Martin Macica, Local Luthier A Master’s Touch, An Artisan’s Eye, A Musician’s Ear

By Lawrence White

If there's any object in human experience that's a precedent for what a computer should be like, it's a musical instrument: a device where you can explore a huge range of possibilities through an interface that connects your mind and your body, allowing you to be emotionally authentic and expressive.

the windows and reflecting off the many wood surfaces inside. Warm hues fill the room with a smooth, even tone that is perfect for woodworking and for viewing the many musical in struments Martin creates.

Macica is wearing a dark grey wool cap and a tan leather apron as he works on the body of a new guitar. He has the assurance of a master artisan, the knowledge of a professional musician, and the enthusiasm of a true music fan.

“I prefer to work and sell local,” Macica tells me as he applies wooden vises to an in-process guitar body. “I depend upon the quality standard of my work to be the calling card and I have found that quality still matters to many people.”

- Jaron Lanier -

basic things like joists, and spoons and chairs, and so on.”

Later, after returning from a trip to Ireland, Macica’s brother Kevin, had some friends visit who brought a variety of musical instruments with them. “I picked up a mandolin and started to play around with it. Even though I had never played one before, the music seemed natural to me. It did not take long to learn a Beatles song and that was the beginning.

Schuylerville, NY: The first thing I notice as I enter Martin Macica’s musical instrument workshop is the beautiful natural light streaming through

Macica learned the basics of woodworking at an early age from his father. “He showed me how to use the various tools, and how to make

Kevin, who was trying to learn violin, really got behind me. He exposed me to David Grisman who was a huge inspiration.”

Pointing through the workshop front window, Macica continues, “I would sit out there on the porch woodshedding (practicing) the mandolin hour after hour. I also made an effort to learn violin at the same time which accelerated the learning curve on the mandolin.”

Macica continues, “I even built an electric mandolin with a whammy bar that I played through a Mar shall stack. All the women and children would head for the hills when I got down,” Martin says with a laugh.

“That is when I discovered how much I enjoyed making stringed instruments and started to look for ways to get more involved. I approached highly respected violin, and viola maker Geoffrey Ovington who visited my workshop, but I did not feel he was going to ask me to be an apprentice. I investigated BOCES Unique Placement Program to get paired with an instrument maker and they approached Mr. Ovington with their pro gram in mind. As a result, I ended up making violins in the Ovington workshop after school during the 11th and 12th grades. That was a crucial turning point in my life”.

It should be noted that Macica’s home workshop is in the shadow of the Saratoga Monument which marks the battles that became known as the Turning Point of the American Revolution. The importance of tradition and heritage were ingrained in Macica from the start and blended with a hip connection to modern trends in culture and music that sets Martin apart.

“By the early 1980s I realized that if I was going to sharpen my lutherie skills, I needed to go to New York City and work with the masters.” With excitement, Macica continues, “I was flying by the seat of my pants when I got to the city, so I got a job as a porter in the Saratoga Hotel and repaired violins for Dov Buk which taught me a lot about professional working musicians.”

“However, my big break came when I started to work with Nicholas Frirsz where I made violins, and Mosa Havivi where I worked on violin repairs and restorations. Their shops were in the same building as Jacques Français in strument dealers on 57th Street be tween the Russian Tea Room and Carnegie Hall. It is a professional expe rience that shaped the standards that continue to define my work today.”

“It takes a lifetime to learn a craft to perfection but at a young age, you can learn an ideal. That is what my New York City experience gave me, an ideal. It taught me what it is to make a great instrument and to recognize what professionals are looking for. When I see something that I made years ago, I still feel pretty good about the standard I was able to achieve and have maintained through all these years.”

After leaving New York City, Macica opened a shop in the old Bullard Building on Broad Street in Schuylerville where he remained for 20 years. After that, he moved the workshop to his hilltop home across the road from Saratoga Apple Orchards. In fact, the house where Macica works, and his artistically tal ented family lives, is the same house where he lived most of his life.

While analyzing his business model, Macica tells me, “Some people spend their lives looking for that one big break that will shoot them into the spotlight of stardom. That has never been my motivation. I prefer to keep my business local and cater to the needs and professional standards of the people from the upstate area who visit my shop. It is more intimate and allows me to maintain the highest standards without having to make compromises that I feel would diminish the quality of the instruments.

Remaining independent allows Macica to control the business and the creative methods he employs. In this manner, he ensures the real, and intangible qualities he produces remain a part of each instrument he creates, modifies, or repairs.

When Macica is commissioned to create an instrument, he prefers to have a sitdown council with the prospective client to understand exactly what would work best for them. Once he speaks with the client and hears how they play that specific kind of instrument, he can make recommendations for the most useful design components that would serve the performance of the final custom instrument best for that particular player.

Of course, the craft/art of creating musical instruments is steeped in a rich and fabled heritage and Macica holds the greatest reverence for it. Yet, he is currently working on a unique suspension system to take the pressure of modern steel strings off of the soundboard of his guitars. It is a technique he came up with while creating violins and believes the advantages in the structure and tone quality will be a game changer for his guitars.

The same high ethic is the basis of the instrumentmaking courses Macica teaches through the Adirondack Folk School. “Making musical in struments involves a lot of woodworking skills. Success is in how you apply them and that is what I teach. This method gives the students confidence as they begin to understand the tools and get a feel for how to apply them in the process of creating a musical instrument they will enjoy for the rest of their lives.”

Musician David Ashdown has known Macica since he was a young boy growing up in Schuylerville. David's mother gave Macica his first violin lessons. At one point David served as a sort of apprentice for Macica and was given a Macica mandolin when he graduated from high school. Years later, David attended one of Macica’s guitar-building classes where he created the guitar that he brings with him to jam with Macica in his workshop. Macica brings out the first mandolin he created, and soon the room fills with warm acoustic rhythms and crystalclear tones that strike a note deep in the soul.

“That is the key,” David tells me as he places his treasured guitar back in the case. “Martin has created a balance in his life that is inspiring, He is completely authentic. He is a gifted mu sician and a craftsman at the highest level. His reputation is well-earned. The people of the Saratoga region are very fortunate to have such a remarkable and unique professional artisan working here on a local basis.”

In reflection on a career that includes Master Luthier, respected instructor, and gifted musician, Macica reveals, “A person may reach the pinnacle of becoming master of a craft, but every true master will admit there is always more to be discovered,” As he places his mandolin back into its case, Macica continues, “The work I do brings joy, but it also teaches lessons of humility, empathy, and respect.” Then, with a broad smile, he adds, “That is why I find it to be so fulfilling.”

Martin Macica Workshop

Phone: 518-695-3029 https://macica.com

August 2023

Dulcimer Making Workshop

Fall 2023

Backpack Guitar Making Workshop

In-depth hands-on instruction on creating your own instrument

Adirondack Folk School (518) 696-2400 https://adirondackfolkschool.org/product/adirondack-dulcimer-making-august-2023/

The Laffer Gallery February 25 - March 26