Viewing: Iconic Instruments - View all posts

The 1958 Gibson Flying V is arguably the rarest of the classic vintage instrument pantheon - only 81 of these iconic beasts were made. 

I was delighted to be invited by the good people at Gardiner Houlgate to check the…

Back to Hawaii now, and one of the most intriguing and inspiring guitars I have played recently. 

This is Steve Grimes’ elegant Freehand model with its asymmetrical body, double cutaways and elliptical sound hole. What a thing!

Then there’s the…

Peter Green’s guitar playing with John Mayall’s Blues Breakers and early Fleetwood Mac had a massive effect on me. 

As such it was a real pleasure to visit Bonhams London to look at three instruments from a large collection that…

The Steve Grimes Beamer model is a fascinating instrument - a double sound hole flat top that has some arch top characteristics and something else going on in there - it’s no exaggeration to say that I haven’t heard anything…

Another video from my life-affirming trip to Hawaii this year. I have lied Steve Grimes’ Jazz Laureate design since I played Steve’s contribution to The Blue Guitar Collection. 

This is a very modern and forward thinking archchtop - a…

A guitar belonging to the late, great Jeff Beck went under the hammer at Bonhams Auctioneers in London this week and it was a thrill to be invited to see this important instrument up close. 

This Graffiti Yellow Strat was…

What a way to start my time in Hawaii. The Grimes Beamer model is a twin-soundhole full-voiced instrument originally based on a guitar that Steve Grimes repaired for Hawaiian slack key legend Keola Beamer in the 1980s. 

The Beamer is…

Ken Parker is a true visionary in the world of the modern electric and arch top guitars. His revolutionary “Parker Fly” design was a paradigm shift when it first appeared but as you will see - it didn’t quite turn…

I have absolutely loved Linda Manzer’s guitars for many years but it was only recently that I had the opportunity to visit her workshop in Almonte Ontario. 

Linda’s influence runs deep throughout the guitar luthier community with many of her…

Kim Walker's work has fascinated me for many years - not least because, despite his stellar reputation - I had never had the chance to play one of his guitars. However, while on the road with The Archtop Foundation last…

George Gruhn knows what he's doing - as he showed me around his private collection of achingly rare guitars - my curiosity was piqued by a 12-fret Euphonon dreadnought. It is one of a pair made in 1940 - explains…

The final guitar that was calling my name as I recorded The Blue Guitar Collection is this delicately wonderful Martin O-18 K which has offered discerning and fortunate players over 100 years of gorgeousity since its birth in 1921.

Centre…

Another extraordinary instrument that I found in the new home of The Blue Guitar Collection  is this Ken Parker acoustic archtop - just gorgeous!

Just wow!

This was only the second time I had ever seen a Ken Parker acoustic…

In amongst The Blue Guitars I found a trio of exceptional brown guitars and in a relatively quiet moment in amongst the azure mayhem I managed to film them.

Just look at them!

Here is the first, a sumptuous Casimi…

Rickenbacker guitars have a magnetic pull for me - I can't explain exactly why but I find them to be some of the most beautiful electric guitar designs out there. 

As such it was a pleasure to visit Shapero Rare…

While I do get regular offers to play rare and exotic guitars I am not so jaded that the thought of spending quality time with an original 1959 Gibson Sunburst Les Paul doesn't get the blood pumping!

In this video…

I am regularly asked for my thoughts on the differences between acoustic guitars from the USA and the UK and rather than get bogged down in minutiae I find that a direct comparison is often the most useful way to…

I have been very fortunate, over the past couple of decades I have been left unsupervised with some truly stellar instruments made with love by many of the world's most talented luthiers. 

This sort of thing being a case in…

The Modified Dreadnought acoustic guitar was created by the luthier Ervin Somogyi (Oakland, California) in the late 1970s at the request of several artists recording for Will Ackerman's nascent Windham Hill record label - most notably Daniel Hecht who…

While trawling my archive of hours of raw footage from the first season of Luthier Stories I came across this clip where legendary guitar builder Ervin Somogyi talks about the creation of an unusual instrument made with decayed woods and…

It is a question that comes up with unfailing regularity wherever acoustic guitarists congregate. Inevitably one, perhaps a little bolder than the rest, will offer an opinion on the efficacy of Martin's venerable dreadnought design when pressed into service as…

I have made no secret of my admiration for the work of luthier Michihiro Matsuda (Oakland CA). Since first meeting him in 2009 I have been regularly left dumbfounded by the extraordinary elegance and startling lines of his instruments. As…

In a recent chat with Jason Kostal he told me about a fascinating project he'd undertaken to create an instrument for 39th President of the USA Jimmy Carter!

President Carter with his new Kostal OM

The guitar is made from…

One of the joys of a visit to the Turnstone Guitars workshop is a cup of tea and a chat with Rosie Heydenrych, the luthier behind all these beautiful instruments. 

This time we filmed it (it's been a while!) as…

It's been an exciting start to the year for me and I sincerely hope for you too!

Thank you to everyone for your messages over the holiday period. It was wonderful to hear from you all!

I've been busy in…