Jacobs Lutherie

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Jacobs Lutherie Fine, handcrafted acoustic guitars, built with passion for passionate musicians

To promote the appreciation for hand built musical instruments and the quality experience that they offer

25/09/2026

Handcarving the neck creates a close connection to the instrument. Spending quality time with the skew on the volute.

Ava, sister instrument to Nyx, a Brazilian rosewood Orchestra model, features Indian rosewood back and sides, mahogany...
13/09/2026

Ava, sister instrument to Nyx, a Brazilian rosewood Orchestra model, features Indian rosewood back and sides, mahogany binding, moonspruce top, hookthorn burl rosette, Brazilian rosewood bridge, Macassar ebony fingerboard, African blackwood headplate and backstrap, Honduran mahogany neck, top shelf tuners and hardware. Excellent projection and separation is part of her crystal clear, melodic voice, the signature of her bracing system.

My guitars are never just instruments. I strive to give each a personality to suit the musician who will own it. Some al...
19/08/2026

My guitars are never just instruments. I strive to give each a personality to suit the musician who will own it. Some also carry a story. Nyx is one such special guitar.
Nyx was commissioned as a tribute to my client's late brother, with whom he shared a particularly close bond. A man with a larger-than-life personality, he was much loved by both family and friends. He passed away far too soon, and his memory is treasured.
That story became part of the guitar.
On the back of the headstock is the broken heart and cross tattoo he wore on his neck, recreated in red Karee burl and mother-of-pearl. The African blackwood fingerboard carries a full-length dragon inlay — deliberately bold, and very much in keeping with the personality of the man it commemorates.
Every inlay on Nyx was cut, fitted and inlaid entirely by hand — no CNC. It seemed especially appropriate that something created to preserve such a personal memory should itself be made in such a personal way.
Even the label was individually designed for Nyx as part of that tribute.
For the instrument itself I was fortunate to work with some exceptional materials: Brazilian rosewood, Moon spruce and master-grade Honduran mahogany, with an African blackwood fingerboard, Brazilian rosewood bridge, selected hardwood appointments and Gotoh 510 tuners.
But the specification is only part of the story.
For me, the purpose of this build was to create something deeply personal — an instrument that could preserve a memory, but would also have a life of its own in the hands of the person it was made for.
That gave Nyx her voice. May she play for many years, and always do justice to the memory she was created to honour.

A chapter closes and a new one unfolds. Something that only a fellow guitar maker can truly understand is the deep bond ...
01/08/2026

A chapter closes and a new one unfolds. Something that only a fellow guitar maker can truly understand is the deep bond that forms between the luthier and the instrument. Every detail is etched vividly in your mind as it takes shape, sometimes it's a challenge, other times it's a harmonious collaboration. Until the day arrives when it finally transforms into a guitar with no turning back. Ava has reached this milestone, the last of the instruments that have so consumed me over the past few months. Today, she will be strung up and then, after a week or so, she will introduce herself to the world with her voice. Then, a new journey commences, but sadly not one I will be a part of.

Ava’s EIR showing its colours after second porefill
29/05/2026

Ava’s EIR showing its colours after second porefill

In the white, prepped for finish, Ava is ready for porefilling
27/05/2026

In the white, prepped for finish, Ava is ready for porefilling

Another exquisite rosewood model is now complete, showcasing quartersawn EIR complemented by mahogany bindings, a master...
24/05/2026

Another exquisite rosewood model is now complete, showcasing quartersawn EIR complemented by mahogany bindings, a master-grade Honduran mahogany neck, Macassar ebony fretboard, and African blackwood on the headstock, backstrap, and heel cap. Dubbed Ava, this instrument is a sister model to Nyx, the Brazilian rosewood girl, with both sharing a common lineage yet distinctively unique.

The art of crafting instruments is a timeless pursuit, highlighting the direct relationship between quality and dedicati...
20/05/2026

The art of crafting instruments is a timeless pursuit, highlighting the direct relationship between quality and dedication. For almost two decades, a superior set of Brazilian rosewood awaited its moment, nestled among various tonewood sets in my workshop, until a project that would do it justice emerged. The chance to pay tribute to a client's late brother became the catalyst for this build, and this meaningful context imbued the instrument with significant depth, resonating perfectly with my artistic vision. Meticulously crafted from the world's finest tonewoods, including Brazilian rosewood and African blackwood, master-grade Honduran mahogany for the neck, moon spruce for the top, and adorned with an intricate full fingerboard inlay and a Mallee burl rosette, Nyx is now complete. With the finishing process underway, I am filled with anticipation for the stories she will tell.

10/05/2026

Workshop shuffle

Red Mallee burl for this girl
27/02/2026

Red Mallee burl for this girl

Address

PL 67 Elias Motsoaledi Street
Pretoria
0125

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 17:00
Thursday 08:00 - 17:00
Friday 08:00 - 17:00
Saturday 09:00 - 14:00

Telephone

+27835182170

Website

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