Following the debilitating effects of a severe stroke in 2013, the luthier, Paul Fischer, had much time on his hands to consider the future of his long and fruitful career, creating and fashioning delicate and beautiful musical instruments.

Beginning his training in the world of early music revival making instruments from that magical age, he later extended his repertoire of instruments to include the many gloriously diverse and inventive forms of the classical guitar.

Fischer began his career having had the good fortune to work with two eminent, inspirational and gifted figures, Robert Goble-harpsichords and spinets, and David Rubio lutes and classical guitars. Military service would create the only separation from his beloved lutherie and the beautiful instruments that he had chosen to create midway through the 20th century.

The fascinating world of lutherie with its intricate elegant forms, delicate patterns created from precious and now, rare materials and ultimately, making fine music bringing much pleasure for so many. The craft of lutherie is a very unusual, rare and totally absorbing profession.

The empty days spent lying in a hospital bed following a severe stroke provided many hours to consider his future. Could he, would he still be able to make the musical creations he had already done, for half a century?

Friends came to his aid and suggested, by way of a therapy/exercise, that he should consider writing- in memoir form, the life he had lived making fine musical instruments for over 50 years.  Later, and following encouraging signs of recovery from a stroke, thoughts of a book on the same theme materialised, though the effort, in those early post stroke days, created its own difficulties. His head remained in what he called a ‘grey zone’. All attempts to muster his memories in some sort of order proved difficult and as a result,  the first version failed to meet his expectations.   

A fresh and thorough examination was taken in this new publication of the sixty years Paul Fischer had spent making beautiful instruments, overcoming the effects of a severe stroke and his return to teaching.  Paul was greatly helped in the preparation of the new book by the generous and patient support of the writer and copy editor, Thérèse Wassily Saba. The book is available under the title’ AGAINST THE GRAIN’.