Ty Feigenspan Luthiery

Antonio Stradivari in his workshop. (Photo courtesy of Wikicommons) According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a luthier is defined as “one who makes stringed musical instruments (such as violins or guitars).” As I reflect upon this definition, I have to consider, what is it about this particular trade that has so captured my passion and imagination?   This morning I came upon a picture that may offer some answers to my question.  The picture is of Antonio Stradivari, sitting at his work bench, holding a violin in one hand and resting his pondering face on the other.  After some research, I discovered that Antonio Stradivari was a luthier in the late 1600’s and early 1700’s.  Many of his highly valued works are still in use today, over 300 years later.  His innovative designs broke ground in violin, cello, and viola design.  The name Stradivari still invokes ideas of expert craftsmanship to this day. The thing that first caught my attention in the pi...

My first guitar build is being played. My third guitar is in process on the workbench in the background.  (Photo credit: Hannah Liddell)   Hello, my name is Ty Feigenspan.  I'm from Kalona, Iowa, a small town just a few miles south of Iowa City.  Growing up, I've always had an interest in creating things with my hands.  From an early age I made all sorts of creations with cardboard, paper, modeling clay and wood.   Being so creative, it wasn't long until I started working for my dad in his cabinet shop.  There, I learned to use basic tools and developed my Iowa work ethic.  My dad taught me how to focus on detailed cabinet work even when it got hard.  Eventually, I learned that time spent sanding, scraping, and finishing can pay off in big ways. I was a senior in high school when I had the idea of building a guitar.  By then I had developed an interest in learning how to get the perfect tones out of my instrument as I played electri...