Chartwell Guitar

2021 Andreas Kirmse ziricote and cedar double top

Woods: highly figured ziricote back and sides. Cedar over cedar double top. Spanish cedar neck. French polish shellac throughout.

Specs: 650mm scale, 53mm nut, 43mm string spacing at nut, 58mm at saddle. Just over 4mm string height at 12th fret, with enough saddle to lower action if needed. TKL hard cover case.

Condition: excellent. Slight wear in the shellac on the top where one’s arm rests.

Comment: this being my fifth Kirmse guitar in the shop, I am impressed by the consistency in his build quality and voicing. As with the new Kirmse here as well, both feature very pronounced trebles and a big bass response. It is a winning combination. Both are quite loud and project in a major way. But what pleases me about Andreas’s work, aside from the fine fit and finish details, including great rosette design, is the warmth of the midrange. I would not call it a creamy quality, but a breathy one, somewhat on the dry, punchy side. There is no doubt about his attention to what Matthias Dammann is doing, both in appearance and sound. A true German concert quality double top.

The Hurwitz video is played on an earlier Kirmse guitar.