I am expecting another new Fritz Mueller double top soon. Fritz currently has a two year and growing waiting list. All new Mueller double top’s will come with top of the line Graf precision tuners and ultra strong lightweight Karura flight cases too!

Fritz is one of the few Luthiers in the world who has spent the extraordinary amount of time/experimentation and research necessary to develop a superb double top guitar. Consequently his double top guitars have earned a well deserved reputation as superior concert instruments. To learn more about Fritz and his guitars visit his website. 

This guitar exemplifies the clarity, balance, and magical tonal attributes that Fritz’s guitars have become known for:  responsive yet easily controlled, superior volume yet with a rich, dark, meaningful tone, evenness across all registers yet expressive and colorful at the same time  Like all of Fritz’s double tops, this is a very versatile instrument that can do seemingly everything a player might ask of it, solo or ensemble, in an intimate setting or a big hall.

Fritz builds his double tops always with a Western Red Cedar inner top, while the outer top can be of Spruce or Cedar. Fritz’ experimentation has revealed that it is the outer top that shapes the tonal character of the sound, so the inner top of the lighter wood (Cedar) aids in volume production, while the outer top provides either Spruce or Cedar character to the tone. This guitar has a European Spruce outer top, and has a wonderfully rich,  soulful tone with full round trebles and basses.   Balance and evenness are exceptional.  The treble is particularly impressive:  strong, sweet, brilliant, very beautiful, and usable all the way up to the 20th fret.  And volume, well, the word is synonymous with ‘double top’ for good reason. Volume and projection are superior, of course.

The rosette is Fritz’ interpretation of the Torres rosette pictured on the Romanillos biography of Torres, beautiful and classic.  The neck is elevated and the fingerboard is radiused, both features leading to very comfortable playability with great access to all frets. The neck  features an adjustable truss rod. Tuners are a delight, by Jorg Graf, and they rival Rodgers in quality and precision. The saddle and nut are of 10,000 year old mammoth tusk from Siberia, and the back and sides are of stunning cocobolo with bindings of snakewood ( which matches the snakewood buttons on the Graf tuners).  An arm rest elegantly lifts the forearm off the vibrating soundboard while at the same time providing increased comfort while playing. An acoustic sound port is present on the side near the neck and offers what many players describe as a ‘stereophonic effect’ while playing. The tie block is of the 12 hole style. At the tailblock is a unique access panel that can be removed should repairs ever be required. Finish is oil on the neck and fretboard, French Polish shellac on the top, and a very durable water based varnish on the back and sides, topped with a thin ‘polishing coat’ of shellac.

 A superb double top guitar from one of Canada’s finest Luthiers.

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