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Marais is a craftsman of exquisite classical musical
instruments, hand-carved from solid, indigenous woods.
There are a few people in South Africa making violins, less
making cello’s and nobody making the contra-bass, the
largest of the stringed instruments. There are a number of
people doing instrument repairs, which is rewarding in
itself, but hardly provides the satisfaction and pleasure of
creating a new instrument from scratch.
These instruments are carved from solid woods and one of
Roland’s masterpieces is a contra-bass that is made from
very rare imbuya, with beautiful flames and exquisite sound
projection.
This instrument is valued between US$ 10 000 - 20,000.
Roland Marais is a member of The Guild of South African
Luthiers.
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Every step in making such an instrument is a creative challenge – from choosing the “tone woods” prized for the brilliant sounds they produce to the various finishes needed to create this piece of functional art. |
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