William "Grit" Laskin, born August 23, 1953 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is a luthier and musician known for his high-quality instruments and acoustic guitar innovations. He began his career as a luthier through an apprenticeship with Jean Larrivée starting in 1971. As a musician, Laskin released several solo albums including Unmasked (1979), Lila's Jig (1987), and A Few Simple Words (1995). He is also known for his collaborations with Stan Rogers, both on recordings and tours. Laskin's guitars were exhibited as works of art by several museums, and he made instruments for notable artists such as k.d. lang and Margaret Christl. His contributions to the music industry include founding the Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans and the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Laskin received numerous awards including the Saidye Bronfman Award (1997), Estelle Klein Award (2010), and was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2012.
