About the builder, Larry Muth:
It may be that I was always meant to make mandolins.
After all, music and woodworking have both played a big part in my life.
From the time that I first joined a band in the early 1960’s, I knew I was hooked on the folk movement and on making music. I soon discovered an equal affinity for working with wood – building everything from log cabins to fine furniture.
It wasn’t until about 20 years ago that these two pursuits finally converged. I was driven to craft my first mandolin, more out of necessity than anything. I was just learning to play, and realized I needed a better instrument. So, I built one!
It would be another 10 years before I really got into luthiery. I was still working full time as a high school biology teacher. I only had time to build about one mandolin a year.
Once retired, though, I began to spend more and more time in my shop. It’s close to a full-time occupation now, although I still allow myself some time off over the summer months every year to relax and reflect at my cabin outside Chilliwack, B.C.
For me, when it comes to building, the journey is every bit as enjoyable as the destination. I savour the process of shaping and building each mandolin to release its unique sound. There is no mass-production at my shop. Each instrument is built one at a time by hand.
The top and back of each instrument are hand carved. That’s the way that I can build a close relationship with the structure and acoustics of the wood. I find that the more I handle a piece of wood, the more I can feel its properties, its potential and its promise. I can hear its voice and make fine adjustments.
Like many builders today, I strive to capture some of the Loar sound in my instruments. But I stop short of trying to copy it. Instead, I combine some of the Loar characteristics with some of my own.
You’ll find that I keep the prices of my mandolins down. I do this for a reason: to ensure my instruments are accessible to musicians. After all, the music is what really matters—not the instrument. It takes the skill and the soul of the musician to bring the music to life. Through the creation of Muth Mandolins, I’m proud to play a part in that creative process.