2017 catalog

19
an instrument that was fresh but carried an original
Appalachian and old-world feel.”
The undertaking was ambitious and, in Thorell’s
view, “terrifying,” but it turned out to be a “magical
collision of intent and opportunity.” The moment he
received the instrument, Vignola says, “I absolutely
fell in love with it. I immediately called Ryan and
told him I wanted to endorse this guitar.” And after
Vignola had wowed with it on the road for more
than 1000 shows, it was Eastman’s turn to step
in, offering to bring Thorell’s singular creation to a
wider community of players.
Of course, the primary consideration was doing it
right. And just as Thorell had separated himself from
the pack, so too had Eastman — to the point where
neither guitar-player nor guitar-maker had to be
asked twice. “I’ve been such a fan of how Eastman
has conducted itself and the ideals it adheres to,”
Thorell says, referring to Eastman’s hands-on and
nuance-sensitive approach, to its emphasis on quality
materials and the personal touch.
The guitar’s very creation, after all, had personal
roots. Thorell was 15 when he first saw — and was
knocked out by — Vignola’s playing in Salt Lake City,
and the two met about a year later, when Vignola
ran the jazz department at Arizona State University.
(“He used to fly in to take lessons with me,” Vignola
recalls.) Later, Vignola became smitten with a cedar
guitar that Thorell had made for another client. By
the time Thorell was ready to embark on the bold
new venture, “I had had Frank’s sound and his
unique approach as a guiding inspiration for years.”
The resulting chemistry was so “electric and
immediate” that the two didn’t even require much
direct contact. “When it’s great,” Thorell says, “both
the player and the maker are on the same intuitive
page.” In turn, Thorell notes that his relationship
with Eastman has evolved out of a similar foundation
of trust and respect: “I think Eastman is truly unique
in the world of lutherie, in the combination of its
reach and its commitment to what I love about the
art of guitar-making.”
Vignola, meanwhile, is now happy to extend his
endorsement of Thorell beyond the signature guitar.
“I truly believe Ryan is next in line to the masters like
D’Angelico, D’Aquisto, and Benedetto,” he says. “He
is a true genius.”
Moral of the story: When it comes to crafting magic,
it always helps to bring the passion.
Conversation with
Vignola & Thorell
FRANK VIGNOLA ON THE
ROOTS OF JAZZ:
Jazz and blues are the two art forms
that America has, and we should be
proud of this. We should teach this in
schools. We should also make our
kids aware of the great era of music
from the 1920’s and 1930’s. This was
a special time in history for music, and
it’s America’s music.
…AND ON JAZZ TODAY:
Jazz unfortunately has gotten a bad
reputation due to musicians caring
more about their solos than the
audience… It’s unfortunate that the
music called “jazz” has gotten so far
away from the originator, Louis
Armstrong. I believe jazz is so much
about the repertoire. The songs of this
time period are what jazz musicians of
the time were interested in, not a
mode. It was about playing songs and
communicating with other musicians
and especially the audiences. The
audience is who these great musicians
were playing for, not themselves.
THORELL ON THE NITTY-
GRITTY OF THE FRANK
VIGNOLA SIGNATURE SERIES:
It’s a carved-top instrument based on
an entirely different z-axis structure.
The top loading is more akin to a
low-load flattop, which allows for very
light carving. The bracing brings a
simple transverse mode into the tone
of an archtop as well, which yields a
gypsy-style bark, yet pillowed with all
of this warmth and drive of a
traditional archtop build.
…AND ON THE ROLE OF THE
LUTHIER:
A great luthier is a vessel for the
musician, in my opinion. It is a craft
first and an art second. I believe the
best guitars are natural extension of
the players, not lutherie art pieces in
contrast to the musician performing
on them. Secondly, I believe truly
great luthiers have vision to create
something that predicts — an
instrument that speaks for music to
come.