Instrument related craftwork (Annexe)

Subject: Insturment related craftwork (Annexe)
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 26 Nov 01 - 10:47 PM

Not sure what to do with this one. It started life before the weekend as a craft thread but has a lot of musical content and has gained posts from people who possibly would not have been there without the downtime here.

I'm guessing the best plan would be a link. here it is

Jon

Subject: RE: Insturment related craftwork (Annexe)
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 26 Nov 01 - 11:04 PM

Let it DIE where it lie

If most of us were interested we would have followed it on over...it belongs in the ANNEX

Subject: RE: Instrument related craftwork (Annexe)
From: nutty
Date: 27 Nov 01 - 07:33 AM

So speaks the oracle..............BUT .........others may have a different view
How about letting them decide for themselves, gargoyle???

Subject: RE: Instrument related craftwork (Annexe)
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 27 Nov 01 - 11:53 AM

Thanks Jon. I've gotten several messages and e-mails from folks looking for info on the luthiers that I mentioned, and I'm trying to compile a sort of unoficial list of Ontario builders and their approximate price lists. Quite a few of the younger luthiers are building superb instruments (their training has been impeccable) but they are still in the "affordable" range.

Rick

Subject: RE: Instrument related craftwork (Annexe)
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 27 Nov 01 - 08:46 PM

One that immediately comes to mind is Alan Beardsell, who makes some of the most "room filling" guitars I've ever heard. Wonderfully weird designs too.

click

Subject: RE: Instrument related craftwork (Annexe)
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 27 Nov 01 - 09:22 PM

Clearly talking about the craft of guitarmaking is a topic not worth discussing in any website, whether it primarily built around folk music or not.

Why did I never realise that before?

Subject: RE: Instrument related craftwork (Annexe)
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 28 Nov 01 - 12:58 AM

This is the beginning of the thread that I put on Jon's fine Annexe site (sorry ol' Gargoyle finds it so useless). I've copied my first post, and if anyone wants to put their replies and lutherie adventures here, be my guest.

This is about being friends with a number of local luthiers, who's skill and imagination fairly boggles my mind at times. I know them because most of the North American 'High-end' builders can trace their roots to a German expatriate named Edgar Munch (hope I spelled that right) who trained Jean Larrivee.

I remember watching Jean begin handcrafting beautiful guitars over thirty years ago in a little "Folklore Centre" on Avenue Rd. in the heart of Toronto. He loved having people around him so he took on numerous (unpaid) apprentices who quickly got the bug. He built fine guitars but his real pride and joy was working with various materials (pearl mainly) and turning them into gorgeous neck and peg-head inlays. His shop in British Columbia is big time now, and his instruments though almost "mass-made" still have that Larrivee "custom" feel.

Two of his most prominent apprentices were 17 year olds Grit Laskin and Linda Manzer. Linda's instruments now are played by many of the most prominent pickers on the planet, and Grit has the distinction of being regarded as "simply the best" by many of the guitar making community world wide. His instruments ARE beautiful (and often cost over twenty thousand bucks!!) but I think it's the level that he's taken the 'inlayer's art', that really has created his reputation. Many of his instruments go directly from his shop into museums around the world (primarily because every inlay is now an elaborate 'story' told in various shells, precious metals and woods. I've seen many of them and a Freudian would have a field day "explaining" Grit's view of "life on a fingerboard".

This week Luthier George Rizanyi had years of work pay off (these folks make absolute peanuts UNTIL they get a few celebrity clients) when Keith Richards brought him to his mansion in the States and bought one of his guitars. George is very aware that good tone woods are often from endangered trees, so he uses a lot of oddball wood (swamp elm??!!) for his axes.

The owner of the 12th fret (that I mention so often on Mudcat) David Wren, retired from guitar building about 10 years ago, but when one of his beautiful dreadnoughts comes up for sale, it's gone in a heartbeat.

Amother (there are dozens I don't have the space to mention) master builder here is Oscar Graff. Perhaps the finest instrument I've ever heard was the "Graff" that fingerpicker Jason Fowler brought on my radio show one night. He tends to make "unadorned" instruments so his prices are in the 4-5 thousand range.

So, other than a Larrivee I bought thirty years ago, how come I've never had an instrument built for me by one of these folks? It ain't the price, 'cause for many years all these builders priced their instruments the same as Martins or Gibsons. Nope it's 'cause one of my great joys (another hobby perhaps) is haunting the used instrument stores, and finding great stuff at greater prices! After thirty years of travelling I still love to check out the antique shops, junk stores, music shops etc. when I get to a new town or city.

Rick

Subject: RE: Instrument related craftwork (Annexe)
From: Sorcha
Date: 28 Nov 01 - 01:03 AM

IT can't even spell Annexe......how can we expect it to get the point or find the Annexe?................seems to me that Instrument building is sort of "music related" and not BS????

Subject: RE: Instrument related craftwork (Annexe)
From: English Jon
Date: 28 Nov 01 - 05:50 AM

I'm learning how to make fiddles if that's any help?

EJ

Subject: RE: Instrument related craftwork (Annexe)
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Nov 01 - 06:16 AM

Remember, the thing is any old eejit can sign in as GUEST:gargoyle. It might not even be the same man anyway - it's a bit out of character to be complaining about people discussing a musical topic.

Subject: RE: Instrument related craftwork (Annexe)
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 28 Nov 01 - 06:34 AM

And I can spell...

Subject: RE: Instrument related craftwork (Annexe)
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 28 Nov 01 - 03:59 PM

Gotta mention a young guy named Mark Stutman up in Guelph Ontario who's starting to turn out beautiful instruments...and..a former student of mine who's on the far side of fifty (Ron Belanger) who retired from his publishing job, to take up the life of a guitar maker. His first three instruments have been excellent. Once again I think this is because so many of the experienced Luthiers have been generous with their advice to the neophytes.

Rick