richness — all depend on the luthier’s expertise.

In any case, these instruments are destined to be played by concert performers, and the demands of experienced musicians have influenced the guitar makers’ decision to produce instruments with a bigger sound (harmonic, projected, sustain, reverberation, timbre, comfort, quality if settings).

These guitars, based on the Australian model, are not only easy on the ears of the concertgoers, but also guarantee that the player will have a different feel. He or she will no longer need to attack the strings to be heard. This means the guitarist will be freer, less fatigued, and therefore more relaxed; in truth it is rather striking and strange at first. Playing “harder” on these instruments will not have the same effects as on a traditional guitar, since power is not proportional to the efforts the musician expends. The guitarist is often surprised by this state of affairs, as the soundbox is constructed in such a fashion as to not vibrate but rather leaves 100% of the vibrations to the top*. In reality, the box isolates the musician from the instrument, whose mission is now limited to projecting sound toward the audience. These instruments’ power offer an extraordinary potential to guitarists, allowing them to focus on musicality, since the technical aspects of their mission are thus simplified.

We are exclusive distributors in France and in certain European countries of all the guitars manufactured the builders with whom we have a partnership.

Thus the customer is able to:

• Try the instruments out and acquire them immediately if the model they desire is in stock
• Acquire the instrument in three to five months
• Count on extremely thorough quality control
• Enjoy our experience in the matter of selecting instruments

New lattice-braced, double-top and traditional acoustic guitars in stock at www.concert-classical-guitar.com