We've traveled extensively through the European sector of the boutique guitar universe, and Nik Huber's workshop in Rodgau, Germany consistently produces some of the finest instruments we've encountered anywhere in the galaxy. While American boutique builders dominate the conversation in many circles, the Krautster II quietly and confidently positions itself among the most perfectly realized guitar designs on the planet — and this custom example arrived with a specification list that stopped us in our tracks before we even opened the case. One-piece Black Limba body. This is where the mission begins. Black Limba — the tonewood that gave the late 1950s Gibson Flying V and Explorer their legendary tonal character — brings a distinctive dark-streaked grain, exceptional resonance, and a warmth and balance that heavier body woods simply cannot replicate, all in a naturally lightweight package. Finding a single piece large enough for a guitar body without joining is genuinely uncommon, and the visual impact of that unbroken grain flowing through the original KII silhouette under the Worn Petrol Blue finish is something that has to be seen to be fully appreciated. The color itself is extraordinary — a rich-deep blue that reads like a vintage finish that has lived a full life, beautiful and completely its own thing, set against a natural open pore back finish that lets the Black Limba breathe and speak without any barrier between the wood and the air.

The Sterling Silver Crown Ring fingerboard inlays are the detail that announces this Krautster II as something categorically beyond the standard instrument specification — actual sterling silver, not synthetic pearl or faux material, set into ebony in crown ring patterns that catch light with a warm, muted luminance entirely their own. The one-piece flame maple neck in satin finish feels immediately and completely right under the hand, the KII Standard profile shaped around playability that rivals anything we've encountered at any price point in the known universe. Kloppmann pickups — wound by one of Germany's most celebrated pickup artisans — occupy both positions: the "Sinner" humbucker at the treble position delivers focused, harmonically rich output with the clarity that hand-wound pickups achieve and factory production cannot, while the Kloppmann P90 at the bass position brings an entirely different tonal character into the mix — open, dynamic, and gloriously touch-sensitive. The push/pull tone control splits the bridge humbucker, the 3-way toggle navigates between the two very different sonic worlds these pickups inhabit, and Nik Huber's own stoptail bridge and 510 open gear tuners in brushed hardware keep everything anchored and in tune with understated precision. At 7 lbs. 11 oz. in a Nik Huber hardshell case, this Krautster II is the instrument we'd carry to the most discerning room in the galaxy without hesitation.

Model: Krautster II
Body Construction: Solidbody
Body Wood: Black Limba (One-Piece)
Frets: 22
Scale: 25"
Neck Wood: Flame Maple 
Neck Construction: One Piece
Truss Rod: Double-Action 
Neck Shape: KII Std
Fretboard Wood: Ebony
Fretboard Radius: 10" 
Fretboard Inlay: Crown Rings (Sterling Silver) 
Headstock: Ebony
Neck/Body Assembly: Set
Body Finish: Worn Petrol Blue / Open Pore Back
Neck Finish: Satin 
Bridge: Nik Huber Stoptail
Tuners: Nik Huber 510 Open Gear
Hardware Color: Brushed 
Treble Pickup: Kloppmann "Sinner"
Bass Pickup: Kloppmann "P90"
Controls: Volume and Tone (Push/Pull Bridge Split) Control with 3-Way Toggle Switch
Strings: 10-46 
Case: Nik Huber Hardshell Case
Weight: 7lbs 11oz.