Concert

A remarkable 1993 Robert Cross classical guitar, handmade in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, and presented in ‘time capsule’ condition.

This guitar is No. 68, signed by Robert Cross and dated March 1993 on the internal label. It features a spruce top with Indian rosewood back and sides, a 652mm scale length and a 54mm nut width. The original case is also included.

Robert Cross is a highly regarded English luthier associated with the late-20th-century British classical guitar-making tradition. Working from Gerrards Cross, his instruments were part of the flourishing UK hand-built guitar scene of the 1980s and 1990s, a period in which British makers were increasingly championed by specialist classical guitar centres and serious players (including David Russell).

This particular guitar is visually striking. The spruce top has a beautifully aged golden colour, set against dark, richly figured Indian rosewood back and sides. The bridge is especially distinctive, with elegant scalloped wings designed to reduce weight, along with an unusual individual saddle/pin arrangement rather than a conventional continuous saddle. The hand-carved headstock adds further character, giving the whole instrument a refined, old-world elegance.

The sound is rich, deep and highly resonant. There is something strongly evocative of the great Ramírez 1A tradition here: rounded, generous basses, a noble Spanish warmth, and clean bell-like trebles with a shimmering halo in the decay. It has a polished, mature voice — lyrical, resonant and full of character — while retaining clarity and separation across the register.

Condition is a major selling point. Despite being over thirty years old, this guitar is in extraordinary order and could almost have come out of a 1993 time capsule. It is structurally and cosmetically superb, with the kind of preservation rarely seen on a handmade concert instrument of this age.

A real gem from a bygone era: elegant, beautifully preserved and deeply musical.

This guitar is in outstanding condition for its age. It has clearly been exceptionally well cared for and presents almost as if it has been preserved since 1993. For a handmade instrument of this period, the condition is genuinely remarkable.