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artist: Scott, luthier

Back in January, I spent some time with Scott, a luthier.  

You might wonder what a luthier is; he is a maker of stringed instruments.
At one time, I had a boyfriend with a roommate whose step-dad made guitars.  When I started my artists and craftsmen series, I knew I had to include him.  My boyfriend, (who has stuck around many years after marrying me) thought it was a good idea; so here's a little of what I experienced on a wintry day with a luthier who makes stringed things by hand.  Literally, he carved on an archtop guitar while we talked.  

He built the guitar and the harp in the first picture, most pieces carved from blocks of wood.  Other things he does by hand: fills out receipts (on paper), writes books (in notebooks), plays guitar.  And I will admit, I was pretty enamored to meet someone who still has a phone that is completely attached to the wall. 




I really enjoyed talking to this kindred spirit; we discussed synesthesia (another word you probably haven't heard before,) the whys of art, and all there is to enjoy about having a face-to-face conversation.  I had a deep appreciation for his relationship to his work: everything made custom for exact purposes; jars of nuts and other bits of pieces, saved for some future need.  And no internet at his house - none needed (although he was proud of his daughter's blog.)  

spare nuts
instruments ready for pick-up
 harp detail

At one point, a customer stopped by to pick up his instrument, and having no idea why I was there, assured me that Scotty is a gem in the music world, and how lucky we were to find him.  


So now you know what a luthier is, and I hope if you need one, you find one as talented (and fun and interesting) as this guy!  

Comments

  1. Wow - very interesting! There's always something new in your blogs. I like your new cover picture, too.

    ReplyDelete

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