Terrific article by Durango Telegraph columnist, Jaime Becktel on the philosophy of upcoming mandolin builder Brian Lock, "Working Some Mandolin Magic." We get a provocative glimpse into the life of a wood junkie, one who's love for wood literally started on the wilderness trails as a seasonal worker for the Forest Service. His own self-training as a builder would later be enhanced by experiences with such mandolin luminaries as John Monteleone in 2005, Mike Kemmnitzer ( Nugget) in 2006 , and with Steve Gilchrist in 2009, manifesting itself into his own line of mandolins.

From the article, "'What turns me on about creating instruments is that the process incorporates all the artistic elements I love,' Locke says. 'When I'm building, I'm using a lot of my senses. Touch is huge, feeling the tops and testing the flexibility. At first I was caught up in the technical side of the process, but then I started listening to subtle resonances, feeling the contours of the wood and using my fingers as built-in calipers. There's something so satisfying in using the senses rather than some mechanical tool. It really brings you into your work and infuses your essence into the finished product.'"

We are intrigued by his balance of tradition and innovation and hope to be able to bring a hands-on review of his craft. Meantime, check out his recently premiered website: Lock Mandolins

Read article: Working Some Mandolin Magic

Posted by Ted at November 21, 2009 5:57 AM