Today, I’m thrilled to bring to you the functioning musical instruments by Ray Vincent that look like art and sound a little exotic, a little otherworldly, and a lot cool. Originally a musician himself, the Canada native has spent his life around music and nature. Now, he gets to put together his two loves, using local and exotic woods that inspire him to create new and interesting instruments for others to play.

“I have always loved creating new things and making music. Here I have combined those things to come up with new sounding specially created instruments. With lots of love and thought put into them as well as honoring nature through sound.”

His instruments include guitars, mandolins, ukuleles, hammered and mountain dulcimers, bouzoukis, and totally original inventions like this 20-stringed harp-like instrument. Most of his pieces can be made with a gorgeous Fibonacci-inspired nautilus-shaped back like the instrument above.

You can check out all Vincent’s gorgeous instruments on his website. You can also check out videos of his lovely works being played on his YouTube channel.

All images property of Ray Vincent/Rootworks.