Based in Munich, Germany, Stevens Custom Guitars (guitars.de) is one of Europe’s premier makers of individually crafted steel-string guitars. Founded in 1993, the company is operated by luthiers Werner Kozlik and Stefan Zirnbauer, who also run the Munich Repair Shop.

In this video, fingerstyle guitarist Jamie Stillway demonstrates her Stevens O-BW guitar, an instrument with dimensions that are similar to a vintage 12-fret size 0 Martin. The guitar has an Engelmann spruce top and Tasmanian blackwood back and sides. Stillway finds that the guitar works for everything she plays, from vintage swing to fingerstyle in alternate tunings. She also uses a Gitano guitar rest to keep the guitar in the position she likes. She demonstrates the guitar on a performance of her original tune “Amboseli.”

Enroll in Peghead Nation’s Advanced Fingerstyle Workshop to see Jamie’s complete workshop, in which she teaches her original composition “Analysis Paralysis,” discusses her “FDA” approach to learning the fingerboard, and performs her tune “Home: Part 2.” jamiestillway.com

SPECS: 0-size body with 12-fret neck. Solid Engelmann spruce top. Solid Tasmanian blackwood back and sides. Mahogany neck. Ebony fingerboard and bridge. Waverly tuning machines. Made in Germany. guitars.de

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