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Take a Peak: Laura Wallace

Luthier uses traditional techniques to create instruments
Laura Wallace
Laura Wallace

Many artists in Powell River work with wood, notably carvers and sculptors, but there are few luthiers. Laura Wallace is one local luthier who works exclusively with stringed instruments other than the guitar family. Wallace moved here six years ago and works from a shop in her Wildwood home. She began her training in the specialized field in 2006 because she loves absolutely everything about violins.

What is a luthier?
Technically, a luthier is someone who works on stringed instruments. There are a lot of guitar makers who would be called luthiers. I only work on violin-family instruments. That’s violin, viola, cello and double bass.

How does one become a luthier?
I did it the old fashioned way, which was with a master luthier. I did an apprenticeship for five years. That’s where you do everything and learn everything full-time. So I didn’t actually go to school. That’s the traditional way of learning, to find an old, master luthier. That was Kim Tipper in Victoria.

Is there much of a demand for your expertise in Powell River?
There definitely is not a demand in a small town, but the idea of living here was that it’s a beautiful quality of life. I don’t need to be in the city paying high prices for everything when most of the time I’m just picking at tiny pieces of wood.

If not here, where does your work take you?
A lot of the time I travel for my repair work. I go down to Roberts Creek where there’s actually a lot violin players. I also go to Vancouver and Victoria. I get repair work and bring it back to my shop because restoration or repair will often take months to do. Building violins, you just pick away at it until it’s done and send it out into the world.

What kind of wood do you use?
I can make a violin out of almost all local wood. I can use Sitka or Engelmann spruce and I use Bigleaf maple. I also get wood from Europe: Balkan maple and Italian spruce. It’s fun making instruments from each kind of wood.

Is it time-consuming?
It takes about 200 hours to make a violin and I make it with hand tools like chisels, gouges and knives. I’m using the same techniques that were used 300 years ago. The violin has remained very stable. We’re big sticklers for tradition.

Are violinists picky about their instruments?
Yes. We’re very snobby in the violin world; all of us are. We care a lot about little details and tiny changes in the sound, and about where the wood comes from and who made it. It all matters a lot.

For more information, go to wallaceviolins.ca.