Have a look at our handcrafted instruments
At Lacombe instruments, we specialize on plucked string instruments. we precisely build Mandolins, Mandolas, Bouzoukis, and Acoustic basses to fit the needs of any player, from beginners to professionals
Check our exhibitions here 😄
Every year, I go to several luthier exhibitions and festivals so you all can try my instruments and meet with all your friends from the folk scene
Le Son Continu 14-17 juillet 2022
Le Son Continu 2019
Boulegan à L’Ostal 2019
Pirenostrum
Why I started building Mandolins?
Well, I have been surrounded by a family of musicians of all levels, woodworkers, and people who made things with their own hands. Besides all the sewing and woodcarving, I learned to sing, play the recorder, then the piano, then the guitar
Then an instrument caught my ears: the mandolin! It was the very simple but catchy mandolin chords and melody in “Losing my Religion.” from REM. It really got my attention and was my first real interest in learning the mandolin!
Discovering the trade
Later on, I went to university in a town with a rich background both Scottish and Irish called Peterborough, in Ontario, Canada. I played in a band and my uncle lent me his mandolin to put some Irish music touch to our songs.
I got to know what a session in a pub was and was amazed at all the instruments I didn’t know before. Bones, concertinas, and bouzoukis were all new to me! One of the musicians made bodhrans and he showed me books on how to make violins and violas, mandolins and mandolas, harps and all kinds of flutes.
That was such a great inspiration when at that age I had no idea that such crafts still existed!! I did not know at the time that these discoveries would have such an impact on my life and the decisions I would make later on!
Introduction to traditional instrument making
One of the decisions was to go to Spain and do the year abroad program. I had dreamt of getting a Spanish guitar for years so with the help of my family and relatives I bought my dear guitar in Granada. In that town, I also met people who introduced me to the Galician folk and trad music. The hurdy gurdy was the most unusual instruments the eyes of this Quebecois girl had ever seen! I absolutely wanted to know more! Once I finished the studies I was accepted in Lugo in 1995 for a course on Galician traditional instruments building.
How I chose to build the instruments I make
Therefore after Lugo, I did start by making a hurdy gurdy, not the easiest I must say!! So I thought I would go back to my “Irish” origins and start a new project by building an Irish bouzouki. I also thought that as a guitar player, the bouzouki tuning in GDAD would be a good way to try and sing with open chords. I really enjoyed the experience and then started to make mandolins, too.
So, not long after, I was building the other members of the mandolin family. It seemed like the natural thing to do in the process of developing new instruments.
Well, after living for many years in Barcelona, the music scene is so diverse and eclectic I though an acoustic bass was a great choice to meet the needs of musicians from other styles.
The Workshop
The new workshop is nice and bright and I love working there and having people over. We have people coming by to try and play our instruments. We also give a little love to your old instrument that need repair, restringing or restoration. Come and visit!