Michael Cadiz - 2025 - No.120

About the luthier

Michael Cadiz is a Seattle, Washington, native, who moved his workshop to Graz, Austria, in 2016. He built his first guitar at the age of 15. He feels profoundly grateful for Robert Ruck, who invited him to stay for a while in his workshop to share his philosophy and approach to guitar building and from whom he learned a lot. Furthermore, he also received great support from the Seattle builders Rick Davis and Greg Oxrieder. In 2016, he moved his workshop to Graz, Austria, where he has successfully built guitars ever since.

About the guitar

The 2025 Michel Cadiz 64 cm guitar is a masterfully built instrument that offers a harmonious fusion of historical inspiration and modern performance. As part of his Modern Concert model, this guitar reflects Cadiz’s vision of blending the charm of late-19th-century Spanish guitars with the demands of contemporary players. Constructed using traditional hide glue and a seven-fan bracing system with minimal cross struts, the guitar strikes a perfect balance between tradition and innovation. Tonally, it leans toward a mid-20th-century sound, characterized by excellent clarity, balance, dynamic range, and timbral variety, while maintaining a traditional voice. Michel Cadiz places a strong emphasis on achieving a clear and even frequency response, ensuring the sound carries effectively in large halls without being overpowered by midrange heaviness. Though the construction is overall slightly stiffer, the guitar maintains a low body resonance, which allows for a blooming bass, even sustain, and greater headroom across the tonal spectrum. The cedar soundboard contributes to warm, round trebles with excellent sustain, while the 64 cm scale combined with a finely shaped neck makes for exceptional playability. As a guitarist himself, Michel Cadiz understands the nuanced needs of players, and this instrument clearly reflects his commitment to playability, responsiveness, and expressive freedom. It is a guitar that performs equally well in intimate settings and large concert halls—a true modern concert guitar rooted in tradition.