Classical Guitars · London

Edward Hempton
Guitars

Handcrafted Guitars in the Spanish Tradition

Built entirely by hand, using traditional methods passed down through centuries of Spanish lutherie. Each instrument is made one at a time, with patience, care, and a deep love of wood and sound.

Discover the craft
Fan bracing on a classical guitar soundboard, handmade in London by Edward Hempton
The Philosophy

Wood continues to move after it has been cut from a tree — in a sense, it is still alive. I work with that life, not against it.

Sound changes and reacts to its surroundings — temperature, humidity, space. A guitar is never finished becoming what it will be.

Each instrument I build has spent considerable time in my hands. My vibrations are part of that instrument. They always will be.

Built in the
Spanish Tradition

The Spanish method of guitar construction is one of the oldest and most respected approaches in lutherie — a tradition of patience, of working with the wood rather than imposing upon it.

I use hand tools throughout, as luthiers have for centuries. No CNC machines, no laser cutters. Just skilled hands, sharp tools, and time.


Read more about my approach
Spanish heel block with layout lines drawn

The Spanish Heel

The neck and body are joined using the traditional Spanish heel — a method where the neck is integral to the construction from the very beginning, lending greater resonance and structural integrity.

Binding strips measured with callipers

Hand Tools Only

Every cut, every shaping, every fitting is done by hand. This allows a sensitivity to the wood that no machine can replicate — responding to each piece as an individual, not a material to be processed.

Soundboard being braced on the solera

One Guitar at a Time

I build one instrument at a time, giving it my full attention. This is not a production line — it is a relationship between maker and material that unfolds over many months.

Photo coming soon

A luthier who listens
before he builds

Beautiful sound can evoke feelings that words cannot reach. That understanding is at the heart of everything I make. Sound is important to people in ways that are often not fully appreciated — until it moves them.

Based in London, I build classical guitars one at a time, by hand, giving each instrument the time and attention it deserves.


Read my story

Guitars Available

Guitar No.3 — spruce top, aged eucalyptus sides Rosette detail, Guitar No.3

Guitar No. 3

Classical Guitar in the Spanish Tradition

European Spruce top · Aged Eucalyptus back & sides

Built entirely by hand using traditional Spanish construction methods, including the Spanish heel and fan bracing. Finished in French polish. A serious instrument for the advancing or professional player.

Don't see what you're looking for?

Each guitar I build is made to order — the wood, the dimensions, the voicing. If you would like to discuss a bespoke instrument, I would welcome your enquiry.

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