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Elaine Yau

Name: Peter Chan Age: 56 Occupation: Guitar maker

Young Post: You can buy guitars from  music stores. Why do you  make them yourself?

Chan: The guitars sold at  music stores are made by machines. Like other mass-produced goods churned out by factories, they  have flaws. Handmade guitars are of a much higher quality.

Mass-produced guitars are also  identical  ... If I make them myself, I can cater to the tastes and needs of my clients.

YP: What made you decide to turn making guitars into a full-time job?

C:  I have more than 20 guitars at home which need regular maintenance... I thought it would save me  a lot of money if I  could repair them myself.

Several years ago, I met an American, Daniel Stickle, in Vancouver who taught me how to repair guitars.

He also introduced me to my present mentor, Geza Burghardt, a world-renowned guitar maker.  I  now  work full-time in his workshop in Vancouver and we  make guitars together.

YP: How do you run your business?

C: Although I work in Vancouver, most of my orders come from Hong Kong.

There are many guitar enthusiasts  in Hong Kong who  like  the better sound of handmade guitars.

Depending on the quality of the wood, the price of a handmade guitar can range from HK$45,000 to over HK$200,000.

Most of those I've sold cost about HK$45,000 each. The cost of making one is about half the  selling price. So I make about HK$23,000  a guitar. But,  as I make only two to four guitars a year,  money is not the reason I'm doing this.

To me, the moment a guitar is  finished is like when a baby is born. I feel ecstatic when I pluck  the first string on a guitar  I've made.

YP: Is it difficult to make guitars?

C: It takes  about 400 hours to make a guitar. It takes  a lot of patience, as I have to do everything from scratch. I even have to make my own tools,  since the off-the-rack tools are often too coarse for my handiwork.

Making a guitar involves many  steps. I have to cut and  polish the wood  for the body.

I also need to prepare the strings and  the fittings  needed to prop up the body.

My wife  helps me put the final touches to the guitar.  She spends two days polishing the finished product.

YP: Do you plan to move your business to Hong Kong?

C: I plan to go back to Hong Kong in two years  to open my own workshop and teach people how to repair and make guitars.

I'm the only Hong Kong guitar maker.

There are fewer than 30 guitar makers  in the world.

The time-honoured and delicate art will  die out if  the techniques  are not passed on to the next generation.

Resume

1960s: Graduated from Pui Ching Middle School

1973-79: Worked as a draughtsman at a local construction company

1980: Opened a studio which he rented to local bands for rehearsals

1981-84: Became the lead guitarist of the house band at Sheraton Hotel

1982-93: Built a studio at home for recording advertisement jingles

1993: Moved to Canada

1993-98: Taught guitar lessons to Canadian teenagers

1998: Began making guitars

How to get there

Programme: Bachelor of Arts (Music)

School: The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Duration: Three years

Characteristics: The curriculum covers both western and Chinese music, concentrating primarily on areas including performance, theory, composition, and music history. Academic and professional training are given equal emphasis in the curriculum. Students  must take courses in Chinese and western music and master two kinds of musical instruments (including a non-western instrument), so as to  conduct comparative studies of Chinese and western music.

Enquiries: www.cuhk.edu.hk/mus/about.html

Programme: Bachelor of Arts (Music)

School: The University of Hong Kong

Duration: Three years

Characteristics: The course provides a comprehensive music education that integrates  music scholarship, composition, and performance. Courses include the history and analysis of western music, Chinese music, world music and popular music. An electronic music studio and a computer music laboratory provide students with the opportunity to learn about and use the latest music technology.

Enquiries: www.hku.hk/acad/ugp/faculty_arts_about.html

The path

Graduates can work as musicians at pubs, hotels, cultural centres and for local and overseas orchestras.  Those interested in  education can work as music teachers at local schools, universities and music centres. Talented musicians are also sought after in the entertainment and media industry. They can become lyricists, composers or singers.



Traditional craft