In 1966, I began a three-year apprenticeship in guitar making under maestros Jose Orti and Jose Ferrer, at George Bowden's workshop in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Both Orti and Ferrer were members of families with a long-standing history in instrument making. They taught me the traditional Spanish artisan's methods of classical
and flamenco guitar construction.
I build my instruments two at a time so I don't sit around and watch the glue dry. The models are based on their
design and not the woods used. Thus, a Mystery Pacific model can have a spruce or cedar soundboard with rosewood or satinwood back and sides. It has the interior
soundbox and reflector. The Belleville, Daphne and Stardust models are also not wood specific. The only wood specific model is the Fleche D'Or which has Mediterranean
cypress back and sides and an Alaskan cypress (yellow cedar) soundboard and Sperzel heads and matching tailpiece in this years' colours.
It is the combination of colours which give my guitars their unique visual character. Most Maccaferri and Selmer copies are just that, they look identical to the originals.
There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but the originals were invented some 70-odd years ago and a lot has happened in guitar-making since then. I have
researched and worked hard to have my instruments achieve the original Hot Club sound and that's the most important aspect of course.
They don't have to look like carbon copies. My guitars have a striking modern appearance within this tradition. I try to do somthing a little (or a lot) unique in each
instrument. Someday I may run out of ways to do this but I'm nowhere near out of ideas yet! There are "undiscovered" species of wood out there just waiting...
There is something new on the horizon, my new "Rhythm Futur" model. It's an electro-accoustic guitar with a magnetic pickup, piezo and microphone built in. It is
complete on the drawing board in my mind. I just need time to construct it. (It's started already.) I can safely say that the overall design will be like nothing you've
ever seen before... (within the tradition, of course.)
Watch this space for periodic announcements.
