Guitar Summit Recap 2025

Mannheim, Germany — The halls of Guitar Summit 2025 buzzed with creativity, virtuosity, and an unmistakable sense of community. Among the hundreds of builders and brands, one booth stood out for its blend of mechanical ingenuity and pure playability: Makeev Guitars, a team of guitarbuilders from Kazakhstan, showcasing an entirely new approach to travel instruments. Founded by engineer and luthier Ivan Makeev, the company has carved its niche with a line of foldable guitars that don’t just collapse for convenience—they retain the tone, sustain, and feel of a full-sized stage instrument. This year’s presentation marked a milestone, as Makeev Guitars unveiled several new models:

Easy Fold Shark 7
— a seven-string, 27-inch scale baritone with a modern ergonomic design and signature folding neck mechanism.
Telefoldster
— a modern interpretation of the Tele-style form, refined for travel and comfort for more conservative players that prefer a classic tele look.
Easy Fold 5-string Bass
— along with several eye-catching builds finished in Xirallic Sparkle colors that shimmered under the exhibition lights.
“We didn’t wait for people to come to us,” says Makeev.
“We went out, guitars in hand, to meet the musicians who inspire players around the world.”
That approach led to some unforgettable moments. Rob Chapman, found in another corner of the exhibition, cracked a smile and joked that it was “the best guitar from Kazakhstan I’ve ever seen.” Shortly after, Tosin Abasi was spotted after an interview with fans; he took a close look at the Shark 7, snapping a photo of it for reference — clearly intrigued by the folding baritone design.
Victor Smolski dropped by later and even took a guitar for testing, intrigued by the mechanical precision behind the foldable concept. And then there was Andy “The Guitar Geek” Ferris, who crossed paths with the Makeev team several times during the event. He’s already been touring with one of their guitars for a year, using it regularly for practice and content making.
From the very first morning, the booth drew steady crowds. Curious players, industry reps, and even touring musicians lined up to test the folding mechanism and feel how solid the instruments played. The reactions ranged from disbelief to delight.
One visitor — a gentleman who had traveled from the Netherlands — was so captivated by the Telefoldster that he decided to take it home on the spot. He simply folded it, placed it into his backpack (the same one he’d flown in with), smiled, and left the show floor visibly thrilled. As the weekend drew to a close, one thing became clear: Makeev Guitars may come from a country not yet famous for instrument making, but its foldable designs and authentic engineering mindset are turning heads across the global guitar community.