Nick Pourfard's Prisma Guitars Give Old Skateboards a New Career in Music
Publication | Juxtapoz Magazine
In the center of Nick Pourfard's Workshop is a stack of what looks to be well over 300 skateboard decks, all of which come from various shops and previous owners from across the country. The stress cracks, fractured lumber, and dried blood on some of the boards only intensify the finished appearance of Pourfard’s instruments, giving each piece a dominating quality with looks of affection from their maker. Down in his garage, which also serves as his workshop, Nick produces his one-of-a-kind, handcrafted guitars. His home isn't in the most assuming of places, it rests in San Francisco's quiet suburban-like Sunset district. The location also serves as a testament to Nick's unassuming character, which circulates around his being able to produce such individually charged pieces of musical art.
Music has few boundaries; it's increasingly innovative and forever changing, as are some of the instrumental methods used to generate a particular sound within everyday frequencies. It’s with this sentiment, that just for a moment, one may allow oneself space to operate on a frequency less traveled, where one may succinctly leave room for authenticity and craftsmanship. As a designer and artist, Nick Pourfard has managed to fuse his love for skateboarding and music into a tangible expression, encapsulated around six strings, made of classical necks, and carefully crafted polished wood, all of which stem from recycled skateboard decks.
Nick’s approach to birthing these musical creations comes from a humble place, yet it is his drive and candor that chronicles each guitar he labors over. Each has its own story, its own journey; It makes one think about the duality of characteristics that bring together the fundamentals of ingenuity, art, and culture, to make music full of new sight and true sound.––William Lankford
In the center of Nick Pourfard's Workshop is a stack of what looks to be well over 300 skateboard decks, all of which come from various shops and previous owners from across the country. The stress cracks, fractured lumber, and dried blood on some of the boards only intensify the finished appearance of Pourfard’s instruments, giving each piece a dominating quality with looks of affection from their maker. Down in his garage, which also serves as his workshop, Nick produces his one-of-a-kind, handcrafted guitars. His home isn't in the most assuming of places, it rests in San Francisco's quiet suburban-like Sunset district. The location also serves as a testament to Nick's unassuming character, which circulates around his being able to produce such individually charged pieces of musical art.
Music has few boundaries; it's increasingly innovative and forever changing, as are some of the instrumental methods used to generate a particular sound within everyday frequencies. It’s with this sentiment, that just for a moment, one may allow oneself space to operate on a frequency less traveled, where one may succinctly leave room for authenticity and craftsmanship. As a designer and artist, Nick Pourfard has managed to fuse his love for skateboarding and music into a tangible expression, encapsulated around six strings, made of classical necks, and carefully crafted polished wood, all of which stem from recycled skateboard decks.
Nick’s approach to birthing these musical creations comes from a humble place, yet it is his drive and candor that chronicles each guitar he labors over. Each has its own story, its own journey; It makes one think about the duality of characteristics that bring together the fundamentals of ingenuity, art, and culture, to make music full of new sight and true sound.––William Lankford