Helmut Buchsteiner　[ヘルムート・ブッフシュタイナー] B12　No.189

Product Description

Neck:Mahogany
Fingerboard:Ebony
Finish(Top):Lacquer
Finish(Back & Sides):Lacquer
Tuning Machines:REISCHEL
String Height(1st):2.8mm
String Height(6th):4.0mm

［Profile］
Helmut Buchsteiner (b. 1940, Graz, Austria) trained under Jakob Doriath and became a journeyman in 1957. He worked in Austria and Germany before gaining master certification in 1961.

Between 1962 and 1966, he worked in England and the United States, collaborating with local makers as a builder and repair specialist. After returning to Germany, he became factory manager at GIMA/Voss, later establishing his own workshop in Neumarkt St. Veit and expanding into the brand b-ton, producing a wide range of instruments.

He received international recognition, including being named one of the world’s top ten stringed instrument makers in Tokyo (1985). He later taught in Mittenwald and Hallstatt. Following an accident in the mid-1980s, his production became limited, and he closed his workshop in 2010. His students include Hermann Hauser III, Fritz Ober, and Edmund Blöchinger.

［Instrument］
1984 Helmut Buchsteiner Model B12 No.189, built in Neumarkt St. Veit, Bavaria.

While certain visual elements recall Robert Bouchet and Antonio de Torres, the design is entirely original. By this period, Buchsteiner’s structural and acoustic concepts were fully developed, making this a highly refined example from one of his peak periods.

The top features a highly distinctive bracing system, including asymmetrical harmonic bars forming a tilted X structure, additional reinforcement elements, and irregular fan bracing. The main air resonance is set slightly above G♯.

［Sound］
A highly characteristic and structured tonal profile, often described as distinctly Buchsteiner’s own.

The sound is clear, controlled, and unified, with a keyboard-like coherence. Rather than a simple bass–treble contrast, tonal character is defined by density and strength. Overtones are restrained, resulting in a clean and transparent response, yet with notable flexibility and expressive nuance.

Strong separation between voices allows for clear polyphonic texture and depth. This particular instrument stands out for its exceptional stability and well-centered tonal balance.

［Condition］
Original lacquer finish with no refinishing, cracks, or major repairs.

Minor playing wear on the top; back and sides remain clean. Slight discoloration within the lacquer layers is present but not visually significant.

Neck condition is good with slight forward relief. Frets and fingerboard show moderate wear (mainly lower positions) without affecting playability.

String height at the 12th fret: 2.8 mm / 4.0 mm.
Original Reischl tuners with kidney-shaped buttons are in good working order.