Ray Vincent is visionary luthier whose innovative designs have caught the interest of musicians world wide. With a deep-rooted passion for visual and audio art, Ray honed his creative skills from an early age, demonstrating his artistic talents in both realms. His journey in the music industry commenced with his involvement in various bands as a guitarist, followed by the composition of electronic music and the release of four albums.

During the creation of his fourth album, Ray's desire to expand his sonic horizons led him to embark on a new and compelling adventure – the crafting of a unique musical instrument. Driven by an insatiable curiosity and an eagerness to explore uncharted musical territory, Ray ventured into the world of the luthier;  the maker of stringed instruments. Drawing inspiration from the sound qualities of the nautilus shell and the captivating form of the Fibonacci spiral, he set out to design an instrument with a distinctive shell-like back, thereby blending art, design, and sound into a harmonious union.

Ray has seamlessly woven together his passions for art, design, and sound exploration, culminating in the realization of his truest expression. 

He has been featured in art galleries and has had a solo show at O’Connor Gallery, Ontario where the work has been appreciated as sculptural art.

Su has been along every step of the way on this journey and has been involved in design choices, wood choices and business/selling choices. She understands everything at a deep enough level that I know we can talk about any aspect of the craft. Her background as an art director means her skillful eye notices all the details and give helpful feedback.

Ambient Artscapes

Our ongoing music/sound journey

As a musical instrument maker, my work is inspired by the beauty of nature and the creative possibilities that come with combining different materials. I specialize in crafting instruments with a shell back and using exquisite woods to create instruments that are not only visually stunning but reflect the essence of the music they produce.

Working with beautiful woods is a passion of mine, and I take great pride in carefully selecting the materials used to create each instrument. From the grain and texture to the color and tone, every piece of wood is chosen for its individual qualities and characteristics, ensuring that each instrument has its own distinct personality.

In the end, each instrument that I create is a reflection of my passion for music and my deep love of craftsmanship. Whether you are an experienced musician or a curious beginner, my hope is that my instruments will inspire you to explore the limitless potential of sound and to create music that touches the soul.

"How you do anything is how you do everything." Su, my wife once said this to me. At first I rolled my eyes, but then one day while working in my woodshop I really thought about it. As I compared how I did everything from the way I cook to the way I aproached making music, I realized that there was a pattern in the way I like to learn things. By comparing my paths to the one another I was now was able to see my strength and weaknesses. For example I never read the manual, I just start doing. This is great for creativity, but can also make the road a lot longer. So this time with making instruments I started take more time at the beginning to read other luthier's stories and see how they did things. This really helped.

My ability to understand and figure out structural design and the best way to achieve it, was a big asset at the beginning and still is. It's one thing to follow plans of an already existing musical instrument, it's another to figure out how to make your own. Everything from playability light weight (in acoustic instruments this is important) to making sure it can withstand the pressure of the strings.

Problem solving is also a daily skill with building musical instruments. Every new piece of wood, design change or trying to achieve the best sounds requires to figure out the best solution.