Best Stringed Instrument Maker Winnipeg Near Me

4worldlovers: "All the experimental things worked; together, they did something amazing! Side ports, asymmetrical neck, unusual top hole, radial bracing on the back, laminated wood, strange peghead, armrest — they were all in service to the sound and the playability, all about my interaction with the instrument."

Whether it's a hand-crafted individually cast tail piece, hand-wound pick up, side ports with sliding doors, or multi-scale fan frets, every Beardsell is unique.

"It's hard to find the words. Yes, it's a work of art. The wood, the detail, the finish, all gorgeous. The asymmetrical neck section is super comfortable; plays like a dream, very comfortable. It's light weight and resonant and the sound is orchestral."

-- Michael Forbes, musician and owner of a custom Beardsell guitar

What gives these guitars their singular tone -- so remarkably, room-slayingly loud; so rich, so complex and tasty -- is actually the same thing that makes them straight up the most comfortable guitars you'll ever play.

It all goes back to Al's original napkin sketch of the signature 4G body style: The lower bout was larger, but the bridge was positioned further back, taking maximum vibrational advantage of the larger surface area, while at the same time effectively moving the neck and headstock closer to the player.

The end result is a guitar that actually feels more comfortable to play than a small-body, but has more sonic projection and complex tonality than an uncomfortably portly axe. It's Al-chemy, dude!


A very hep cat once said "Don't play what's there, play what's not there." We're not sure exactly what that means -- something about being original, or possibly a more esoteric suggestion that, like a zen master, one should attempt to express the negative space between the notes. At any rate, we're pretty sure we got the gist when bad-ass genius Tom Robbins opined that an artist has only to imagine what's missing in the world, and that's the art he needs to create.


Beardsell guitars are built one-at-a-time by the hands of an innovative master luthier -- himself trained by masters -- who's been operating in the upper echelon of the handmade guitar world for years. He's got the street cred to back it up, too: with glowing profiles in Acoustic Guitar Magazine and The Fretboard Journal, and a growing list of satisfied customers that includes folk-punk darlings The Weakerthans, contemporary jazz luminary Henry Kaiser, and the legendary Lou Reed, among others. (He's also a heck of a nice guy.) Click here for a more in-depth look at his creations.


Whether it's a pre-war Martin 000 that's perhaps seen one too many battles, a Tele(/disaster), or the guitar you found under your grandma's bed that you thought would never play again, when it comes to repairs, we've got you covered.

Your beloved guitar /bass/mando/banjo/stringed wonder is in expert hands, for a fret job, a set up, a restoration or a broken headstock. Click here to meet our staff of expert, totally stylin' resto-and-repair commandos.

4worldlovers: Is a custom instrument studio specializing in violins, violas, and cellos.

For as long as he can remember, Garth has been involved in music and woodworking and is passionate about the creative process of making instruments from the violin family.

Garth trained at the prestigious Newark School of Violin Making in England. During this time he had the opportunity to study violins, violas, and cellos from the workshops of Stradivari, Guarneri, Amati, and others. These occasions inspired Garth in his own work and he went on to graduate with Distinction and the Highest Honours awarded in more than five years. This achievement was made possible in part by mentorship from Glen A. Collins.

He then went on to work in a partnership together with luthiers Susanna (Sillberg) Collins (now in Finland) and Seisuke Kawamura (now in Japan).

Garth Lee Strings was established in Winnipeg in 2008 and quickly gained the respect of the local professional string community and beyond. Garth’s instruments are played by professional musicians throughout Canada as well as England, South Africa, Norway, and New Zealand. He is a member of the Violin Society of America https://www.vsaweb.org and enjoys attending the world renowned Oberlin College Violin Making Workshop http://www.oberlinviolinmakers.org . The Oberlin workshop is a gathering of professional makers from around the world who come together once annually to share ideas and techniques. Working along side each other for two weeks develops a wonderful network of connections and friendships, which of course also becomes an invaluable resource.

Garth maintains a strong commitment to the community by volunteering his time to do repair work for Sistema Winnipeg. A fantastic program aimed at using music for social change. Read more about the program here: https://wso.ca/sistema/