Simone Franzini Luthier

Simone Franzini is a luthier specializing in the construction and restoration of romantic guitars and historical plucked string instruments. He is based in Sarmato and is originally from Borgonovo Val Tidone, a small town in the province of Piacenza, Italy. He has been practicing since 2018.

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From an early age, he showed an interest in creative manual activities, such as painting, sculpture, and construction, and developed a strong connection with music. He began his artistic journey at art school, majoring in Architecture and Design. After graduating, he earned a degree in Interior Design from the European Institute of Design in Milan.

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In 2018, he decided to pursue a career as a luthier, driven by a desire for a profession closer to manual labor, creative freedom, and, above all, the world of music. He trained at the Civica Scuola di Liuteria in Milan, specializing in historical plucked instruments and graduating with a thesis on the survey, drawing, and reconstruction of a late-19th-century Vinaccia mandolin.

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Thanks to his academic achievements, he received a scholarship that allowed him to broaden his experience and spend a year in the prestigious workshop of Maestro Bob Van de Kerckhove in Cremona. Here, he refined his knowledge of non-invasive restoration techniques and participated in the project to reproduce an original G. Tesler theorbo, built in Ancona in 1622.

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Since 2023, he has collaborated with SoundCity, a restoration workshop in Piacenza founded by luthier Enrico Crippa. The workshop specializes in the maintenance and restoration of vintage guitars and is involved in the "Haga" project for scientific authentication, in collaboration with the Arvedi Laboratory of the Violin Museum in Cremona.

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At the same time, in his own workshop, he continues to study antique instruments and create new models, with a particular interest in early 19th-century Italian guitars.