Daniel Furian

13 Custom Instruments

Luthier

©Oswin Wolf

Historical instruments for modern players

Daniel handcrafts a vast range of musical instruments
He is particularly fond of historical instruments
He loves the smell of spruce wood

Daniel Furian initially trained as a mechanical engineer and loved playing the guitar. As he always felt attracted to craftsmanship, his path gradually led him in this direction. In 2006, in the shed of his parents' house in Carinthia, Daniel built his first electric bass guitar using his grandfather's old tools. Now, the showpiece can be admired in Daniel's workshop. After some time building instruments for friends, Daniel wondered why not turn the hobby into a career. He registered for the technical school for string and plucked instrument-making in Hallstatt, Austria and opened his workshop in Graz in 2014. “While the city is less famous for instrument making than Cremona, Graz was home to a few renowned violin makers in the last few centuries,” Daniel says about the Styrian capital.

Interview

©Oswin Wolf

©Oswin Wolf

Do you master any specific techniques?: I specialise in making copies of historical instruments. For this, I measure and study antique lutes and instruments in museums from which I can derive working techniques. Unfortunately, a lot of knowledge has been lost.
Could you share a memorable artisan moment?: The violin fingerboard of an opera symphonist came loose during the dress rehearsal. He called me, asking for help. That was on the weekend and thankfully I was in Graz. There were still a few hours left before the performance, so I managed to repair it quickly for him.
What is your favourite material to work with and why?: Naturally, I work with wood and very often with mountain spruce, figured maple, but also with walnut, mahogany, ebony and all kinds of fruit wood. Freshly cut mountain spruce fills the room with a pleasant smell and is almost like aromatherapy.
Do you consider your craft to be endangered?: No, I do not. As long as people play music, there will be instruments that need to be made or repaired. Building an instrument is quite a complex process, and therefore not easily replaceable by artificial intelligence.

Daniel Furian is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2006 and he started teaching in 2021