diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index b1741fb..02d726b 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -2,8 +2,12 @@
 
 export(.massbankParseProcessBuffer)
 export(.massbankParseRecord)
+export(MassbankParser)
 export(parserMassBank)
 export(schema_export)
 export(schema_import)
+exportClasses(MassbankParser)
+exportClasses(SpectrumParser)
+exportMethods(importSpectrum)
 import(MSnbase)
 import(yaml)
diff --git a/R/SpectrumParser.R b/R/SpectrumParser.R
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..44f399a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/R/SpectrumParser.R
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+
+#' @title Spectrum parser
+#'
+#' @name SpectrumParser
+#'
+#' @description
+#' 
+#' Classes extending the base `SpectrumParser` object are supposed to read
+#' spectrum data from a certain input format and return a standardized output
+#' format.
+#'
+#' @md
+#'
+#' @author Johannes Rainer
+#'
+#' @exportClass SpectrumParser
+NULL
+
+setClass("SpectrumParser",
+         slots = c(schema = "list"),
+         prototype = prototype(schema = list()),
+         contains = "VIRTUAL")
+
+#' @description
+#'
+#' `importSpectrum` reads spectrum data from a file, extracted all fields and
+#' maps them to the corresponding *standard* fields using the parser's schema
+#' definition.
+#'
+#' @param file `character(1)` with the name of the file from which spectrum
+#'     data should be imported.
+#'
+#' @param object object extending `SpectrumParser`.
+#'
+#' @return a `Spectra` object - TODO needs to be discussed!
+#' 
+#' @md
+#'
+#' @exportMethod importSpectrum
+#' 
+#' @rdname SpectrumParser
+setGeneric("importSpectrum", function(object, file, ...)
+    standardGeneric("importSpectrum"))
+setMethod("importSpectrum", "SpectrumParser", function(object, file, ...)
+          stop("importSpectrum not implemented for ", class(object)))
+
+setMethod("show", "SpectrumParser", function(object) {
+    cat("Object of class", class(object), "\n")
+})
+
diff --git a/R/massbankParser.R b/R/massbankParser.R
index 9b5ac5f..9dccba9 100644
--- a/R/massbankParser.R
+++ b/R/massbankParser.R
@@ -211,3 +211,57 @@ parserMassBank <- function()
     "block" = .massbankRuleParseBlock
   )
 )}
+
+#' @title Massbank parser
+#'
+#' @description
+#'
+#' Parser for Massbank spectrum files.
+#'
+#' New objects are supposed to be created with the `MassbankParser` function.
+#'
+#' @author Michele Stravs, Johannes Rainer
+#' 
+#' @name MassbankParser
+#'
+#' @exportClass MassbankParser
+#'
+#' @examples
+#' library(MSnio)
+#'
+#' ## Create and intialize a parser
+#' prs <- MassbankParser()
+#'
+#' ## Spectrum file
+#' fl <- system.file("spectra/massbank/EA016614.txt", package="MSnio")
+#' res <- importSpectrum(prs, fl)
+setClass("MassbankParser",
+         contains = "SpectrumParser")
+
+#' @rdname MassbankParser
+setMethod("importSpectrum", "MassbankParser", function(object, file, ...) {
+    if (!file.exists(file))
+        stop("File ", file, " not found")
+    if (length(object@schema) == 0)
+        stop("Parser does not have any schema")
+    tkns <- .massbankParseRecord(readLines(file))
+    ## map to "standard" fields, return a Spectra/Spectrum/whatever
+    tkns
+})
+
+setValidity("MassbankParser", function(object) {
+    msg <- NULL
+    ## Would be nice to check the schema for correctness or similar.
+    if (length(msg)) msg
+    else TRUE
+})
+
+
+#' @rdname MassbankParser
+#'
+#' @export MassbankParser
+MassbankParser <- function() {
+    new("MassbankParser",
+        schema = yaml.load_file(system.file("schemas/schema_massbank_auto.yaml",
+                                            package="MSnio")))
+}
diff --git a/man/MassbankParser.Rd b/man/MassbankParser.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..83c9bef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/MassbankParser.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/massbankParser.R
+\docType{class}
+\name{MassbankParser}
+\alias{MassbankParser}
+\alias{importSpectrum,MassbankParser-method}
+\title{Massbank parser}
+\usage{
+\S4method{importSpectrum}{MassbankParser}(object, file, ...)
+
+MassbankParser()
+}
+\description{
+Parser for Massbank spectrum files.
+
+New objects are supposed to be created with the `MassbankParser` function.
+}
+\examples{
+library(MSnio)
+
+## Create and intialize a parser
+prs <- MassbankParser()
+}
+\author{
+Michele Stravs, Johannes Rainer
+}
diff --git a/man/SpectrumParser.Rd b/man/SpectrumParser.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2127942
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/SpectrumParser.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/SpectrumParser.R
+\name{SpectrumParser}
+\alias{SpectrumParser}
+\alias{importSpectrum}
+\title{Spectrum parser}
+\usage{
+importSpectrum(object, file, ...)
+}
+\arguments{
+\item{object}{object extending \code{SpectrumParser}.}
+
+\item{file}{\code{character(1)} with the name of the file from which spectrum
+data should be imported.}
+}
+\value{
+a \code{Spectra} object - TODO needs to be discussed!
+}
+\description{
+Classes extending the base \code{SpectrumParser} object are supposed to read
+spectrum data from a certain input format and return a standardized output
+format.
+
+\code{importSpectrum} reads spectrum data from a file, extracted all fields and
+maps them to the corresponding \emph{standard} fields using the parser's schema
+definition.
+}
+\author{
+Johannes Rainer
+}
diff --git a/man/dot-massbankParseProcessBuffer.Rd b/man/dot-massbankParseProcessBuffer.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b9299d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/dot-massbankParseProcessBuffer.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/massbankParser.R
+\name{.massbankParseProcessBuffer}
+\alias{.massbankParseProcessBuffer}
+\title{MassBank parser - line buffer processing}
+\usage{
+.massbankParseProcessBuffer(record, lines)
+}
+\arguments{
+\item{record}{}
+
+\item{lines}{}
+}
+\description{
+This receives a single or multiple line entry
+(MassBank multiline entries continue the preceding
+line with starting whitespace, see record spec.)
+}
+\details{
+It parses the multiline buffer into tag name and 
+vector of lines, without further processing, and updates
+the record accordingly.
+}
diff --git a/man/dot-massbankParseRecord.Rd b/man/dot-massbankParseRecord.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..576881d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/dot-massbankParseRecord.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/massbankParser.R
+\name{.massbankParseRecord}
+\alias{.massbankParseRecord}
+\title{MassBank parser - line parser}
+\usage{
+.massbankParseRecord(lines)
+}
+\arguments{
+\item{lines}{Character vector with the record in line-by-line format.}
+}
+\value{
+List of root-level tag entries (name: tag name, content: unprocessed tag value)
+}
+\description{
+MassBank parser - line parser
+}
diff --git a/man/parserMassBank.Rd b/man/parserMassBank.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7e7930b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/parserMassBank.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/massbankParser.R
+\name{parserMassBank}
+\alias{parserMassBank}
+\title{Generate a MassBank record parser}
+\usage{
+parserMassBank()
+}
+\description{
+Generate a MassBank record parser
+}