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Richard Jacob Weissgerber is still regarded today as one of the most significant and influential luthiers of the 20th century when it comes to Classical Guitars. Well-preserved originals are rare and highly sought after by both players and collectors alike. This “Große Konzert Solo” model, likely built between 1951 and 1955, is a beautifully crafted and sonically outstanding example of the German master’s work, with a fascinating history and background. The top is made of solid spruce, while the back and sides are crafted from fine rosewood. The delicate carvings on the front and back of the Headstock are strikingly beautiful and typical of Weissgerber.
With its wonderfully lightweight construction, this guitar—aside from its stunning appearance—shines with a wonderfully quick response, a delicate tone, and wonderfully warm mids and bass.
The technical condition of the instrument has been thoroughly inspected in our master workshop and is in perfect condition. The visible cracks in the top were professionally repaired in the past and pose absolutely no risk. The neck angle is good, the string action is very comfortable, and the condition of the frets is also impeccable.
To provide the most comprehensive documentation possible of this guitar’s authenticity, provenance, and history, a detailed appraisal was prepared by Weissgerber expert Christof Hanusch, which describes the instrument offered here in detail. Here are a few excerpts from it:
Appraisal of the “Weißgerber” guitar
Concert model with scalloped top and back
Richard Jacob, Markneukirchen, 1951/1955
Rosewood/spruce, scale length 650 mm
Signatures: none
Description:
The back and sides are made of Indian rosewood, and the top is made of spruce. Both
the top and the back feature a shallow, flat-cut bevel. The neck is covered with a
rosewood veneer, with a spruce core.
Other distinctive features include the horizontally positioned oval sound hole and the 3
bow-shaped head, whose front and back headstocks are adorned with intricate wood carvings
. Also striking are the veneered neck, the sculpted peg of the
headstock, and the mother-of-pearl inlay on the 5th fret of the fingerboard.
The black dots on the back near the upper and lower blocks indicate the
former opening in the instrument made during a repair. These two dowels
were used to secure the back when reassembling the instrument.
Overall, the instrument is in very good condition and ready to play.
Dimensions in mm:
Scale length 650
Nut width 52
Total length 999
Body 485
Length
Width
Height --> 295 – 257 – 377
Although there are no signatures or manufacturer’s markings,
based on the unique design and the specific craftsmanship of the individual components
it can be determined that this is undoubtedly the work of the Markneukirchen-based
luthier Richard Jacob “Weißgerber” (1877–1960).
Characteristic features for identifying the builder: – Special body shape – Groove in the top and back – Oval soundhole – Raised tenon of the headstock – Veneered neck – Fingerboard backed with decorative shavings – Mother-of-pearl inlay in the fingerboard (type of construction) – Bridge
These significant features, in the specific form of their execution, represent the
individual late style of Richard Jacobs. The construction details listed above are to be regarded as
explicit signatures of this specific master’s craftsmanship.
With the removal of the original fingerboard, the marking made with the
branding iron—which Richard Jacob always applied there
on guitars made of dark woods—was lost.
It can be assumed that the guitar also formerly bore a “Weißgerber” label and
a serial number. Exactly at the spot on the upper top beam where, on “Weißgerber” guitars, the serial number is usually inscribed in pencil at
,
there are rudimentary traces of a previously existing inscription. However, the number that was originally located there
is no longer legible. Later, additional marks were added there (
), which were definitely not made by Richard Jacob. It appears (
) that the original number was sanded off and then scribbled over.
There is no conclusive explanation as to why both the bar number and the
label were removed from the guitar.
Center of the top bar:
This is where the pencil-written serial number is normally located on “Weißgerber” guitars.
In this case, only rudimentary traces of the formerly existing number and a few lines added later are visible at this location.
Model and instrument:
“Weißgerber” guitars with a scale length of 650 mm were considered concert models. This applies
in particular to the type examined here, which was given the internal designation “Große Konzert Solo”
in the “Weißgerber” workshop due to
its body dimensions and tonal characteristics. “Weißgerber” Classical Guitars of this type became world-famous, particularly in the 1960s,
1970s, and 1980s, thanks to guitarists such as Siegfried Behrend and Monika Rost
.
In the early 1950s, Richard Jacob was at the beginning of his final creative period
and developed the idea for a new model at that time, which he regarded as his legacy
. He drew on the experience he had accumulated over 60 years of his professional career
to design a new type of guitar. The “Grand Concert Solo” model can be considered the quintessence of his
life’s work. Between 1951 and 1960—the year of his death—the
master, now over 70 years old, created approximately 25 more instruments of this model. Each
instrument of this type was designed and built as a one-off piece.
The instrument features all the characteristics typical of this model, such as the
enlarged form (referred to as “new No. 56” in the internal catalog of the “Weißgerber” workshop
), a back and top with a scalloped edge, the transverse oval soundhole, and the
veneered neck.
Richard Jacobs’s late work is well documented and can be traced almost completely through the known instruments
with serial numbers. Based on the previously unknown numbers
, this could be either No. 36.5/8 or No. 36.8/8. Even though
this assumption cannot currently be substantiated, the guitar can definitely be dated to the period between 1951 and 1955 based on the model and the
design. The bridge, headstock shape, and
edge design suggest 1951.
Headstock of the guitar under review
Headstock of the “Weißgerber” guitar No. 36.5./9., 1951
The carvings on the headstocks of both guitars are by the Markneukirchen woodcarver Kurt Otto (1905–2005)
Restoration:
The attribution to Richard
Jacob, which can be clearly established based on external features, must be qualified upon examining the interior of the Body. Here,
traces of extensive restoration can be found. It is unknown who carried out the work inside
or when it was performed. However, there can be no doubt that the instrument
must have been opened previously in order to carry out the restoration.
The first thing that stands out is that the back has been fitted with new jointing, and the slanted
extensions on the upper block are also not original. The back hoop was reinforced with a second maple hoop (
), likely to provide the back with greater stability when it was reattached (
).
It is likely that the back block was also replaced, as was the back strip visible in a photo (
).
The spoke lacing was at least partially renewed. It is not possible to determine from the available photos whether the crossbars are still the
original ones. While the special shape
of the binding is typical of “Weißgerber” guitars of this period, the execution of the
radiating lines reveals the signature of a different craftsman.
The specific manner of execution alone makes it clear that the small radiating and
cross-bars did not come from Richard Jacobs’ hand. The fact that both the
radiating bars and the V-bars—both in the lower bow and on the neck block—extend all the way to the
edge of the top reinforces this assumption. This contradicts Richard Jacobs’ idea
of constructing a free-swinging top with a hollow groove.
However, the basic pattern of the top’s bracing corresponds to his
construction method from the 1950s. Since there are no signs of any other
soundboard pattern, it can be assumed that the new soundboard at
was modeled after or copied from the original. By replicating the
original soundboard, the instrument’s original sound has likely been preserved to a large extent
.
A look inside the Body:
Clearly visible are the new jointing strip with its slanted extensions, the neck block trimmed on the sides, the
doubled maple ring at the back, the radiating strips extending to the edge of the top
, as well as some of the fillings used to secure top cracks.
The neck block was presumably cut away at the sides to secure the top cracks at this
location. It is also possible that the original bracing was removed to
better repair other cracks. This is the only plausible explanation for
why the guitar received new top bracing. From today’s perspective, this approach
is highly questionable. However, the result of the intervention is irreversible and must be accepted as an integral
part of the instrument’s history.
It might further improve the guitar’s tone if you slightly shorten the
soundbar in the area of the soundhole and curve the ends more sharply
. There are specialists who perform such modifications without having to open up the instrument
. Such a step would certainly be advisable, as it does not compromise the original
substance or structural integrity, yet could bring the instrument’s sound closer to the original
.
Regarding provenance:
The guitar was sold in its current condition in the late 1990s by the Munich-based
guitar dealer Jiri Knobloch.
Richard Jacob sold the guitars from his late period exclusively directly to
select guitarists. Therefore, it can be ruled out that this instrument crossed the border into West Germany anonymously via
official trade channels.
Jiri Knobloch had studied guitar in Weimar and visited Richard Jacob on several occasions. It is documented
that he purchased a “Weißgerber” guitar from Richard Jacob in 1957. However, we can only speculate as to whether
this is the guitar under review here,
though it is quite possible.
A second plausible hypothesis is that the instrument found its way to the Munich area via Siegfried Behrend.
Behrend maintained close ties with Richard and Martin Jacob. He
owned a large collection of “Weißgerber” guitars himself, but also sold
one of his instruments here and there.
Jiri Knobloch with Barbara Effenberger (later married Polasek) and Richard Jacob
Conclusion:
“Weißgerber” guitars of this type from the 1950s are extremely rare and therefore highly
sought after. Currently, examples of the “Großes Konzert Solo” model—if
available at all—are selling for prices of up to twenty thousand euros.
The instrument under review here is undoubtedly an original “Weißgerber” guitar crafted by Richard Jacobs (
). However, the internal construction has been modified and partially replaced by an unknown person (
). Due to this intervention and the resulting
alteration of the original substance, the market value of the guitar under review is to be set lower
.
Nevertheless, it is an outstanding instrument with lasting sentimental and historical
value.
The appraisal was prepared based on photographs.