My appreciation of the artistry of others, leads me to spotlight the work of a friend and master acoustic guitar builder Ken Stika. Ken owns and runs The Great Salt Lake Guitar Company out of a historic building located in the quaint shopping district off Center Street beneath the majestic mountain of Provo, Utah. I have known Ken for almost 20 years, and have stood in awe of the quality and tone of these one of a kind instruments. He personally manufactures each one under the Stika brand. These are truly custom works of art, and each one is given the individual love and care which fuels Ken's passion for perfection.
While there are some basic models to choose from, Ken understands that each instrument requires unique craftsmanship to achieve his vision. Handpicked exotic woods are chosen for their beauty and tone, but that is just the beginning. For as most acoustic musician know, tone can differ drastically between guitars with the same model number and wood selection. Hence, Ken's operation is anything but an assembly line approach. Only a hand full of custom guitars occupy his shop in various stages of production. This patience and maturity pays off in the end--for what you have is a work of art, and that art will color a guitarist's work for years to come. Musicians often talk about the glorious tone of aged woods, but there is another aging process which occurs as the musician develops a relationship with their instrument. Your technique refines itself. Your ear attunes to subtle variations of the instruments timbre. Herein the musicians meld into the wood, fingers calibrate, caress and coax nature's song from the wood. This can only happen with a fine instrument. Ken is a master at creating such instruments, and is actively passing this knowledge on to his son.
The rich patina which gets better with age applies to more than wood, but to musicians, mentors, and master luthiers like Ken.
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EPILOGUE: On July 15th 2012, just a few months after this post Ken passed away. Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will miss you.
