Thanh Cam in Vietnamese means “The sound of instruments”.

Thanh Cam work shop was started by my father, Do Van Thuoc. In 1953 at the age of fourteen he began to learn the art of the luthier from his uncle.
His uncle was a famous instrument maker in Ha Noi during the 1950's and 1960's.
In 1960 he was one of the first to join the Vietnam Musical Instrument Production Enterprise, Based in Ha Noi.

Prior to 1960 my father learnt to build Guitars, Mandolins, Violins and traditional Vietnamese Instruments like the Dan Bau (One string instrument), Dan Tran (16 string Koto), Dan Day ( 3 string square shaped guitar like instrument) and the Dan Nhi (2 stringed bowed instrument that sounds similar to a violin).

In 1976 my father, Thuoc, was sent to the Peijing Musical Instrument Enterprise in China. He was sent there to learn how to build chinese musical instruments and their method of construction. During this trip he was taught to build guitars, violins, violas and some of the traditional chinese instruments such as the PiPa, a 4 stringed chinese lute, and the chinese hammered dulcimer.

After three years he became the technical expert and technical manager of the enterprise.

In 1990 my father left the enterprise to start our own shop, the Thanh Cam Workshop. We have now become well known and respected in Ha Noi.

We specialize in building custom instruments for professionals and students from the Ha Noi Conservatory of Music.

We have had the pleasure in the past few years to teach our craft to others.
One of our students was Sike Morth, from the university in Berlin, Germany.
She had come to Viet Nam during 1996 to study the construction of Traditional Vietnemese instruments.

Another student of our was 14 year old Jan De Bruyne. He had come to Ha Noi in the year 2000 with his family from Belguim. He was very interested in learning how to build and play the guitar. With our guidance he succeeded in building his first guitar.

We were also joined Guild of American Luthiers to exchange and have learn throw GAL many update studies and finest lutherie skills especially guitars both classical and steel string.

As my father nears retirement I am going to continue in his foot steps. I am looking forward to a future in the art of the luthier.

If by chance you would like to communicate with me, My name is Do Viet Dung. I will include my e-mail address as well as my Home & Workshop address in case you may come to Viet Nam. I would be happy to meet customers, luthiers and friends from other countries.

(Note; In Viet Nam the last name is the given name. There are two diferent D's, the hard D is pronounced like the english D. The soft D as in Dung's name is pronounced as DZ.)

Do Viet Dung

dungdoviet@yahoo.com
Do Van Thuoc & Do Viet Dung
No. 45&47, Alley 127, Hao Nam Street
Dong Da dist. Ha Noi. Viet Nam