John Preston: Making Living Trees into Singing Instruments

Every great chef knows the excellence of their dish depends on the quality of their ingredients. The same is true for the builder of instruments.

- L. Scott Miller

Excellent instruments begin with quality wood and materials. When we pick up a violin, we examine the craftsmanship and the beauty of the wood. Next, we pull the bow across the strings and take in auditory information and begin making judgments about the instrument.

The seasoned musician knows that a beautiful violin doesn't necessarily mean it will sound as good as it looks. Sometimes quite the contrary. However, rarely do we consider we are holding a piece of wood that used to be a living tree that grew in a forest. And that tree was harvested with someone's sweat and physical labor and went through many steps, and years, before it ever made it to the bench of the craftsman. West Virginia violin maker John Preston is more aware of this big picture than anyone I personally know. Along with being an excellent craftsman, John supplied high-quality wood to instrument makers through his business, Old World Tonewood, from 2006 to 2021. He is the rare maker who has harvested wood in the mountains of Appalachia and the Carpathian Mountains of Romania that he would eventually craft into instruments of the violin family.