Raul Orlando Perez lives deep in the mountains of Patagonia. He crafted his first instrument in 1962. He thinks of his work as a sort of re-creation, a form of alchemy, transforming natural materials into living, breathing instruments. A well-crafted instrument is not only defined by the age, treatment and construction of its materials, but it also continues to grow and adapt with use. In 2009, I brought him a door salvaged from my family home lost to fire. He transformed it into a beautiful handcrafted flamenco guitar.