ORWELL, NY – In a tidy workshop on the shoulder of Tug Hill, an Orwell man is crafting instruments of wood, in search of the perfect combination of stunning visual beauty and pristine sound.
Surrounded by the hardwood forests of the Town of Orwell, St. Francis Farm lies in a clearing surrounded by the silent wilderness. Inspired by the potential within these valuable trees of becoming a resonating piece of musical art, Zach Hoyt quietly toils in a small but orderly workspace, creating an array of beautiful instruments sought after by artists the world over.
As a luthier, a maker of stringed instruments, Hoyt transforms trees into banjos, dulcimers and fiddles, becoming objects that reach far beyond their humble beginnings.
Instruments are crafted from several species of tree, with each type of wood having characteristics that suit the need for strength or resonance and create the optimum sound profile.
“When I start to make a banjo out of Walnut, I look through my selection of wood, and try to find the best piece for the part of the instrument I am building,” Hoyt said. “I am trying to get the most good out of the wood that I have.”
Each piece of wood has meaning, and the creative process begins with careful consideration of the basic materials and their individual characteristics.
“Starting the project is like framing a house, creating the basic structure,” Hoyt said. “In a way it is the most exciting part.”
As the instrument begins to take shape, the work becomes more detailed and the process changes a bit.
“The later steps become slower, and the change becomes more gradual,” Hoyt said.
The fine carving and shaping of the pieces becomes artful, as each unique piece of wood dictates its own personal story in its transformation.
Hoyt’s workshop at St. Francis Farm is a quiet place, in a setting that encourages the meditative, methodological process of creating finely tuned musicians tools. The rare passing of an automobile is just about the only sound heard outside of the wind rustling the leaves of the surrounding trees, or the babbling of a small brook that wanders past the property on its winding way to join the Salmon River.
The calm beauty of the surroundings is reflected in the polished wood of the instruments, with the grain and growth rings that are visible in the panels and necks echoing the forest that produced them.
As Hoyt puts his heart and mind into an instrument, he often reflects on the person who will eventually receive and play this piece of art.
“It’s fun to think of all of these instruments being played by different people in many places,” Hoyt said.
Customers often send him videos of themselves playing their newly acquired instruments.
“It’s great to watch someone who is a better musician than I am play one of my creations, because I get to see and hear the instrument in a way that is new to me,” Hoyt said.
Thanks to the internet and today’s worldwide connectivity, Hoyt has acquired customers from Europe and as far away as Australia.
“I really enjoy sending them out, and although there is a piece of me in each instrument, I can’t keep them all,” Hoyt said.
Hoyt plans to continue honing his craft, building on his extensive collection of tools and skills, in search of the elusive combination of sublime beauty and perfect tonality that all luthiers strive for.
“It is really nice to be able to keep learning and experimenting,” Hoyt said.
