David Cureton

David Cureton first became interested in instrument making, when he encountered a dulcimer maker and later a concert harp maker while living on Saltspring Island in British Columbia, Canada. The idea percolated as he endured a liberal arts education and worked as a child care worker, carpenter and treeplanter. He became deeply concerned with the enviromental issues surrounding British Columbia logging and the wastage he saw during fourteen years of reforestation work.

In 1988 he studied with well known west coast luthier, Michael Dunn and was trained in the traditional Spanish method of acoustic guitar building. In 1990, he established his studio in Vancouver, BC, where he began building and repairing acoustic guitars and harps.

Aware of the wastage in the logging industry and the specific species that were being ignored, he began designing musical instruments made from local woods. The result was the enviromentally friendly Kootenay harp made from local birch and cedar.

David Cureton received an award for design of the Kootenay Harp at, "Out of the Woods 2000," the Fifth Annual Kootenay Value Added Wood Forum. He now builds musical instruments full time in Nelson, British Columbia.

One of David's harps is "The Kootenay Harp"
The Kootenay Harp is a high headed instrument with a great sculptural look to it. It has 29 strings tuned "a" to "e''. The sound boards are solid wood, with a choice of either red cedar, larch or spruce. The body neck and pedestal are made from local Kootenay birch. These instruments feature a powerful sound, well balanced through their three and a half octaves. A series of custom decorative schemes are available including carved wood overlays, intarsia, painted and carved designs for the box and head of the instrument. This is an excellent instrument for the beginner or the serious player. For more inquiries you can go to www.stringsbc.com- Check it out.