"The guitar is my canvas."
William ‘Grit’ Laskin
William Laskin, known as Grit, received his first guitar at the age of nine. By twenty, after two years of apprenticeship, he opened his own workshop to produce flamenco, classical, or steel-string guitars and related instruments. Laskin, a musician himself, has produced hundreds of instruments recognized by musicians as some of the finest in the world.
Concerned about the comfort of the player, Laskin copyrighted his innovations; the ‘armrest’ and ‘ribrest’ edges make playing easier without sacrificing the quality of sound.
Combining art with acoustic science, Laskin’s guitars are also his canvases; decorated with some of the finest inlay being done today. The necks and fingerboards are covered with narrative pictures created out of tiny bits of dozens of different woods, shells, bones and metals.
Grit Laskin is a sought after composer and performer with several CDs to his credit. He is a founder of Borealis, a recording company which promotes Canadian folk music, and of The Woods, Canada's best-known adult music camp.
A generous teacher, Laskin initiated and has twice been president of the International Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans, and has written a code of ethics for the luthier trade. He gives lectures and demonstrations, has written many books and articles, and has created college curriculum for instrument makers and repairers.
Selected works
