Grit Laskin
| William Laskin | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 23, 1953 Hamilton, Ontario |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Other names | Grit Laskin, The Masked Luthier |
| Occupation | luthier, musician |
| Title | Member of the Order of Canada |
| Website | http://www.williamlaskin.com |
William "Grit" Laskin (born August 23, 1953) is a Canadian luthier and musician, particularly notable for his high-quality instruments, acoustic guitar innovations (such as the "Laskin Armrest" and "Ribrest") and for his skill in the art of inlay. Larry Robinson, author of The Art Of Inlay, describes Laskin as "one of the most astonishing inlay artists in North America." His guitars have been exhibited as works of art by several museums.
As a musician, he has several solo CDs, and is known as a member of Friends of Fiddler's Green. He accompanied Stan Rogers (sometimes under the epithet "The Masked Luthier of Dupont Street") both on recordings and on tour.
Laskin learned the trade though an apprenticeship with Jean Larrivée, beginning in 1971. He makes on average 20 to 24 guitars a year and he has made guitars for many well-known artists such as: k.d. lang, Owen McBride, Margaret Christl, Paul Mills, Ben Mink, Garnet Rogers, and Stan Rogers, Claudia Schmidt, and José Valle ('Chuscales').
He wrote a book entitled Laskin, Grit; Pickell, Brian (1987). The World of Musical Instrument Makers:a guided tour. Oakville, Ontario: Mosaic Press. ISBN . OCLC 16579105. that became the basis for an exhibition at the Ontario Science Centre and the exhibit also travelled to other locations in Ontario. He has written numerous other books and articles including: Laskin, Grit (2003). A Guitarmaker's Canvas: The Inlay Art of Grit Laskin. Berkeley, CA: San Francisco: Backbeat Books. ISBN . OCLC 52380931. .. Laskin was also the founder of the International Association of String Instrument Artisans.
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