1 mins
MY SPACE
A peek into lutherie workshops around the world
LOCATION Deptford, London, UK
My workshop is housed in a specialist craft studio for independent makers in southeast London. I work here with around 50 other artisans, from jewellers to leatherworkers, and it makes for a very creative atmosphere. We socialise and discuss each other’s crafts, and share some of facilities such as the machine room in the basement. Also I was awarded a bursary to subsidise my workshop costs, which has been very useful in the difficult environment of the past year!
I’ve been based here for the past two years, having moved from Ramsgate in Kent in order to be closer to London’s period-performance scene. I’m quite fortunate to be one of the only luthiers specialising in early music instruments. It’s quite a close-knit community and players talk to each other about their instruments, so it was quite easy for my name to become known. I also think that, paradoxically, period performers are more likely to commission new instruments than violinists are; there’s less of a feeling that old instruments are the best, and anyway, they are harder to come by in good condition. The past couple of years have seen even more interest in period instruments, possibly because of the popularity of videos on the internet.
Nearly all of my instruments are built on commission and I like making each one fit the player to some extent. Violas d’amore sit somewhere between viols and violins from a making point of view, and I tend to borrow from both traditions, sometimes using moulds and other times not, ensuring that every instrument is unique. On the other hand, instruments with sympathetic strings can be temperamental: when I started working with them I discovered the many ways in which they can buzz! I have gradually adjusted my designs to make my instruments more user-friendly and easy to keep properly set up.
I NTERVIEW BY CHRISTIAN LLOYD