Malta's oldest String Lutherie

27/08/2024

19/01/2022

The tonal qualities of this 99 year old rare Martin guitar fully restored.

19/01/2022

A step by step restoration of an extremely rare 1923 Martin & Co. flattop 00-21 Wurlitzer model. This guitar is one of a few built for the Wurlitzer company at the Nazareth Pensylvania factory in USA. This rare instrument was bought from New York by a Maltese immigrant working there in 1923 and later handed down as a family heirloom.

12/01/2022

A very old 3 string gamba shaped double bass built by Giuseppe Tonna at the Valetta workshop in the mid 1800's. The Tonna family was from Rabat and spanned 4 generations of excellent double bass builders.

12/01/2022

The traditional way of binding and glueing a classic guitar using wet organic rope which shortens and stretches as it dries.

12/01/2022

Some works in progress of antique violins undergoing restorations. Most vioins from bygone eras disintegrate due to the fish glue or hyde glue that was used at the time. These require a total rebuild.

12/01/2022

A variety of mandolins at the workshop. 2 neapolitan bowl antique mandolins, a large old mandola with intricate inlays, and an old maltese built round mandolin.

12/01/2022

A broken Oud. The arab and eastern european Oud is the predecessor of the European Lute from which the modern guitar developed.

12/01/2022

Antique British banjo mandolins awaiting some final touches.

12/01/2022

3 maltese traditional guitars: a 'prejjem tal-qarn' - a guitar with a horn feature which is used for soloing during the traditional Ghana singing, and 2 rhythm guitars built by Indri il-pupa from Qormi and Krispin Attard from Zabbar, now both deceased.

12/01/2022

12/01/2022

12/01/2022

12/01/2022

A typical old Maltese Prejjem tal-għana (traditional acoustic guitar used for soloing during Għana) Ghana is the impromptu live singing to the accompaniment of handbuilt Maltese guitars.