Rojas & Sanzol - 2025 Apollinea
Rojas & Sanzol - 2025 Apollinea
Details
Details
Overview
Overview
Shipping important note
Shipping important note
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Details about GPSR
Details about GPSR
Video overview
More details about the guitar
About the luthier
Matías Ezequiel Rojas and Carmen Sanzol were born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where they received their first training in guitar making in 2007. After meeting during their studies they completed their apprenticeships and began building instruments professionally together. In the following years they broadened their knowledge with various teachers in both guitar and violin making and attended specialised seminars on traditional varnishes, acoustic behaviour of woods and bracing patterns, and restoration methods for plucked and bowed instruments. From 2016 onward they combined construction and restoration with teaching and later deepened their understanding of historical keyboard instruments, building an Italian polygonal spinet in collaboration with noted specialists.
In 2021 they moved to Cremona where they analysed and restored Italian guitars of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and wrote documentation based on this work. Since 2023 they have also spent time in the workshop of Suji Kim in Parma, learning the construction methods of the Scrollavezza school of violin making. Recently they won the third prize at the Antonio Marín Montero competition in Granada. They now work in Santa Cecilia, a village in the Apennines of Piacenza, where all their guitars are built entirely by hand using traditional techniques and exclusively organic materials.
About the guitar
The 2025 Apollinea model is conceived as a pursuit of harmonious and rational aesthetics, a concept drawn from Greek art. The soundboard is Italian spruce from Val di Fiemme, chosen for its low resin content, lightness and transverse flexibility combined with longitudinal strength. The top is built with two transverse bars, one above and one below the soundhole, seven fan braces, and an additional transverse bar at bridge level. Heights, thicknesses and spacing are intentionally asymmetrical to allow the strings to express their full character. The rosette is inspired by the work of Santos Hernández. The back and sides are Indian rosewood and the cedar neck contains a concealed hardwood reinforcement. The ebony fingerboard and headplate give a sober solidity. The bridge is light and crafted from rosewood with coloured wood inlays and bone. Rubner El Sonido tuners complete the instrument. The finish is French polish.
The sound has an intimate and inviting quality. The tone is bright and smiling yet never sharp and the basses are remarkably deep for an instrument of this weight. A gentle veil of overtones surrounds the main voice and gives each note a luminous shape. The air body resonance lies around F and can be felt as a subtle undercurrent that breathes warmly beneath the fundamentals. The response is immediate and expressive even at soft dynamics and the guitar opens naturally when played with strength without losing its clarity. One of the most striking qualities is the comfort of the instrument. The left hand glides freely across the fingerboard and complex passages feel unusually accessible. The overall impression is of a finely balanced guitar that combines intimacy with depth and presents a vivid and poetic tonal landscape.
Regular care extends the life of the instrument
Even with careful use, a classical guitar may gradually change in appearance or respond to unstable storage conditions. Have a close look at your guitar regularly and be attentif to changes. If your instrument is suffering from its environement, it will let you know.
Protect Your Guitar: Handle with Care
Be mindful when touching your instrument with greasy or unwashed hands: any skin contact is a small attack on the varnish. Of course, a guitar is made to be played, but taking a few precautions helps preserve its beauty: wash your hands before playing, wear long sleeves, and avoid unnecessary direct skin contact with the body of the instrument.
Pro tip: Avoid playing with a button-up shirt, heavy jewelry, or a belt, as these can scratch the guitar. Also, make sure your guitar case is free of any objects that could damage the instrument during storage.
String care
A good habit to adopt is wiping down your strings briefly after each playing session. This small action significantly extends their lifespan and helps maintain a consistent, comfortable feel under your fingers.
Most importantly, clean strings are essential for keeping your instrument in tune. Corrosion, sweat, and dust can affect the uniformity of the strings and interfere with accurate tuning across the entire fingerboard.
Pro tip: If you're having trouble getting your guitar in tune, it might be time to change the strings. A useful test is to compare the pitch of the 12th fret harmonic with the fretted note at the 12th fret; if there's an unusually large gap between them, your strings may have lost their integrity and should be replaced.
Keep Your Shellac Finish Shining!
Got a guitar with a shellac (French polish) finish? Here's a simple trick: Take a clean microfiber cloth and gently breathe on the surface to create a light mist. Then, softly rub to remove fingerprints, sweat, and grease. That’s usually all it takes to keep it looking great, no products needed!
Pro tip: Every few years, treat your guitar to a check-up with a luthier to keep it in top shape.
Storing Your Guitar: Climate Matters
Your guitar can safely stay outside its case, as long as the surrounding environment maintains 42–55% humidity and a temperature between 18–25°C.
Keep in mind that humidity levels can still fluctuate inside the case, especially during seasonal changes.
- Too much humidity may cause overtightened strings and a dull tone.
- Too little humidity can lead to a bulging top, string buzz, or even cracks.
Avoid placing your guitar near radiators, air conditioners, or windows with direct sunlight.
Pro tip: Always close your guitar case while playing. This helps preserve a stable microclimate inside the case, so your instrument is protected the moment you put it back in.