The Gropp
 I received my first Gropp in October of 2000,
intersecting with it at the GFA in San Antonio, Texas.
Mario had convinced me that the Spruce/Wenge was a guitar worth seeing as it had an oval soundhole and I should check out the sound of this particular configuration. The guitar was indeed interesting. Having an extremely good treble response but not enough bass I came to the conclusion that it was not the guitar for me but the quality of the sound and particularly the workmanship was excellent. Therefore I decided to have an Internet conversation with Mario to try to guide him to make another guitar for me. Mario decided that for me, based on conversations about the first guitar he sent and my overall preferences, that he would make a spruce/cocobolo guitar in a 660mm play length.
The guitar came in good time and when I pulled it out of the shipping box and crate I was stunned at the individual beauty of the guitar, extremely fine finishing and the general feel of it. Immediately noticeable about the Gropp is the "anti-rosette." It seems that the dark ring around the hole is so you don't fall in. It is simple, understated and taken with finishing of the top, it is beautiful and elegant. The finishing of the top is sort of like tobacco and unusual for a spruce. It resembles cedar a little and reminds me of the Appalachian dulcimer. There is something very American looking about this guitar in spite of being a German maker.
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Another beautiful aspect of this guitar, also quite individual and visionary is the headstock. It is small in dimension and light in mass. The backside is jointed and reinforced |
| The bridge is compensated, with a two piece saddle and also beautifully touched with the design pictured here. |
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Arriving at the back and sides of cocobolo it is another testimony to the individuality and skill of the builder to make this hard rosewood, which usually has a different hue, to blend it to the top, using the brownish look.
 The marketry on this guitar is stunning and perfectly executed, blending with the overall look of the guitar very naturally. Some might consider it a bit much but not me. It is a stunning topping off of a visionary instrument.
The neck has a 660MM play length and is as easy to play as any 650MM I own. It is actually easier to play than most with a nicely shaped neck, a low buzz less action and a nut and bridge spacing that facilitates smoothness in transition from string to string.
The sound is unusual and very good. It is very sweet and the basses are outstanding and probably due to the string length and the woods used. The trebles are clear and sweet and the overall balance is good.
The volume in a 400-seat hall is great. I had the opportunity to loan it to a former student who is a good player, so it was a good test of the guitar. The tone came through to every part of the hall, the clarity was there, the balance between the basses and the trebles was good but the basses were outstanding.
Attending this performance on the Gropp gave me a new perspective and respect for the instrument. I would recommend this instrument as a concert guitar in the four to five thousand dollar range.
Copyright 2006, new millennium Guitar Publishing Co., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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