Meet Raymond Kraut | Luthier

We had the good fortune of connecting with Raymond Kraut and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Raymond, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
The beginnings of my career started at the Roberto-Venn School of luthiery in Phoenix, AZ; a 6-month educational program that allowed me to understand how to build and put a guitar together. At that point in time (2004), I had a woodworking background, but I had never built an instrument before. And while I wanted to know if building instruments would inspire a career, I was not sure if I had that capability. I had to figure out if a life in luthiery was for me.

I quickly figured out that I loved every aspect of it. I was fortunate enough to have an excellent teacher at Roberto-Venn named John Reuter, who spotted my interest and focus. John was the first person to make me aware of the name Ervin Somogyi – the most highly regarded acoustic guitar maker in the industry who revolutionized how to design and build a steel string guitar.

When finishing the 6-month program at Roberto-Venn, I had to decide what was next and John pushed me to talk to Ervin about a two-year apprenticeship program. I didn’t know what an apprenticeship would entail, but John set up a phone interview for me with Ervin. At the time, Ervin only took on Japanese apprentices and it became difficult to get that phone conversation with him. Thanks to John’s persistence, he finally convinced Ervin to talk to me.

After a couple of hours of conversation, I was invited to a one-week interview at his shop in Oakland, CA which turned into an array of different exercises and tests in woodworking and mental facility. After the interview was over, I was surprised and delighted to find out that Ervin wanted to train me.

The next two years of my life were filled with some of the most complex and difficult lessons that I have ever experienced. These lessons paved the way I see the world today in addition to how I build guitars. It had an impact on every aspect of life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The dedication I have through working with my hands, sets me apart not just from other people, but the modern world in general it seems. I look around and see that we have lost so much through not working with our hands. Once upon a time, we had to build or grow the items that we needed – our homes, furniture, clothing, food, etc. Now, items are same day delivered to our doorsteps and accessibility has inundated those vital creative connections of work and creation.

I am currently building my own home for my family. From the plumbing, to the electrical, to the engineering to the framing; my hands are creating it all. If I am to be dedicated to a hands-on career as a luthier, then I extend that dedication to my passion to create and build exactly what I want in my personal life for myself and my family. I most proud of that artful approach to living more than anything.

I got to where I am today by staying true to what my original nature is – meticulous, thoughtful, and creative. My instinct was to always make clients happy and say yes, but that approach does not always make for good business practices and can lead to burnout. As time passed, and with me sacrificing small parts of my nature along the way, I found myself disinterested in the very passion that once sparked so much creation. Those small gestures of sacrifice contribute to a larger effect, stripping away the joy I once had. Forcing creativity is a road to mediocrity and produces such results. I had to learn to stand up for my own interests, so I learned to say no and set professional boundaries, which helped pave a road back to that original nature I so missed.

My Nouveau series reflects that return to self. It is a style of guitar that no one else has done in the world of Luthiery. The Nouveau series captures the essence of the design work I have been doing for the past 20 years without sacrificing its tone or my creative process in general. My confidence and experience allow me to explore in ways I could not when I was younger.

My brain loves puzzles, and I am always trying to figure out how to translate that onto wood. My inlay work consists of mostly very fine lines that are routed. I use all sorts of different materials in both color and line value that is very Bauhaus inspired (a German style circa 1913, featuring simple geometric shapes without elaborate decorations). This design work centers around what is called a rosette of the guitar which is a decorative element around the sound hole. My design work around the rosette expanded into different parts of the guitar such as the peg head veneer to the back of the neck to the sides of the guitar all the way to the end graft. No place is off limits for my inlay art on the instrument.

So much satisfaction can manifest from working with one’s hands. The tactile approach to life does more than we know. It captures our evolution as a people. Building acoustic guitars is my gift to give the world. Working with my hands every day is my gift to myself.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The first place I would take a dear friend is out to where my family and I live which is on acres of beautiful desert at the base of the Tortolita Mountains. I would showcase the natural history of the area such as the old wagon roads, mines, natural landscape, ancient artifacts, and trails. The beauty of our land is that you get a private tour of the Sonoran Desert. Unlike going to other places that are more tourist oriented, our land gives you a different perspective on what it feels like to be alone in the most stunning desert. People can camp and just hang out.

I would then cook food for my guest such as a good old fashioned outdoor barbeque or homemade pasta. As far as dining out goes, I enjoy businesses around Downtown Tucson such as Time Market, Forbes Meat Co., and Ermanos on 4th Ave. Otherwise, hanging out on my land with family and cooking great food is more than I could ever ask for.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Ervin Somogyi Lewis Santer
John Lockwood

Website: www.krautguitars.com

Instagram: @raymondkraut

Image Credits
The black and white images are to be credited by “Taylor Noel. Photography” The color images do not need to be credited