For more news and videos visit ☛ http://english.ntdtv.com<br />or<br />Follow us on Twitter ☛ http://twitter.com/NTDTelevision<br /><br />During a trip to Bali, Indonesia, one avid Canadian guitarist came up with an idea... work with Balinese carvers to create a guitar with a very unique sound. Here's his story.<br /><br />Avid guitarist Danny Fonfeder was so inspired by Balinese woodcarvers, he thought to add some technical knowhow from the West and start making guitars. The result -- a workshop called Blueberry.<br /><br />Fonfeder found master carver Wayan Tuges and master luthier George Morris from Vermont and started producing guitars in a workshop that marries East and West.<br /><br />Tuges had never even learned to play a guitar before he began carving guitars for Blueberry six years ago.<br /><br />[Wayan Tuges, Guitar Carver]:<br />"Originally I'm a wood carver, so it's not so hard to carve a guitar, the difficulty lies in making the sound. But we've got it now."<br /><br />Using imported wood from Canada, the guitars are carved with motifs (PRON moh-TEEFS) of birds, dragons, flowers and goddesses, while others have shell like grooves carved over the entire body.<br /><br />The small workshop can produce about 20 guitars a month, with each guitar taking at 50 to 60 days to create.<br /><br />Tuges has trained a team of 47 carvers including his son, also named Wayan.<br /><br />Tuges says the Blueberry products are well known in America.<br /><br />[Wayan Tuges, Guitar Carver]:<br />"Most of my creations are sold to Americans, let's say ninety percent to American guitarists and the rest to Europe and Asia."<br /><br />Running his fingers up and down the neck of his two Blueberry guitars is Balawan, a local guitarist.<br /><br />[Balawan, Local Guitarist]:<br />"The reason that I use it because it's very combination between a sound and an art, and craftsmanship. And also like, got a very unique sound."<br /><br />Blueberry guitars sell for $1,000 to $6,000 U.S. dollars, depending on the level of design and material used.
