The Luthier
Jay Michael McDonald began his work in lutherie at age 16 in 1972. His first experience with a fellow luthier was with Harley Day in St. Petersburg, Florida, a harpsichord and Viola da Gamba maker. After a short time, he left to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Wood Technology at Eastern Kentucky University, his senior project being a Renaissance lute built after the Robert Cooper/Ian Harwood method of construction.
He then gained experience working with some of the best luthiers in the world including Hendrik Broekman of Hubbard Harpsichords in Boston, Massachusetts where he worked on a French dual-manual harpsichord and later that same year worked with David Van Edwards in Norwich, England on the construction of a Renaissance lute based on a design by Cristoforo Cocho. In 2003, Jay had the rare opportunity to work with Masaki Sakurai and the seven luthiers of Kohno Guitar in Kashiwabarra Japan.
Mr. McDonald now works for us at Mid-East where he not only designs new instruments, but is improving our current line of instruments to be more historically authentic. He recently developed a new line of ukuleles based upon old world instruments including the mandora, lute, sitar and the Russian balalaika.
