|
|
| |
There is no detail, however small, on
which I do not want my creative imprint. Overarching all of this is my intention that my
work would, in the lovely phrase of Malcolm Muggeridge, 'reflect the luminous Presence of
God,' not only in its quality but also by the very demeanor in which I pursue the craft. -Kevin Ryan |
| |
|
| |
Walk through the side door into the
ordered shop of Kevin Ryan and you enter a whole world of exquisite woods neatly
stacked, mysterious-looking hand-made tools and jigs hanging everywhere and, in the very
air, an atmosphere of love and passion for fine woodworking and guitars. He began his life
of woodworking early as a carpenter in Ohio, graduated to cabinet-making and eventually
building fine custom furniture. The qualifications and talents for a craftsman with
old-world attention to detail drew Ryan ultimately into the aerospace industry. The task
of crafting exacting, intricate models in wood and steel to test in wind-tunnel
laboratories became an important stepping stone for this blooming luthier. |
| |
In 1988, Ryan (who also
plays fingerstyle guitar with enviable ease), steered his considerable and growing talent
for woodcrafting toward the guitar. Kevin saw Phil Keaggy playing a small jumbo Olson
guitar and was captured by its beauty and unique styling. He began reading books on
building guitars and talking to other builders. It was at that time that, as he says,
"The fever hit." |
| |
The years Kevin remained in the
aerospace industry proved to be invaluable even though combined 70 to 80 hour
work weeks were, to say the least, exhausting. The several years, he says, that he spent
essentially working two jobs were a "two-edged sword. It nearly wore me out
physically and mentally, but it also tempered my inward driver with discipline and
patience. One of the great challenges in building musical instruments is guarding that
sense of the romance and art of lutherie from the pressing practical side of the craft.
Building full-time affords me the luxury of carving out the time necessary to keep that
fresh perspective. It also means that those simple joys of life that were put 'on hold'
are now in full bloom again." |
| |
For Ryan these simple joys include
bass fishing with his father, backpacking in the desert and mountains with his
wife or quietly reading books in their library (where he also studies and translates
ancient Greek texts - another love for Ryan). But most importantly, the finest joy for
them is time spent with the many friends that frequent the Ryan home. "C. S. Lewis
says that the chief joy of this mortal life is friendship. I believe that's true. Indeed,
for me friendship is so interwoven with this vocation of guitar-building that they are
inseparable. My friends were my first clients and now my other clients have all become
friends. What a sweet life this is!" |
| |
His experience in R & D model
building honed his skills for creating the specialized tools and custom fixtures necessary
in guitar-building. It is fascinating to see Kevin's seemingly endless number of
creative jigs that assist and ensure consistency and accuracy at every stage of building.
The "jig meister," as his close friends affectionately call him, is always
exploring ways to make each step of instrument construction as perfect as his own ideal.
Ryan makes the intersting observation that it is paradoxically the many jigs and fixtures
that allow the best creativity to emerge. "The time I save by the precise and
repeatable operations performed by the tools I've built is time that I now have to invest
where creativity and skill really impact the character and feel of the instrument, such as
inlay or carving the custom necks I offer." |
| |
Considering the aesthetics of
guitar design and form, Ryan is a traditionalist. "I enjoy working inside an
existing tradition and believe that all the greatest artists expressed their creativity
within well-defined forms. I love working with conservative shapes, and within that
framework introducing elegant but dramatic design elements. There is no detail, however
small, on which I do not want my creative imprint. Overarching all of this is my intention
that my work would, in the lovely phrase of Malcolm Muggeridge, 'reflect the luminous
Presence of God,' not only in its quality but also by the very demeanor in which I pursue
the craft." Examples of his attention to detail are evident inside and out. Although
the body silhouette is rather traditional, Ryan has stamped his individualistic imprint on
many areas of the model he calls the Mission Grand Concert. From the elegant Olsonesque
headstock to a dramatic, highly arched back (with other Ryan touches too numerous to
describe), this guitar is really of its own kind. |
| |
Regarding guitar acoustics and
theory, Ryan balances a delightful sense of the mystique and wonder of lutherie
with hard data. "I keep detailed technical data on all the guitars I build. I believe
that if one builds thoughtfully and isolates certain elements, such as the weight of the
soundboard on otherwise identical guitars, some defined facts begin to slowly emerge from
the fog of one's theories." |
| |
Even after years of hard-won
education, testing and relearning, Ryan still has the enthusiasm and first-love
of a beginner - and is quick to give credit to the masters. "I acknowledge a glad
debt to the generosity and experience of two of the world's great makers, James Olson and
Richard Hoover (Santa Cruz Guitar Company), both of whom have directly and personally
influenced my philosophy of bracing and design." |
| |
A blend of those two maker's art
may also well describe the tonal qualities and distinctions of the Ryan Mission Grand
Concert. Kevin believes 90% of the personality and quality of sound comes from the
soundboard (lightly and delicately braced). And, like many hand-builders today, he builds
only with master-grade cedar or spruce as standard tops with Indian rosewood sides and
back. "I want sweet and singing highs with resonant baritone bass - the Holy Grail
we're all after!" he says with a smile. |
| |
Many options are available on
request, but the standard guitar includes touches such as all wood binding, shell
rosette, ebony bridge and fingerboard along with striking macassar ebony headstock plates,
front and back. A very elegant standard guitar, Ryan's reputation has recently blossomed.
Al Stewart was the first to spot this relatively unknown craftsman. Then orders from
Laurence Juber, National Fingerstyle Champion Charles David Alexander, Pat Donohue, Tim
Sparks, and Germany's Peter Finger soon followed. Kevin describes Juber as both a dream
and a nightmare client. "He is a dream because he is such a marvelous player and a
very classy gentleman - and a nightmare because what he demands from an instrument is
almost perfection. Presenting a guitar to Laurence is almost daunting! His insight and
expectations, though, are an inspiration." The commission from Peter Finger was the
fulfillment of another of Ryan's dreams when he began building guitars. |
| |
Ryan bubbles with enthusiasm on his
recent surge of notoriety. "It's all such a great adventure, not to mention
the intrinsic pleasure of working with these world-class musicians. I feel that there is a
very real collaboration of ideas in pursuing instruments that challenge the frontiers of
acoustic design and construction - just as solo guitar music is pushing the boundaries
beyond where traditional instruments can follow. If we can't find that Holy Grail of
acoustic purity, let us retreat to the workshop, put on some J. S. Bach and build
it!" |
| |
***From Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine
(1-800-66-GUITAR), reprinted with permission. |
|
