About me and my work

A few words about me.

Growing up in a musical family, my initial interest in Early Music came from playing the recorder and playing renaissance consort music within various youth recorder ensembles. At the same time, throughout my life I have always been fascinated with understanding how things work and am drawn to the creative act of making, whether physical or virtual.

I built my first lute in 1994. Just as I went off to university, my father introduced me to an LP of Julian Bream playing John Dowland. I became so transfixed with the music, I knew I had to learn to play the lute. It was the shortage of lutes available on a student budget that led me to make my first lute based on instructions by Ian Harwood in the Charles Ford book "Making Musical Instruments". However my main lute making influences flow from my participation in a series of summer schools directed by master lute maker David Van Edwards, where we made a series of instruments for The Lute Society's hire fleet. I also attended some lute making master classes by Stephen Gottlieb.

Currently my workshop is setup in Colchester, Essex where I make, repair and refurbish lutes and related early plucked instruments.

As an active player as well as maker, I have a passion for making the best sounding renaissance lutes - and I focus on sound quality and playability, first and foremost. I concentrate on making renaissance lutes as that is the instrument I play and enjoy the most. This hands on approach means I can evaluate each instrument as it is built, right through to the final stage as it comes into the hands of the musician. Surprisingly small details in construction can make a big difference in the final instrument, particularly when it comes to sound quality.

The lute has such a wonderful sound and repertoire - its music continues to inspire me. I hope one of my lutes can in turn inspire you to explore what the music has to offer, from history and into the present day.

Feel free to contact me with any questions or to discuss your requirements.

- Luke Emmet, 2016