In Cape Town, a small workshop helmed by Matthew Rice and Matthias Roux is crafting acoustic guitars that resonate across the globe. Their brand, Casimi Guitars, named after an Arabic term meaning ‘the heart of the sun’, is a beacon of craftsmanship and creativity.
With a production limited to six instruments per year, Casimi has become a coveted name among collectors in the USA, Europe, and Asia, and their waiting list extends to 2026.
Rice and Roux, childhood friends, embody a rare blend of artistry and technical skill. They joined the ranks of luthiers, skilled craftsmen who, like traditional violin makers, devote immense care to each instrument. Their guitars, distinguished by their exceptional sound quality, also feature intricate illustrations, ornamentations, and inlays, alongside their signature sculptural shapes.
Both Rice and Roux crafted their first guitars at 18, under the mentorship of esteemed instrument builders. Roux’s journey in luthiery led him to become the head luthier at Maingard Guitars, known for crafting instruments for notable musicians like Steven Stills and Earl Klugh. Rice, a multi-talented creative with a background in music, design, and silversmithing, brings his diverse skills to the table, adding unique elements to their guitars.
Their collaboration took a significant turn when they decided to open their workshop in 2012, following the creation of a prototype guitar that set the foundation for their future designs. Since then, their workshop in Cape Town’s southern suburbs has been a hub of innovation, offering standard models and custom features tailored to artists and collectors.
Casimi’s reputation recently attracted British guitarist Michael Watts, an authority on handmade guitars and recipient of Guitar Player magazine’s Acoustic Guitarist of the Year award. Watts commissioned a custom instrument designed to enhance his unique musical style. He praised Casimi Guitars for creating some of the finest instruments he has ever encountered, and anticipates years of composing and recording with his new guitar.
Watts, known for his charismatic performances worldwide and his deep, emotive playing, has also been instrumental in showcasing the work of top guitar makers at international festivals. He had visited South Africa to collect his Casimi guitar and had marked the occasion with a special candlelit concert in the Casimi workshop, celebrating the union of exceptional craftsmanship and musical artistry. Rice and Roux had expressed their excitement, noting Watts’s remarkable musicianship and looking forward to the music he would create with their guitar.
