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It’s an old discussion - what are the sonic differences between two of the most popular acoustic guitar styles - the venerable Dreadnought and the silky Orchestra Model. Don’t they look good?

Now, I recently had two guitars here to…

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…

Uberfrank guitars have been much on my mind since Fretboard Journal editor Jason Verlinde pulled my coat sleeve about these delicious looking offset electrics some months ago. 

As I was in the area on another assignment I reached out to…

Here is the one I know a lot of people have been waiting for: a mini Luthier Stories episode featuring Howard Feng and his Modified Dreadnought. 

This guitar has caused quite a stir already - the photography alone made it…

Many years ago I was asked to appear on a radio show to comment about rare woods in hand made guitars. It didn’t go very well to be honest - the host was under the impression that I was a…

It was a pleasure to join faculty and students at Newark College for their 50th anniversary celebrations last week. I was invited to give a workshop with students of the Guitar Making School who impressed me with their ingenuity and…

Many thanks to Tony Polecastro for featuring my photography of Howard Feng’s Modified Dreadnought on his Acoustic Tuesday show!

I am very grateful for the support over the years - do subscribe to Tony’s channel if you are unfamiliar with…

I don’t know how many Nocturnes have been written for solo ukulele - I’ve certainly only managed one so far and it was the final track on my debut album Vetiver. 

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play this…

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…

The first video of Howard Feng’s blistering opening salvo under his own name certainly made an impression. 

Having trashed his hotel room so thoroughly in order to build our film set it seemed churlish to stop at just on video…

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…

I have loved Emma Tricca’s work for years and it was a real pleasure to welcome her to my studio. 

You may have seen her on tour with Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, Robyn Hitchcock and Dinosaur Jr. The song…

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…

It is not uncommon for collectors of fine guitars to try their hand at creating an instrument at some point. When I first met Howard Feng, some ten years ago, he was just beginning to assemble what was to become…

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…

During my recent visit to Maui I managed to get some time with grammy-award winning musician Garrett Probst for an introduction to the wonderful world of Hawaiian slack key guitar. 

Fully equipped with a pair of Grimes Beamer model guitars…

I’ve really enjoyed exploring high-strung guitar as a texture in the studio. So much so that I’ve managed to sneak it into some unlikely places!

The time had come for me to get this guitar back into standard tuning but…

Following on from the Grimes Beamer model I showed you last time, here is another beautiful guitar design - the Grimes Freehand Parlor. This one is made from Brazilian Kingwood and Cedar. 

This asymmetrical body with a 14-fret neck makes…

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…

Yes, I admit it, I buggered off to a tropical paradise with scarcely a look back. 

Honestly, it doesn’t take much - an email from one of the world’s greatest luthiers with the subject Come To Maui will do the…

Quite frankly it's a relief to share after carrying this secret with me for so many years. I do try and keep this to myself but every so often it hits me and it's hard to shake. 

I am obsessed…

I am often asked how to create a huge acoustic guitar sound in the studio - in particular for full band mixes. There are several tricks that I employ and I reveal them in this lovingly crafted video just for…

Continuing my exploration of unfamiliar musical textures here is a moment with a 1931 Gibson L-00 in original factory black. What a spectacular guitar!

There is so much to talk about in this new series - I’m still formulating my…

I’m going through an exploratory phase at the moment - seeking out different sounds and textures, expanding my range. This is an ongoing process and I would recommend that all guitarists spend time getting to know different guitars. 

I have…