LUTHIERY AND GUITAR CARVING - TON DIAS
Halston Mendes Dias has a luthiery that creates guitar carving works. Born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, since youth had a strong interest by music. When he won the first guitar from his older sister (whom he had and has a great admiration, respect and consideration), around 15 years old, this interest has been increasingly growing.
After a while with the instrument, the interest in music was gradually turning into an interest in wanting to know more about the instrument (its operation system, its structure, etc), which culminated in an unparalleled will to try himself built one for him. The start was tricky . Hardly anyone was willing to "give him a hand". Regardless, " Ton " did not quit and sought for himself the way . Some parents from Curvelo (Brazilian city inside the Minas Gerais state) given some "cues " for the first steps , because they knew something about woodwork, and had already worked with furniture building. Therefrom it began the interest in seeking more information about woods, tools and manual machines operation for woodwork, etc , and it also came from the interest in finding out about the whole process of building guitars (one of his greatest passions, guitar carving and luthiery). There was no direct teacher or master. Only the willingness to learn and readiness to assimilate.
Slowly he was refining their knowledge about the field and knowing more and more domains which pervades the luthiery (acoustics, wave, mechanics, ergonomics, tinsmith, blacksmith). That was giving him a very wide knowledge of all phases of construction (material selection, appropriate sections of the wood, condition of timber, etc), finishing (sanding, painting, polishing), assembly and adjustment process instrument.
Today, Ton is working to reach more visibility within the luthiery and visual arts, as the largest business card he has is his work, work that ever aim the first line when the subject is carved guitars, electroacoustic luthiery, handcrafted guitars and wood carvings for decorate walls.