CASTLEMAINE instrument maker Ben Stewart is given people passionate about music the chance to create their own instruments.
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Stewart is holding two guitar building workshops in January and two ukelele building workshops in March as part of the Castlemaine State Arts Festival.
It is the first time Stewart has opened his workshop to the public in 20 years of constructing instruments.
“I’d been asked for assistence by a number of people who were having a go at building their own instruments,” Stewart said.
“It seems there’s a lot of interest in wanting to be hands on and I thought I’d offer the workshops to see if people would take up the challenge.”
Stewart has experience in teaching people the art of creating instuments. He teaches an instrument making course at a school in Melbourne.
“I find that people have the wood but not the tools and are unsure where to start,” he said.
“I remember being that unsure when I started so to have someone help guide you is very helpful.”
Stewart began Bendict Stewart Musical Instruments in 1994 after studying engineering at university.
“I thought I might be a musician but my friends were musos and could do things I couldn’t,” he said.
“People always asked me about fixing or setting up guitars and I realised someone has to build them. I started worked with David Churchill, an established maker, in Ballarat.”
Stewart said his first effort wasn’t pretty but it worked and he was immediately hooked.
“They’re never perfect and I put my benchmark pretty high,” he said.
“I had the advantage of working for Mason Guitars. My learning curve was assisted by working five days a week cutting and joining wood and constantly being around the (guitar-making) process.
“Once you’ve been through the process 10 or 12 times you see thing evolve. It’s a slow change but it helps you prove your consistancy.”
With a specialty in stringed instruments, Stewart is known as a luthier and focuses on historical replicas of instruments.
“I have an interest in period instruments from the Renaissance and Baroque eras,” he said.
“I would say I’ve been involved in making hundreds of instruments, mostly restoration or repairs.
“I can build about one per month from scratch. They are time consuming objects. You can say ‘I’ll have this finished in a week’, often they will be ready when they’re ready. There is a lot to do in the finishing.
Benedict Stewart Musical Instrument workshops take place on January 4-10 and January 18-24 for guitars. Workshops are priced at $3900 per person.
Ukelele workshops take place on March 15-16 and March 21-22. Workshops are priced at $790.
For more information email be @bendictstewartinstruments.com