Art affords us an opportunity to experience something greater than ourselves. Occasionally, there comes a piece of art which grants us one step further; to be able to enteract directly with that greater something. Any guitar from Grit Laskin’s Toronto bench affords the lucky player such a chance. Take this one, the portrait of a portrait artist (Grit himself) painting the portrait of someone’s daughter. To experience this guitar visually, the eye is instantly consumed, from the intensely-flamed Koa back and sides Sitka Spruce top, roping mosaic rosette, to the portrait itself, where it can rest and ponder the curve of the engraved hatch marks which underscore the child’s eyes. Ranging from Gold Mother of Pearl in her face and Tahitian Blacklip Pearl in his shirt, to the Walrus Ivory of the canvas and the numerous stones that make up the rest of the image, the headstock is alight with rich colors and the shocking verisimilitude of the human figures therein.

An instrument, however, is not simply an object for the eye: let your fingers come to land on metal strings and frets, and the ear is given its day in the sun. The trebles flow like clean water, and bass notes roll out from the soundhole with vigorous force, rendering fingerstyle arrangements lush and complex. Across all the strings, the balance is surgically precise, and the voice has a quality of profound clarity to let each note ring out. And ring out they will–the sustain is haunting in its duration and timbre. If you’re interested in a guitar which will inspire you with each glance and every strum, this Laskin will more than fit the bill. If you want a guitar which stands alone, both in terms of its aesthetics and its voice, look no further.