Jens Erik Larsen
- Instruments
In my workshop in Copenhagen, Denmark, I create unique one of a kind handcrafted instruments with a focus on sustainability, local woods and upcycling of old materials. Right now i have a sale on 25% on all in stock instruments. Sale ends june 1st 2024
Instruments for Sale
These instruments are currently up for sale. All prices include VAT, hardcase or gigbag and one additional setup. Prices don't include shipping. Contact me for more pictures or check the gallery which might include some.
New custom made instruments start at:
20000dkk/2700€ for electric instruments and small acoustics such as mandolins and ukuleles.
25000dkk/3350€ for large acoustic instruments, including guitars.
Violark
Price: 37000dkk/5000€
Instrument type: Violin/japanese inspired arch top guitar (2016)
Nut and saddle: Ebony
Top: Alpine spruce
Back and sides: European flamed maple
Neck: European flamed maple
Fingerboard: Ebony
Bridge: Ebony
Binding: European flamed maple
Tailpiece: Ebony
Perfling: Black, white, black veneer
Finish: Sprayed and French polished shellack
Pickup: DeArmond Rhythm Chief 1100
Tuners: Rubner
Case or bag: Hardcase
A mellow archtop guitar that sounds awesome for fingerstyle playing. Jazz as well as Bach
Alex
Price: 14000dkk/1900€
Instrument type: Four course American tiple (2020)
Condition: Near mint
Scale length: 15.75”
Nut and saddle: Bone
Top: Alpine spruce
Back and sides: Danish ash
Neck: American maple
Fingerboard: Fumed swedish oak of recycled parquet floor
Head veneer: Fumed swedish oak of recycled parquet floor
Bridge: Fumed swedish oak of recycled parquet floor
Binding: Fumed swedish oak of recycled parquet floor
Perfling: Handmade marquetry
Finish: Osmo hard wax oil
Pickup: Piezo
Tuners: Rubner
Case or bag: Gigbag
Jack-Ole
Price: 20000dkk/2690€
Instrument type: Classic arch top guitar (2015)
Condition: Used
Scale length: 25”
Nut and saddle: Bone and wenge
Top: Alpine spruce
Back and sides: Zeprano
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Wenge
Head veneer: Wenge
Bridge: Wenge
Binding: Wenge
Tailpiece: Wenge, bicycle spokes and steel with engraving
Perfling: Marquetry perfling
Finish: Sprayed shellack
Pickup: Vintage danish produced Walchris pickup
Tuners: Kluson
Case or bag: Hardcase
The Disaster Caster
Price: 25000dkk/3350€
Instrument type: Fanfretted baritone electric guitar with possibility of sitarsound and sympathetic strings (2017)
Condition: Near mint
Scale length: 28.25”-27”
Nut and saddle: Bone
Top: Laminated Rosewood
Back: Laminated Rosewood
Sides: American maple
Neck, fingerboard: European flamed maple
Bridge: American maple
Perfling: BWBWBW veneer
Finish: Nitro cellulose
Pickups: Mojo Pickups lipsticks
Tuners: Kluson
Hardware, buttons: Handmade of american maple and rosewood veneer
Case or bag: Gigbag
Round-Up1
Price: 14000dkk/1900€
Instrument type: Electric guitar (2020)
Condition: New
Scale length: 25.5”
Nut and saddle: Bone
Body: Douglas fur
Neck: Douglas fur
Fingerboard: Fumed swedish oak of recycled parquet floor
Head veneer: Fumed swedish oak of recycled parquet floor
Bridge: Gotoh on Fumed swedish oak of recycled parquet floor
Tailpiece: Aluminum and fumed swedish oak of recycled parquet floor
Perfling: Hand burned pattern
Finish: Orange dye and Danish Oil
Pickups: Dearmond Dynasonic 2K
Tuners: Kluson
Case or bag: Gigbag
Round-Up2
Price: 14000dkk/1900€
Instrument type: Electric guitar (2020)
Condition: New
Scale length: 25.5”
Nut and saddle: Bone
Body: Douglas fur
Neck: Douglas fur
Fingerboard: Fumed swedish oak of recycled parquet floor
Head veneer: Fumed swedish oak of recycled parquet floor
Bridge: Gotoh on Fumed swedish oak of recycled parquet floor
Tailpiece: Aluminum and fumed swedish oak of recycled parquet floor
Perfling: Hand burned pattern
Finish: Green dye and Danish Oil
Pickups: Gretch Blacktop Filtertrons
Tuners: Gotoh
Case or bag: Gigbag
Morris More
Price: 14000dkk/1900€
Instrument type: Fanfretted five course electric mandolin/mandola (2019)
Condition: Near mint
Scale length: 15.75-14”
Nut and saddle: Bone
Body: Danish elm
Neck: Danish elm
Fingerboard: Fumed swedish oak of recycled parquet floor
Head veneer: Burl maple veneer
Bridge: Fumed swedish oak of recycled parquet floor
Tailpiece: Nickel silver
Perfling: Hand burned pattern
Finish: Partly French polished shellack and danish oil
Pickup: Almuse pickup
Tuners: Rubner
Case or bag: Gigbag
Svendeprøven
Price: 18000dkk/2420€
Instrument type: Cittern tuned 5 course mandola (2018)
Condition: Used
Scale length: 15.75”
Nut and saddle: Bone
Top: Alpine spruce
Back and sides: European flamed maple
Neck: European flamed maple
Fingerboard: Fumed swedish oak of recycled parquet floor
Head veneer: Parquet patterned fumed swedish oak
Bridge: Fumed swedish oak of recycled parquet floor
Binding: Fumed swedish oak of recycled parquet floor
Perfling: Black veneer
Finish: French polished shellack
Pickup: Two piezos
Tuners: Kluson
Case or bag: Hardcase
The Doorbell
Price: 14000dkk/1900€
Instrument type: 18 stringed doorbell harpe, made for over door installation. (2019)
Condition: Near mint
Scale length: QQQQ-QQQQ
Nut and saddle: Fret wire
Top: Recycled Teak and maple
Back and sides: Recycled pine
Head veneer: Teak and mosaic of different woods
Bridge: Danish elm
Binding: Maple
Perfling: BWB veneer
Finish: Danish Oil
Pickup: 4 piezos
Tuners: Unknown
Case or bag: No bag included
About Me
My interest in making musical instruments goes back many years and illustrates a meeting of many of my life’s interests.
As a kid I always liked to draw, paint and create stuff, and arts and crafts were among my favourite classes in primary school.
I made my first cookie jar banjo somewhere in 4th grade with my childhood friend Nanna. During high school, I created a bunch of electric guitar bodies, varying from copies of Prince’s spiral guitar to own designs. After high school I attended an evening course led by a local primary school teacher, Jack Billing, where I started building my first archtop guitar – because it looked the coolest of the instruments in the guitar family. I didn’t finish it during the course, as I went traveling for a year to India, Turkey, Bulgaria, Spain and parts of the Caribbean.
This trip only got me more excited and inspired to create, and when I got home in 2014 I started an apprenticeship at Niels Ole ‘Solle’ Frøkjær of Copenhagen Guitars, where I finished up my archtop and learned a great array of repairing skills from this amazing repairer and builder of guitars. In 2015 I entered Stockholm’s school of lutherie, Musikinstrumentakademien, where, for three years, I learned how to build a great variety of stringed instruments, from classical guitars to mandolins.
So here I stand today, making my own living in a world of wood dust and sound waves. Wanting to experiment with the constraints of what an instrument is and to evolve my skills by building a lot of instruments for the people who need them –musicians! So I am up for making strange and unusual-looking experiments, but enjoy making traditional Scandinavian folk instruments as well!
I build primarily with local, European varieties of wood, such as maple, elm, spruce, pine, ash, oak etc., and I find joy in recycling materials. I don’t use varnishes such as nitro cellulose and polyurethane because they are highly toxic, opting instead for either French polish with shellac or oil or wax finishes, which are better both for the environment and my brain.
Instruments Gallery
This gallery serves as my portfolio for the variety of instruments i make.
It is organized in folders that more or less fit together. Because i focus on making one instrument at a time, i don't have 3-4 different models that i make. Instead this can serve as inspiration for what is possible. That being said my aim is to expand this portfolio with new guitars, mandolins, tiples, charangos, violins, mandolas, harpe guitars etc.
All instruments are fully handmade from primarily scandinavian and european materials.
Installation Art and Experimental Instrument Building
Im working on getting a feed up here showing installations and exhibitions that i do. For now i refer to the gallery folder "Experiments"
Contact
I also do repairs, and my standard prices are as follows excluding moms/VAT:
- strings, generally 50-100dkk
- change of strings 250dkk
- setup (change of strings, intonation, string height adjustment, truss rod adjustment, a bit of cleaning) 500dkk
- refretting and setup 3000dkk (+500dkk for varnished maple fingerboards)
- fret planning and setup 1500dkk
- for other repairs i charge 500dkk/hour
If you are interested in getting an instrument made, to buy an instrument i have for sale, getting something repaired, have ideas for cooperations or just a simple question,
please contact me on:
Jens Erik Larsen
jelinstruments@gmail.com
+45 52 16 62 69
Prags Boulevard 61, 2300 København S
Cvr: 41144408