MASTER LUTHIER UPSKILLS DOST-FPRDI STAFF ON GUITAR-MAKING Philippine | 03/10/2022

Expect sweeter music from DOST-FPRDI with trained staff on musical instrument-making.

Twenty-five employees of DOST-Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI) were trained on classical guitar-making by Maestro Adolfo Toyoda Timuat, an internationally renowned flamenco guitarist. Timuat has toured around many countries to teach instrument playing and making, and owns guitar shops in Cebu and in Spain.

“We want to ensure the readiness of our staff in crafting bamboo musical instruments (BMI) like guitar and ukulele since this is one of the targets of the BMI Innovation R&D Program,” explained Program Leader Aralyn L. Quintos.

“With combined theoretical and practical knowledge on guitar-making, we are confident that we can produce BMI prototypes made better with DOST-FPRDI technologies,” Quintos added.

Among those discussed during the training were concepts on tone wood; wood cuts and thickness vis-à-vis sound vibration; effects of humidity; fingerboard calculations; scale length; and finishing. The week-long event culminated in a performance night where participants played their handcrafted guitars.

“Because of the training, we appreciated the beauty of guitars even more. Making a Spanish guitar necessitates a balance between utility and aesthetics. On one hand, you need to consider wood properties to withstand the forces exerted by the strings. On the other, you need to look
into aesthetics and ensure beautiful vibrations, comfort and playability,” said James Chan, one of the training participants.

The training is a component of the project “Protective Processing Technology for Bamboo Musical Instruments”. ### (Apple Jean C. Martin- de Leon, 2022)