About us
Master Workshop
Mario Gropp
Master Guitar Maker & Managing Director
Master guitar builder Mario Gropp has been in the profession since 1983. His many years of in-depth training in guitar playing have given him the ability to better understand many specific problems faced by guitarists, enabling him, for example, to set up optimum playability for all Gropp guitar models, as well as to implement individual customer requests.
Since 1997 he has been intensively involved in the construction and tonal development of the top guitar models from our workshop.
Outstanding guitarists worldwide especially appreciate the tonal quality of his instruments. In addition to the models with normal scale (650 and 660 mm), he works intensively on the further development of first-class concert guitars with shorter scales (580, 620, 630 and 640 mm) for the highest artistic demands.
Armin Gropp
Master Guitar & Lute Maker
Master guitar & lute maker Armin Gropp has been in the profession for almost 70 years and founded our own guitar workshop after the political turn in 1990.
From 1993 to 2013, he also passed on his decades of experience to guitar making students at the Markneukirchen University of Applied Sciences. Today, he still assists his son Mario with advice and support. The quality of his instruments was honoured in 1983 with the award as “Recognised Artistic Craftsman” and in 1987 with the “Honorary Award in Musical Instrument Making”.
- 1983 Award as “Recognised Artistic Craftsman”
- 1987 “Honorary Award in Musical Instrument Making”
- 2016 Golden Master Craftsman’s Diploma
We work hard to continuously improve our instruments.
Armin Gropp
This is done in collaboration with professional guitarists worldwide.
Tradition & innovation
Our Workshop
On the occasion of our company’s anniversary, the Markneukirchen Musical Instrument Museum initiated a special exhibition “100 Years of Kurt Gropp” over the summer and autumn of 2022.
Portraits of our master workshop have been published in the renowned English guitar magazine “Classical Guitar” (2000), Korean Television KBS, Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk MDR (2010), the magazine “Concertino” (2013) and in the online magazine “Orfeo” at the end of 2019.
Best materials
Our wood warehouse includes stocks that are up to 80 years old.
We process eleven different woods for backs and sides, as well as spruce and cedar for the tops. We also have good experience in processing European precious woods.
Craftsmanship
Structural Features
“Dovetail”:
The neck-head joint provides high stability in this area.
Tuning compensation in the bridge:
By slightly lengthening the respective scale length (with increasing string thickness), a significantly improved intonation of the instrument is achieved.
Body made of curly maple / walnut.
European woods, e.g. curly maple or European walnut, can also be very attractive.