I started building my first guitars in 1979 in a tiny room of 7m². Since then I have been fascinated with beautiful wood and good sound. My grandfather was a craftsman and even though I studied Spanish and engineering at the time, I always felt attracted to artfully crafted instruments. Apprenticeships in Spain followed and then stays at lumberyards in South-America and finally, I opened my first workshop in Bremen.
The classical guitar with its multitude of sounds has grown in popularity for use in orchestras and all kinds of ensembles. Unfortunately, it has been faulted with not producing enough sound naturally to suit these purposes. I became aware of this problem early on and, consequently, the first Schlemper guitar with integrated amplification was finished in 1985. I presented it to Leo Brouwer, who was performing with an orchestra in Germany at that time, and proudly received his congratulations
Between 12 and 20 guitars are completed in my workshop per year. The number of amplifiers and pick-up systems is a bit higher because my pick-up systems can also be installed in other guitars. Guitarists from many different countries come to my workshop. They usually stay a day or two to test and order, to pick up ordered guitars or have a Schlemper System installed. Technology and tradition work hand in hand in my shop: Only a very good instrument produces good sound. And only a good sound is worth being amplified.
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