Eyestone Guitars by Leonhard Augenstein Interview
NAME: Leonhard Augenstein, Eyestone Guitars
LIVING IN : Bavaria, Germany
TRAINING & BACKGROUND: I am a professional industrial designer with tons of experience in doing prototypes and other stuff. Books and DIY were my teachers when I stepped more and more into the lutherie.
PLAYING: Guitar, of course.
NAME OF YOUR HIGH SCHOOL BAND : Van Gogh😊
LUTHIER YOU ADMIRE THE MOST: George Lowden
INSTRUMENT YOU DREAM TO HAVE ONE DAY: My best own one.
LAST ALBUM YOU BOUGHT: Jacques Stotzem
LAST MUSIC SONG YOU PUT IN YOUR CAR: I hear you – Luka Bloom
LAST SHOW YOU WENT TO : Jacques Stotzem Guitar Night
MOST IMPRESSIVE INSTRUMENT YOU EVER HAD IN HAND: Grand Orchestra
MOST STRANGE RESTORATION OR REPAIR YOU HAD TO DO : Ancient Gambe and Fiddle
The wood combination of back & sides with the top. It starts with one of my 3 basic forms/designs and from there everything is developing step by step.
My best selling model is the A-Model.
Guitar players like it because of its unique look and the very special bridge design which supplies very balanced tone.
The woods and then the building technique.
You can not make a maple wood guitar sound like a rosewood guitar and vice versa. And of course the design of my bridge which supplies a very balanced and even tone!
His idea of sound expectation is very important. What kind of wood does he want to see in the coming decades of having the instrument in hands? Then of course neck width, scale length and preferred playing style (finger picking or flat picking), the perfect playability!
Currently my waiting list is one year.
If a client wants to purchase a guitar he has two options: He can visit me in my workshop and try different guitars that are always around here. Then he can either buy an already existing guitar or he can sit down with me and we can discuss the specs for his guitar that he wants me to build for him. He can also order online like twoof my current clients are doing. I will ask him all the sizes and measurements he wants to find in his guitar. I will watch him playing and I will give him my recommendations if he is not sure. Finally, each one of my guitars is unique and individual and it will make the buyer happy.
Not yet. I have a number of locals from Bavaria that are playing my guitars. Some famous ones asked for cooperation but this is still pending and will be decided within the coming months
Here in Germany we have a lot of good luthiers working in a rather big market. We have good lutherie schools and a pretty high standard in quality.
Directly from me. Visit my website www.eyestone-guitars.de . There you will find all necessary infos as well as a number of photos on the guitar gallery.
You can also come to visit me and try guitars here in my test room. I have participated this year in the guitar summit in Mannheim and intend to do so again next year.
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