One of the most sought-after guitars by professional players and collectors worldwide.

At MaderaGuitarras, we are pleased to show this guitar built by Daniel Friederich in 1978, one of the most respected names in the classical guitar world. Widely recognized as a key figure in traditional guitar making, Friederich dedicated his life to refining the instrument, and this guitar reflects a mature stage of his work.

Sound is undoubtedly at the heart of his reputation: warm, clean, and pure, with remarkable balance, long sustain, depth, and a very personal expressiveness. The playability is outstanding, another feature on Friederich’s guitars.

Each guitar was approached as a unique project, the result of meticulous focus and a deep, ongoing search for precision and understanding of the instrument. He documented every guitar in great detail, noting tonal, structural, and technical characteristics, which speaks to his commitment to craftsmanship and acoustic study.

From the 1960s until his retirement in 2015, Friederich continuously developed his guitars, and today, guitarists and experts tend to favor different periods of his output. Some prefer his instruments from the 1960s, others from the 1970s, and some value his final period the most. This is due to the fact that his style evolved over time, creating clearly distinct phases in his body of work.

The guitar we present here dates from the late 1970s, a time when Friederich was working exclusively on his Concert model. This model had by then established many of the iconic features now associated with his name: the arrow-shaped headstock, his signature rosette, and his clear preference for cedar tops and Indian rosewood back and sides, the tonewoods most commonly used in his guitars from the 1970s onward.

During this period, he also implemented more complex internal structures, including distinctive elements such as the use of plywood to reinforce the soundhole area — a detail you can observe in the interior video we’ve recorded, available below on this page — as well as the use of double sides, a construction technique that enhances both stability and tonal qualities.

This is a guitar that clearly represents the thought, evolution, and maturity of one of the most influential traditional guitar makers in modern classical music.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this guitar is the exceptional condition it has been preserved in. Everything remains original, including the beautiful handmade Fustero tuning machines from that era and the original French polish finish Friederich applied, which has never been touched or altered. The guitar is in outstanding overall condition. Naturally, as expected from an instrument built in 1978, it has some light surface scratches, but nothing particularly noticeable or distracting upon first view. It is truly impressive how well this guitar has been cared for over the decades.

The nuts, both on the bridge and the headstock, have been replaced to achieve what Madera considers the ideal string height for professional playability. However, the original nuts made by Friederich are also preserved and can be used if the player prefers them.

Daniel Friederich was born on January 16, 1932 in Paris into a family of cabinetmakers from the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, a historic woodworking district. He studied woodworking at the École publique d’ébénisterie Charles Baudelaire and, in 1948, bought his first steel-string guitar, sparking his lifelong passion for music.

In 1955, after attending a concert by Ida Presti, he built his first classical guitar, based on a Simplicio model, under the guidance of guitarist-luthier Christian Aubin. By 1960, with his fifteenth guitar, he sought advice from the legendary Robert Bouchet, who became a key mentor in his development.

Friederich opened his first workshop in 1959 on Rue Ramponneau in Paris, later moving in 1966 to Rue du Sergent Bouchat, where he continued his craft until his retirement. He also collaborated with acoustics researchers and refined his building techniques through experimentation and feedback.

In the 1960s, he developed three main models:

• Concert (high-end, numbered, with sculpted headstock)

• Récital and Arpège (intermediate models)

From the 1970s onward, he focused exclusively on the Concert model, built with premium woods (spruce, rosewood, or cedar), a distinctive fan bracing system, and exceptional craftsmanship. Each guitar took over 200 hours to build.

In 1967, Friederich won gold and silver medals at the Liège International Guitar Making Competition, with a jury that included Joaquín Rodrigo, Alirio Díaz, Robert Bouchet, and Ignacio Fleta.

Friederich’s guitars are renowned for their rich, warm tone, deep basses, clear trebles, and exceptional balance. His work combines scientific rigor with artistic expression, and his influence is deeply felt among modern guitar makers.

In his final years, Friederich built only a few guitars per year, mostly for friends. He passed away in 2020, leaving behind a legacy of excellence in the art of classical guitar making.

In 2024, his friend, guitar collector and editor of books on historical guitar makers, Alberto Martínez, wrote an excellent high-quality book that traces Friederich’s entire career in guitar making, offering very detailed and precise information. This book is available here at MaderaGuitarras:

Daniel Friederich 1932-2020 Luthier d’Art