The woods and varnish of kanteles

Traditionally Finnish kanteles are made from conifer and broad-leaved deciduous trees. The top is made from Finnish spruce or pine, the backs and ribs fromt he trees mentioned above, also from birch or alder, and the wood of the pegs is from beech. I have made backs and ribs from figured maple and sometimes from rosewood. In a few kantele tops I have experimented Oregon pine. I use rosettes and ornaments in my instruments. I make the varnish myself from natural rosins which are mixed with spirit. I fell the wood for my kanteles myself from the forest. 35-string Perho River Valley- model, (top left), 1986. 28-string kantele (top right), 1987. cut stringed 34-string kantele (front of the picture, own model), 1993. Instruments made by Jussi Laasanen

Embedded rosette soundhole. Made by Jussi and Kullervo Laasanen 1998. 36-string Perho River Valley kantele, made by Jussi Laasanen.