Edgar Mönch 1952 - rare light guitar by one of the most famous guitar makers in Germany.
Born in Leipzig on October 29, 1907, guitar maker Edgar Mönch came from a family of musicians. His Russian mother was a pianist, his father a violinist and bandmaster. Edgar Mönch spent his childhood in Russia, attended school there and later studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University in Gdansk. He worked as a technical interpreter at the Skoda works in Prague. He also studied violin at the conservatory there.
During his time as a German prisoner of war in an English prisoner of war camp, he began making guitars. There he met a guitar maker from Breslau who showed him how to build a guitar. Released from captivity in 1947, Edgar Mönch began working as a guitar maker. He perfected his knowledge of guitar making by studying in Spain with his friend, the guitar maker Marcelo Barbero in Madrid. Edgar Mönch's skill and striving for perfection earned him worldwide recognition. He worked more precisely and self-critically than almost any other German guitar maker before him. Edgar Mönch willingly passed on his knowledge to his students, and his workshop produced world-famous guitar makers such as John Larrivee, Kolya Panhuyzen, Ken Bowen and Joseph Kurek. Two months after the death of his son, Edgar Mönch himself died on February 16, 1977. Segovia, Julian Bream, John Williams, Vicente Gomez and many other guitarists around the world played and still play a Mönch guitar.
Edgar Mönch built this fine guitar in Munich before moving to Toronto, Canada. John Williams played one of these guitars from the same period as a boy and early in his career, and Segovia also had one that he used for daily practicing. Julian Bream recorded his 2nd album for RCA on a 1959 Mönch, which is from the same era as the instrument offered here.
This guitar is very light. It has cypress back and sides and a fine spruce top. The scale length is 650 mm and the nut width is 51 mm.
It sounds and plays a bit like a Hauser II from the same period. It has a very charming, woody sound from the old days and would make an excellent recording instrument.
It is one of the best sounding Mönch's we have ever seen. It's light with Torres-style fan bracing, which in addition to its age gives it a loose, warm and very open sound while maintaining excellent clarity. It also has plenty of power, even by today's standards. For an instrument that is over 70 years old, it is in exceptional condition. Apart from 3 small cracks and a quirk on the top (all well repaired) the guitar is in very good condition.
It comes with the original case and many documents (see pictures).
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