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Preserving the traditional craftsmanship in Bien Hoa

(News Portal – Dong Nai) - The workshop "Thuan Guitar," located on Nguyen Du Street in Quang Vinh Ward, is filled with stacks of wood used to craft guitars. Mr. Thuan and the craftsmen in the workshop are diligently shaping the wood, bending the bodies of the guitars...

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Mr. Pham Ngoc Thuan, residing in Quang Vinh Ward, Bien Hoa City, inspecting the process of creating a guitar.

More than 10 years devoted to the craft of guitar making

Mr. Thuan shares that crafting musical instruments involves many stages. To create a guitar, one must not only seek out the best materials but also process the wood, cut and join pieces, shape the body, string the instrument, polish, and perfect it. All of these stages require meticulous craftsmanship, adhering to the techniques and requirements of each musical instrument. Furthermore, every guitar maker must possess a passion for the craft, a love for the profession, as well as the ability to appreciate and understand music in order to produce a guitar of desired quality.

"When I was in junior high school, there was a guitar forum and performance organized at the school, and I fell in love with it. Fortunately, my neighbor taught me how to play the guitar, and later, I had the opportunity to observe, explore, and learn how to make guitars from him. Our bond grew stronger, so I decided to learn the craft of guitar making from him, and I have been doing this to this day" shared Mr. Thuan.  

With over 10 years dedicated to guitar making, for Mr. Thuan, the most challenging stage is handling the sound, infusing the soul into the instrument, ensuring that the guitar reaches the hands of customers with utmost satisfaction. Although he hasn't received formal education, with his experience and love for musical instruments, he can fine-tune the guitars.

According to Mr. Thuan, in the beginning, he pursued this craft out of passion. As his reputation grew and more people became aware of his brand, he expanded the production scale, hiring more guitar craftsmen, creating jobs and stable incomes for many individuals within and outside the local community.

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Mr. Pham Ngoc Thuan, from Quang Vinh Ward, Bien Hoa City, along with young individuals in the workshop playing the guitar after work. 

Creating employment opportunities for workers

Currently, Mr. Thuan has expanded the scale of guitar production to two workshops (one for materials and tools, the other for completing the details and showcasing the guitars), employing over 10 skilled craftsmen. Each person is responsible for a different stage, and it takes approximately 3-5 days to create a complete guitar. As a result, the prices of the guitars vary, depending on the demand and quantity of buyers, with an average range of 3 million VND per instrument. Each month, the "Thuan Guitar" workshop produces around 80-100 products.

Over the past 10 years, countless guitars made by Mr. Thuan and the craftsmen at the "Thuan Guitar" workshop have been distributed to various provinces and cities across the country. Upholding the principle of trust and focusing on product quality, Mr. Thuan stated that if any issues arise with the guitars after a period of use, he will replace them with new ones. Word of mouth has spread, and the number of orders placed at his workshop continues to increase.

"At present, we have stable outlets for our products. We collaborate with distributors to bring our guitars to consumers, especially artists who have a love and passion for the arts. Additionally, I regularly introduce the guitar-making process and the 'Thuan Guitar' brand on social media platforms, promoting and spreading the word to everyone," said Mr. Thuan.  

With the accumulated experience over the years, Mr. Thuan actively passes on his craft to many young individuals. Numerous young people in the province have come to learn the craft at his workshop, then pursued the profession and eventually established their own places, creating more employment opportunities for many workers. This truly brings joy and happiness to Mr. Thuan, as his sole desire is to pass on the flame of love and passion for guitars to the younger generation, contributing to the preservation of our nation's traditional craftsmanship. ​

Author: Hoa Binh

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