Wilm Stötzel Guitars

11/08/2025

...and here is the latest of our recordings at Schorndorfer Gitarrentage 2025. Julie Malia (aka Jule Malischke) playing her wonderfully intimate interpretation of the faboulus Joni Mitchel song „A Case of You“ on my Grand Auditorium „Orfeo“.

As the two previous songs this was recorded using Brixel Custom BC-12 Microphones.

Thanks very much for help making this happen Stefan Brixel, Julie Malia and Sönke Meinen!

This is playing Grand Auditorium Stötzel Guitar "Orfeo"This Guitar features a Bearclaw Swiss Moonspruce Top, a cherry neck and Pa...

30/07/2025

Another song, another great guitarist. This time it's Sönke Meinen playing his interpretation of the folk ballad "The Lakes of Pontchartrain" on my Small Jumbo "Orianne".

Recorded with Brixel Custom BC-12 Microphones in Schorndorf during the "Schorndorfer Gitarrentage" in an impromptu Session in the hotel lobby.

Thanks very much for help making this happen Stefan Brixel, Julie Malia and Sönke Meinen!

This is playing Small Jumbo Stötzel Guitar "Orianne"Small Jumbo Flamed Maple Back & Sides and NeckSwiss Moonspruce Top (Bearclaw)Walnut Bindin...

10/07/2025

What is it about lutherie that is so intriguing?

Surely it’s not all the sanding one is obliged to do. Maybe it‘s the composition of different species of wood to form a nice instrument, the fine artistry of designing innumerable varieties of inlays, rosettes and so on? The sheer pleasure of working with wood, precious or rare pieces, with your hands? Making something. Something great!

Well, I guess it’s all that, but that’s not all there is to it. A guitar not played, is in danger of becoming another picture on the wall. A guitar wants to be played, a tool that needs to be used!

When all the above work is done carefully with great dilligence and devotion to the purpose, it is a real special pleasure to listen to the finished instrument sing out and see the musician enjoying it.

A little while ago two friends of mine were so kind as to play some songs on two recently finished guitars of mine. Luckily those two are not only nice people to hang out with – both of them are fascinating guitarists who do know their art. They know how to get the instrument singing, this is what I build guitars for!

Well known guitarist, singer and songwriter Julie Malia from Germany plays the original „Free your mind“ on „Orianne“ a maple small jumbo. Recorded with Brixel Custom BC-12 Microphones.

Thanks, for help making this happen Stefan Brixel, Julie Malia, Sönke Meinen

This is playing on "Orianne"This small Jumbo features Flamed Maple Back and Sides and Neck, Swiss Moon Spruce Top and Walnut bind...

05/06/2025

Another Guitar finished:
Small Jumbo
Flamed Maple / Bearclaw Moon Spruce
Manzer Wedge
"Orianne"

Apart from bridge pins and tuner buttons, this one's all made of local woods.

28/05/2025

Mit in Schorndorf dabei sind unter anderem:

28/05/2025

Morgen geht's los - ich freu mich drauf!

Workshops und Konzerte für alle Gitarrenfans. Meldet Euch an und sichert Euch Tickets!

04/08/2024

Und hier noch die zweite Gitarre, die gerade fertig geworden ist:
Benzaiten - Small Jumbo mit Palo Escrito, Alpenfichte und dezente Wenge - designs. Mega Strahlkraft und sonorer Bass.
..and the other guitar I just finished:
Benzaiten - small jumbo featuring palo escrito, swiss moonspruce and subtle wenge - designs. Powerfull projection with nice overtones and a sonorous bass.

02/08/2024

Ich freue mich, zwei Gitarren aus meiner neuen Werkstatt vorzustellen.
Zunächst "Bagheera", eine Semibariton mit 680mm Mensur und zum ersten mal mit Korpusansatz am 14. Bund. Der Korpus besteht aus Crelicam Ebenholz und die Decke aus Zeder. Das Rosettendesign ist, wie schon in vorherigen Beiträgen erwähnt, inspiriert von den offenen Schalllochringen Gustav Fredells und ich habe in verschiedenen Varianten schon diverse eigene Gestaltungen davon ausgeführt.

I am happy to introduce two guitars out of my new workshop.
First "Bagheera", a semi bariton with a 680mm scale length, Crelicam Ebony and Red Cedar. As mentioned before, the rosette design is inspired by the first "open ring" design I saw featured in Gustav Fredells guitars - I have been using my personal version of a segmented open ring for years now.

29/02/2024

Morgen geht’s nach Giengen - ich freue mich schon drauf! Ich bin gespannt auf das tolle Programm und darauf euch Gitarrenenthusiasten zu treffen.

6. Giengener Gitarrenfestival 03. - 05. März 23 | Bürgerhaus Schranne in Giengen a.d. Brenz

24/11/2023

Nach einem Jahr voller Baumaßnahmen an unserer Scheune wird die to-do-Liste zunehmend kürzer und ich freue mich darauf, mich ab Dezember wieder voll auf den Gitarrenbau zu konzentrieren. Hier ein paar Bilder vom Bau der Werkstatt:

After one year of building a new workshop in our barn, my to do list is finally getting shorter. I am looking forward to working in my new “home office” from December onwards. Here are some pics from the construction:

09/11/2023

Hi there
For the past year I have been busy building my own workshop in the barn of our house. While making guitars naturaly slowed down quite a bit during this time I am now looking forward to furnishing the new place and getting back to creating the stuff to make music with.
I am going to post some more pictures of the new place soon but as for now here´s something to look at from the old place.

Falko Wehr of „Badische Zeitung“ shot a short movie about my guitars catching the workshop feel and adding tasteful ambience. Savanna Cosma interviewed me, patiently listened to me going on about guitars, wood and music and wrote a newspaper article about it.
Stefan Brixel and Ulrich Uhland Warnecke created the musical atmosphere with original pieces played on my guitars. Also Stefan built the incredible sounding mics used for the recordings of the music himself!

Being part of that creative process, seeing how all the bits were joined together was good fun and I am very grateful for the experience of working with all these artists.

Enjoy watching

Hey Ihr Lieben
Das letzte Jahr habe ich mich (und meine Familie) ausgiebig mit dem Bau einer Werkstatt in unserer Scheune beschäftigt. Nach dieser anstrengenden und aufregenden Zeit, freue ich mich jetzt darauf, die Werkstatt einzurichten und mich wieder mit neuer Energie den Gitarren zu widmen.
Bevor ich aber jetzt schon Fotos der neuen Werkstatt poste, gibt´s hier noch etwas von der Alten zu sehen.

Falko Wehr von der Badischen Zeitung hat mich eine Zeit lang filmisch beim Gitarrenbau begleitet und stimmungsvolle Bilder eingefangen während seine Kollegin Savanna Cosma mich aufmerksam interviewt und dazu einen Artikel geschrieben hat.

Den stimmungsvollen Klangteppich für den Film haben Stefan Brixel und Ulrich Uhland Warnecke gelegt, wobei ich hier hervorheben möchte, dass die Gitarrenaufnahmen mit den genialen von Stefan selbst gebauten Mikrophonen gemacht wurden.

Es war ein aufregendes und sehr inspirierendes Projekt mit all diesen Künstlern zusammen zu arbeiten und die vielen kleinen Teile zu einem Ganzen zu verbinden. Und ich bin den Mitwerkenden MEGA dankbar fürs gemeinsame Arbeiten.

Viel Spaß beim Ansehen

Vom Klavierbauer zum Gitarrenbauer. Vom Stück Holz zur Gitarre. Wilm Stötzel nimmt uns ein Stück mit auf dem Weg zur Entstehung eines Instrumentes. Er zeigt ...

27/07/2022

Now the real tricky bit were the tuners - nail or srew? But how to fix the string and tune it? Finally it paid off to keep all the cheap screw drivers you get with cheap funiture, RC-Cars and the like. Just drill a 3.5mm hole for a 4mm screw driver, drill a 1mm hole in the handle, punch the srew driver in and we're good to go!