Today we’d like to introduce you to Ari Lehtela.
Hi Ari, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I began guitar building as a kind of a logical way to follow up several years of assembling pre-made guitar kits, simply by a desire to actually build a guitar rather than just assembling pre-made kits. This would have been around 1990. After 7 years of learning the craft I then officially went into business as LA Guitar Factory in 1997. My craft evolved from a guitar builder to a builder and a teacher as I went onto establish a Luthiery School within the services offered as LA Guitar Factory. In 2006 I made several changes to my business which included establishing a new line of instruments named HYBRID INSTRUMENTS which are string instruments that combine elements of various instruments from different parts of the world that utilize both fretted and fretless fingerboards as well as what is often called MICROTONALITY, which is term used to describe pitch intervals found in between the 12 chromatic notes of the equal temperament system. One other change was a name change from LA Guitar Factory to Lehtela Guitar Craft.
Around 2015 I further made some changes and additions to my business by the inclusion of live concerts at my shop that featured experimental and avant garde music which then gave an opportunity to bring truly unique music to the public, venues for such pretty much being non-existent in the region. At this time I also made the decision to once again change the name of my business to TELA GUITAR and that name has since remained.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve had the up and down as most any business does from time to time. One of them being the financial meltdown in 2008 that had some effect on me as well the Covid thing back in 2020. But in both cases I utilized it as an opportunity to catch up some existing backlog so in hindsight it took these events on as opportunities and not as losses.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I feel fortunate to be able to combine my two biggest loves in music – building instruments while maintaining what I would call a serious hobby of being a musician. The combination of the two is quite common amongst luthiers. The thing that sets me apart from majority of guitar builder / musicians is the type of building and music I am most interested in – the aforementioned Hybrid Instruments and experimental/avant garde music that I’m most interested in. In contrast, most of the builders I’m familiar with tend to be more ‘ cookie cutter ” types meaning that they build copies or variations of well known, already established guitar models. And their music interests tend to be with music associated with those types of instruments.. which tend to be more mainstream and commercial in nature.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
To not be afraid to follow your own creative desires, whether as a guitar builder and/ or musician.
Pricing:
- All instrument pricing is established following the establishment of specifications per custom order
- Luthiery School tuition is currently based on fees as shown at www.telaguitar.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.telaguitar.com
- Facebook: Tela Guitar
- Youtube: Tela Guitar
