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Linda Manzer
liked having me there. So that removed my "He asked me to design and build a guitar fear of going into boys-only territory at a with as many strings as possible and I rose to the challenge. The resulting collaboration very young age." was the 42-string Pikasso guitar. It took Today her advice to women who nine months to build. With three necks it's work in a male-dominated business the guitar for the whole family!" she says is don't give up! "What I found is a laughing.
lot of these 'male only' bastions actually want women in their midst... The innovative Pikasso was named somethey just don't know it yet," she says what tongue-in-cheek after the famous artist but also inspired another invention, a wisely. Ironically, her career and fame as a luthier was secured because of another Joni Mitchell concert. She had gone to see Mitchell in Detroit where jazz guitarist Pat Metheny was the opening act. "I had never heard him before and when I heard him play a solo ...it was a life changing moment for me-I was musically smitten. I then began to listen to his music religiously."
In 1982 Metheny came to Toronto to do a concert and Manzer sent him a heartfelt note backstage. "After the concert he asked to meet me and I ended up bringing several of my hand built guitars to him to play. He sort of played the whole concert over on my guitars and one of them he really connected with and he said 'I'd like one, but I'd like it to do this,' making a few changes to it and he ordered a guitar right then and there. I was just a young 'baby' luthier but I guess he saw something in me and there was some kind of sonic connection between us. Every time I saw him after that he ordered a different guitar and he started challenging me by coming up with new ideas and I'd say 'sure I'll try.'"
narrower wedge shape for the body of guitar that allows the performer to reach further over the sound board, a necessity for that particular guitar. Manzer has continued to use The Wedge on many of her later guitars some of which are on display in The Smithsonian in Washington DC, The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Museum of Civilization in Canada. Linda says each instrument is a journey and exploration for her with hundreds of steps between raw wood and the finished guitar. She makes about 10 guitars a year, each one hand done with routed inlay and her signature wedge shape. She says what she does is offering a tool, like providing a painter with different colors. "My job is to inspire the musician to want to play it and explore it. Some people pick up a guitar and feel completely comfortable with it and that's the guitar for them. I think that's why I've made Pat so many guitars because each one takes him a different musical direction."
Perhaps Metheny sums up her skill best: "She made me that one guitar which I immediately fell in love with. And then I said how about you make me a 12-string. The Since that auspicious meeting 35 years night I got it I wrote four tunes. It was a ago Manzer has built over 25 guitars for totally inspiring instrument." Metheny who has amassed over 20 Grammy awards in the course of his prolific Linda Manzer will be in residence during the career as a jazz and fusion artist. But the Crown of the Continent Guitar Workshop Auguitar that Metheny requested in 1984 has gust 25-Sept. 1 in Bigfork, Montana. For more become Linda's signature piece, securing information about the event go to www.cocguiher place in the guitar maker's hall of fame. tarfoundation.org or call 855-855-5900. Top left phot: Linda Manzer working in her guitar shop in Toronto, CA. Top right photo: The iconic 42-string Pikasso Guitar created for jazz master Pat Metheny. Bottom right photo: Linda Manzer with singer/songwriter Paul Simon who purchased one of her special Manzer Metheny collection guitars.
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