Trained first as an architect, Bernhard Kresse later turned to making and restoring fine classical guitars - soon specializing in period 19th century guitars. In the many years since becoming a luthier, Kresse has acquired an extensive knowledge of 19th century guitar making traditions - both by examining and restoring original instruments in his Cologne workshop which he established in 1985 and by conducting extensive research in museums and private collections throughout Europe. Click here to hear Jürgen Schenk perform on a Bernhard Kresse Stauffer replica.

His inspired reproductions, musical revelations in their own right, are performed and recorded on by an unusually large, distinguished  group of artists:

Duo Arte en parte, Giampaolo Bandini, Frederic Benattar, Duo Bonfanti, Izhar Elias, Duo Ghiribizzo, Nicola Jappelli, Franz Halasz, Michael Koch, Ansgar Krause, Carsten Linck, Duo Melis, Johannes Möller, Paolo Pegoraro, Alvaro Pierri, Sonja Prunnbauer, Alexander Sergei Ramirez, Marco Schmidt, Isabel Siewers, Raphaella Smits, Paul Shigihara, Duo Sonare, Pavel Steidl, Alexander Swete, Benjamin Verdery, Adrian Walter, Brigitte Zaczek. (Learn more about this classical guitar maker).

Materials: Flamed maple sides and back (one piece); European spruce soundboard; moustache bridge; adjustable neck; French polish of shellac finish on the sides, back and neck; lightly applied oil varnish finish on the soundboard; Rodgers Stauffer style tuning machine heads (not shown), 640mm string length, hardshell case.