about the guitarmaker
about the guitar
about the combination guitar-guitarist

about the guitarmaker

Kolya Panhuyzen (1941)

Kolya Panhuyzen was born in Berlin in 1941. As a youngster he often fell asleep to the sound of Tarrega and Sor studies that his father played on the guitar. Kolya himself liked to sing and the guitar became and remains his companion to this day.

Inspired by his uncle, the renowned luthier Edgar Mönch, Kolya built his first guitar in 1967 in the Mönch shop where he became a frequent visitor and observer, making parts for his uncle´s instruments and three more guitars until in 1976 he set up his own workshop in Toronto, Canada.

Thirty years and more than 300 guitars later he continues to make master instruments in Germany during the winter and in Canada during the summer months.

More info at Kolya's website.

about the guitar

The Kolya Panhuyzen guitar 2006

Raphaella's new eightstring guitar is put together as follows:
Soundboard - Canadian sitka spruce
Back - European maple, lined with African padauk (padouk)
Sides - European maple
Neck - Spanish cedar (cedro)
Fingerboard - African ebony
Bridge - Brazilian rosewood
Bracing material - Sitka spruce(soundboard), cedro(back)
Tuning Machines - Rubner
Model - 8-string elevated fingerboard
Scale - 65 cm

The back is fitted with 4 braces, the soundbooard with 7 fan-struts and two harmonic bars, the lower one of which is slanted. The neck is reinforced with 3 carbon-fibre bars. The bridge has double holes for each string.
The soundboard finish is shellac French polish, the rest of the guitar is finished with nitro-cellulose lacquer.

about the combination guitar-guitarist

Kolya wrote to Raphaella:

"It's curious that you say your new guitar is suited for old music. As far as materials go I can only attribute it to the maple body. Maple was used almost exclusively for the early guitars in Europe because it was domestic and easily available. But the combination with the padouk lining, sitka spruce soundboard, and elevated fingerboard is no doubt unique. Let's call it a happy coincidence.

There is something else. I have often been told that the sound of my guitars is easily shaped, unlike some which have a very definite tonal character which prevails no matter what. Well you have been playing a lot of early music on this guitar, and you have a clear idea of how you want it to sound. So you have actually been teaching the guitar to sound as it does. That is certainly not a coincidence."