Since 1970 Oskar Graf has been designing and building stringed instruments for an exclusive and appreciative group of musicians. Oskar's extensive knowledge and dedication to his art are reflected in the creation of his guitars.
Raised and educated in Berlin, he apprenticed as a cabinetmaker and studied design. In 1968 he moved to Canada and after a short stay in Toronto settled near Clarendon, Ontario. Here in the quiet of the Canadian Shield he designed and built his home and luthier's workshop. Oskar started with simple folk instruments but soon moved to the more challenging construction of classical and steel string guitars. To date Oskar has single-handedly built over 400 guitars and is internationally known for his exceptional instruments.
His classical and acoustic guitars are valued by musicians for performance and studio work. While Oskar sees himself mainly as a regional builder, he has developed an international clientele and his guitars are played in such far away places as New York, Berlin and Jakarta.
Oskar's instruments are in the collections of the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa and the music faculties of Carleton University in Ottawa, Queens University in Kingston and the Hochschule fuer Musik, Berlin.
In addition to building and research, Oskar has conducted workshops in guitar making and its history for universities and guitar societies. He has been the subject of numerous newspaper and magazine articles and has been featured on CBC TV, CJOH TV Ottawa, and TV Ontario. Audio CD is available upon request.
