My Journey towards lutherie
It was a few weeks before I realised that I had picked up the Classical guitar in a left handed manner. So I set about organising my instrument by reversing the strings from bass to treble. Well, that experience, close to fifty years ago has led to a lifelong interest in playing and making Classical guitars. Initially, the issues were saddle height and nut grooves, but later with better quality guitars it was the sound and tuning.
In the early 70’s I shared a house with a master craftsman called Gunar Jacobson in Adelaide. Jack, as he preferred to be called, was starting out very seriously on the path of “guitar maker” Spruce tops were seasoning in the garden and a pile of Brazilian rosewood taller than me was on the back verandah! The garage was converted to a workshop, Jack’s car rusted outside! I watched the process of guitars being constructed from beginning to end and the delight of hearing them being tried out by the best players around at the time. I have very fond memories of hearing Jason (Waldron) play in the kitchen of our Brandreth Street home and the discussions about the various qualities and features both desirable and otherwise that Jack’s guitars achieved. Comparisons were made of course with other instruments including Chris van der Borch’s Ramirez guitar. It was inevitable that, as soon as I could afford it Jack made me a left-handed guitar, it was a great thrill to play an instrument of that quality for the first time. The richness of the cedar sound and the volume were a great inspiration to me and motivated me further with my playing ambitions.
It was around this time that I started making my first guitar under Jack’s tutelage. Bob Blackett from NSW had played and collected guitars all his life and it was through him that we first heard of Peter Calvo of the Sydney Spanish Guitar Centre. It was not long before Jason and I were travelling to Sydney for guitar lessons. Peter introduced us to the wider world of playing and an international range of guitars, including Fleta and Rubio. I was particularly attracted to the tone produced by the spruce and French polish combination. Peter had a magnificent Rubio and Jason ordered one from UK. So my first guitar was spruce and French polish. It was a steep learning curve! I made many mistakes, I had huge ups and downs; but finally with much soul searching and help from my friends it was completed. I played it as my main guitar for a few years. Eventually it dawned on me that it was not the best sounding or easiest instrument to play, so I moved on.
Since those early beginnings my career and life has taken me to Brisbane for four years, Perth for seventeen, and Darwin for another seventeen years. I have played many instruments over the years, some left-handed originals by Ramirez and some with changed over strings (Bernabe). I have had several instruments made for me and have made a few for myself. Only the last one has by Michael Gee (UK) in 2003 has been entirely satisfactory. It has my preferred tone and is useful on the stage and in a domestic setting. I no longer need to make left-handed guitars!
In Darwin where I taught music at the University I established a workshop and built guitars. I have built some with the modern lattice and carbon fibre design and also some bass guitars, nineteenth century “parlor guitars” and one requinto guitar as well as the traditional design. I retired in 2013 and have moved to Beechworth in Victoria and have set a workshop and can now devote all my energies to guitar making.
If you like to find out more about my guitars, please go to contact and I will get back to you shortly.
In the early 70’s I shared a house with a master craftsman called Gunar Jacobson in Adelaide. Jack, as he preferred to be called, was starting out very seriously on the path of “guitar maker” Spruce tops were seasoning in the garden and a pile of Brazilian rosewood taller than me was on the back verandah! The garage was converted to a workshop, Jack’s car rusted outside! I watched the process of guitars being constructed from beginning to end and the delight of hearing them being tried out by the best players around at the time. I have very fond memories of hearing Jason (Waldron) play in the kitchen of our Brandreth Street home and the discussions about the various qualities and features both desirable and otherwise that Jack’s guitars achieved. Comparisons were made of course with other instruments including Chris van der Borch’s Ramirez guitar. It was inevitable that, as soon as I could afford it Jack made me a left-handed guitar, it was a great thrill to play an instrument of that quality for the first time. The richness of the cedar sound and the volume were a great inspiration to me and motivated me further with my playing ambitions.
It was around this time that I started making my first guitar under Jack’s tutelage. Bob Blackett from NSW had played and collected guitars all his life and it was through him that we first heard of Peter Calvo of the Sydney Spanish Guitar Centre. It was not long before Jason and I were travelling to Sydney for guitar lessons. Peter introduced us to the wider world of playing and an international range of guitars, including Fleta and Rubio. I was particularly attracted to the tone produced by the spruce and French polish combination. Peter had a magnificent Rubio and Jason ordered one from UK. So my first guitar was spruce and French polish. It was a steep learning curve! I made many mistakes, I had huge ups and downs; but finally with much soul searching and help from my friends it was completed. I played it as my main guitar for a few years. Eventually it dawned on me that it was not the best sounding or easiest instrument to play, so I moved on.
Since those early beginnings my career and life has taken me to Brisbane for four years, Perth for seventeen, and Darwin for another seventeen years. I have played many instruments over the years, some left-handed originals by Ramirez and some with changed over strings (Bernabe). I have had several instruments made for me and have made a few for myself. Only the last one has by Michael Gee (UK) in 2003 has been entirely satisfactory. It has my preferred tone and is useful on the stage and in a domestic setting. I no longer need to make left-handed guitars!
In Darwin where I taught music at the University I established a workshop and built guitars. I have built some with the modern lattice and carbon fibre design and also some bass guitars, nineteenth century “parlor guitars” and one requinto guitar as well as the traditional design. I retired in 2013 and have moved to Beechworth in Victoria and have set a workshop and can now devote all my energies to guitar making.
If you like to find out more about my guitars, please go to contact and I will get back to you shortly.