I am a guitar maker and musician. My workshop is in Stirlingshire, central Scotland. I’m originally from England and moved to Scotland in 2005.
After making different types of guitar I was drawn to the classical guitar. Every area of classical guitar making appeals to me. The process itself as well as being perfectly aligned with the player’s goals. As a maker I am striving to make the most responsive guitar possible, I want it to react to the player and give them the ease to expressive the many tonal possibilities present in the guitar. I make classical guitars in the Torres style using time honoured techniques, glue and finishes.
Personally, I have recently begun to study classical guitar playing for my own personal enjoyment. It’s a new challenge as well as a way to further investigate the classical guitar from a players perspective. The excellent musician and teacher Ian Watt has helped me through this new, exciting and steep learning curve!
History
The guitar has always been a big part of my life. I began playing guitar at the age of 14. I chose to take my playing more seriously and studied at the Guitar Institute in London. When I moved to Scotland shortly after my studies I continued to perform and began teaching guitar full time.
Contemporary solo acoustic fingerstyle music became a big part of my playing after watching a friend perform a Thomas Leeb song Akaskero. This new type of playing led me to seek better acoustic guitars to meet my ever demanding needs. It was a chance meeting with someone at a folk session in a local pub who put the idea of guitar making in my head. He had made his own guitar on a short course at the Totnes School of Guitar Making. After a bit of searching I found out that Anniesland College in the west end of Glasgow ran a two year course in stringed instrument making.
Under the excellent tutelage of William Kelday and Paul Hyland, I learned the traditional methods and craft of luthiery. The Incorporation of Wrights, Glasgow, at the annual Craftex show awarded me the overall prize for musical instruments. I now find making guitars as joyful as making music.