Working from his quiet back street studio in New Zealand's capital city, Wellington, Kevin Almy, Master Luthier produces a wide range of instruments: from violins, violas and cellos to mandolins, mandolas and archtop guitars.  Kevin has been building handcrafted instruments for over 30 years. During the early 1980's, he worked for Wellington's legendary music store "Capital Music", carrying out guitar repairs and modifications for many of that city's guitarists. He is certified by the Martin Guitar Company as a guitar technician to carry out their warranty work. As well as his repair work, Kevin has also constructed flat top steel string acoustic and solid body electric guitars to order. An interest in the theory and manufacture of carved top instruments, fuelled by an increasing demand for him to repair various members of the violin family, led Kevin to travel to the United Kingdom, where he was invited and privileged to attend a three year violin making and restoration course at the Welsh College of Musical Instrument Making. Following his graduation, Kevin accepted an offer to work for a highly respected French master luthier.