Decision Guitars
Handcrafted instruments from the Black Forest
from vision to decision
Music is the passion that unites us.
Mastering and playing an instrument requires patience, precision, creativity, dexterity, practice and a portion of obsession.
The same applies to building an instrument.
The admiration for a virtuoso guitarist is the same as for a reliable, beautiful instrument.
Every guitar lover has a vision of the perfect instrument, based on their own experience and playing style.
I have the opportunity to turn these visions into reality.
My aim is to make your own unique instrument with perfect craftsmanship.
Overall, building guitars combines technical skills with a deep personal passion for music and art.
From the initial idea to the sketch, from the construction plan to the production and varnishing to the finished instrument.
All built from a single source in the Black Forest.
Let these pages inspire you and simply contact me if you have any questions or requests.
The Luthier
Jens Barkholz
I am a trained precision mechanic with professional experience in toolmaking, CAD-CAM, design, development and management. Many of the structures and working methods I have learned can be applied to guitar making: Calmness, safety, precision, creativity and consistent implementation. Building instruments also combines all the hobbies I have ever practiced: Drawing, developing, airbrushing, woodworking, miniatures. Realizing ideas and of course: playing the guitar.
Guitar making combines technical precision with the artistic creativity and freedom that comes from designing with wood. The technology is largely predetermined by known values and components, but here you can draw from an enormous number of variants: scale lengths, almost infinite tone colors for the pickups, designs and versions of bridges and tuners...
The design can be customized: Guitar shape, neck profile, headstock, fret markers, fingerboard inlays, covers...
All of this can be combined into one concept, a coherent overall picture: your instrument.
Events and exhibitions
guitar summit 2024
guitar summit 2024
27.-29.9.2024
Mannheim Rosengarten
NAMM 2025
NAMM 2025
23.-25.1.2025
Anaheim Convention Center
MIGS Montreux 2025
4. Montreux International Guitar Show
2. -4. Mai 2025
Casino Barrière Montreux
Customer feedback
“I am fortunate enough to have 2 of Jens guitars in my collection. I bought the Hrafnas baritone and was blown away by how well it performed and the sheer detail put into the instrument. I reached back out to Jens and he took an idea I had for another build and brought it to life with the Mjolnir. Again my expectations were not only met, but blown away in the level of craftsmanship / detail that Jens puts into his work. Not only do his guitars look like they should be sitting at the top of the mountain, but the performance of them is second to none. It is art that is meant to be played. Jens takes great pride in each and every one of his builds and wants you to have the perfect instrument. And he delivers each and every time. A consummate professional. If you want a guitar player’s instrument catered to your needs, the Decision is easy….”
Karl J. from Canada, owns a hrafnas 27" and mjölnir 24,7"
References and Testimonials
Magazines
grand gtrs 1/2017
“The consistency and meticulousness with which decision guitars devotes itself to these little things is remarkable”
“You can guess how much passion, time and experience he puts into guitar building”
Made in Germany I 2019
“The trained precision mechanic builds electric guitars with filigree ornamentation in his workshop in Baden Württemberg”
Made in Germany II 2021
“With decision guitars, Jens Barkholz literally makes the decision with the customer from instrument to instrument”
Made in Germany III 2022
“Away from the mainstream, Jens Barkholz transforms his customers' wishes into resonant woods true to his motto “From Vision to Decision””
Made in Germany IV 2023
“The guitars of the trained precision mechanic shine with daring designs and precise craftsmanship.”
Order or Request
Would you like to order an instrument?
Send me your request and your wishes and I will put together a free quote for you.
We can then use the offer to clarify all the details.
The instrument will then be made to order.
Typical requests would be:
“I would like a hrafnas”
“I would like a hrafnas, but with different pickups”
“I would like a nebula, but as a bass!”
Of course I am available for any questions or doubts.