Fernando Mazza, 2026

This brand new 2026 double top marks the beginning of a collaboration we have been looking forward to for a long time. After one of Fernando Mazza's guitars first came through our shop, we started a detailed conversation with the maker about building an instrument specifically for GuitarCollection.com. We discussed this guitar at length, and Fernando accommodated a number of the small refinements we talked through. The result is spectacular.

Mazza has quickly become a favorite of leading concert and recording artists. Hear a few of them play a Mazza: Stephanie Jones, Brandon Acker, Cassie Martin, Andrea Gonzalez Caballero, Ricardo Gallen, Eduardo Isaac, and Julia Trintschuk, among many others.

One of the most striking things about this instrument is how it refuses to announce itself. When we shine a light inside, it is actually difficult to tell that this is a double top at all, because the outer layer is a touch thicker than what most double top makers use. Fernando built it this way on purpose, to avoid too percussive an attack, and you hear exactly that in the playing. It does not immediately sound like a double top, and in our book that is a very good thing. The guitars that surprise us and stay something of a mystery until we dig in are almost always the ones at the very top of our list.

It also keeps opening up. We sit down to play for ten minutes and hear something new, a fresh string, a new voice just beginning to emerge. That is one of the real joys of getting to know a guitar like this one.

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Specifications

Luthier: Fernando Mazza
Year: 2026
Top: Red Cedar
Back & Sides: Santos Rosewood
Construction: Double top, with balsa between cedar layers
Bracing: Seven fan pattern with partial cross bracing
Finish: Matte nitrocellulose top, polyurethane back and sides
Scale Length: 650 mm
Nut Width: 53 mm
Action: 3.7 mm (bass) / 2.7 mm (treble)
Weight: 1,900 g
Tuners: AR Tuners
Soundport: Side port with removable foam-plug cover
Strings: D'Addario XTC45FF with normal tension nylon first string
https://ddar.io/guitar-collection

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Construction & Design

This is a red cedar double top, with a layer of balsa set between the two cedar skins, in the tradition of makers like Antonius Mueller. As noted above, the outer cedar layer is slightly thicker than usual, which softens the attack and gives the guitar a more organic voice.

Underneath the top is a seven fan bracing pattern, with a few braces running against the grain that create an almost lattice-like character. It is very lightweight and beautifully considered work.

The back and sides are a gorgeous set of Santos rosewood, which we helped pick out. The wood has a real glow to it, with lots of nice dark striping across the back that carries through the sides for a very classy look. The top is finished in a matte nitrocellulose lacquer rather than French polish, which we love for the stage and on camera: the reflections stay under control, it does not pick up fingerprints, and it is far more resilient. The back and sides are finished in polyurethane, equally hard-wearing. This is a guitar built to be played, and to hold up to it.

Other details worth noting: a mosaic rosette with fine white detailing inside and out, a simple rosewood bridge, and a sleek integrated armrest that is worked seamlessly into the side of the guitar for real comfort. There is also a side port with a removable cover. Rather than magnets, the cover plugs in with foam, so it stays very secure whether in the case or mid performance. We have genuinely enjoyed switching back and forth between open and closed, and cannot quite decide which we prefer.

The headstock is bold, distinctive, and unmistakably Fernando's design. Set into it is a set of AR Tuners, machines we had not come across before. They are smooth, quiet, and hold their tuning, with a genuinely different look right down to the cogs and base plates. Inside, a handsome gold foil label reads Fernando Mazza, Luthier, Italy, 2026, with his signature and a small FM wax seal.

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Sound

Play a single chord and it is immediately clear that this is not the kind of double top you have to handle with care. We can really lean into the basses with the thumb, and even with a very low action the guitar never buzzes or breaks up. It likes to be pushed. A player with a very light touch might not find it especially loud, but if you use rest strokes and commit to the instrument, it rewards you enormously.

Every time we strike the basses we feel completely supported, and the trebles are remarkably even from string to string. Sustain is clearly paramount in Fernando's building philosophy. There are plenty of ways to chase volume and power at the expense of sustain, but this guitar gives you both: notes bloom and hang in the air with a long, singing decay that recalls the piano-like resonance the best double tops are known for.

With the port open you get a beautiful chorus of overtones, without the empty, breathy quality that open ports can sometimes introduce. With the port plugged the guitar takes on a more traditional voice, and the transition between the two is seamless. Above all, it projects with real power and authority while staying transparent and defined, letting every voice in a chord be heard clearly.

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Playability

We asked Fernando to set this guitar up to our own preferences, and he nailed it. The action is low, around 3.7 mm on the bass side and 2.7 mm at the first string, with a thin C-shaped neck and lovely tall frets. It is, plainly, a dream to play, and one of the real highlights of the instrument. The integrated armrest keeps it comfortable over long sessions, and the whole guitar simply invites you to keep going. It sits in the lap at a comfortable medium to slightly heavier weight that feels reassuringly solid without ever becoming a burden.

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About the Luthier

Fernando Mazza is an Italian luthier building some of the most striking guitars around today, and increasingly the choice of leading concert artists worldwide. His work pairs bold, modern design with a warm, natural voice, and this instrument, built specifically for GuitarCollection.com, is a wonderful example of what he does.

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Original draft notes (unaltered, for your review)

Fernando Mazza doubletop 2026
Red Cedar top

Santos Rosewood back and sides

650mm scale

53mm nut width

1900g

ACtion: 3.7mm/2.7mm

AR tuners

Top finish: Matte Nitrocellulose

Back and sides: Polyurethane

This guitar is brand new, built in 2026 specifically for GuitarCollection.com, and is in flawless condition.

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