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It all began so long ago now, I was 13 and my father decided we should build an electric guitar together as a bonding experience, I readily agreed as my hero Brian May had built one with his Dad. What my Dad didn't tell me was there was to be no power tools used at all. Most instructive for us both and now some of my fondest memories.

So the project went on after school most days for almost two years until it was complete. Made from seasoned Jarrah collected by him a decade earlier the guitar resembled a small body super strat and i still have it 31 years later. Before his death, the headstock broke off during a party and I was obliged to repair it, and to do so required tools etc...at least this time I was allowed power tools.

my long suffering wife enquired what I was to do with this new workshop full of luthier tools and so my journey began afresh with cigar box guitars, I especially loved baritone CBGs and eventually made an upright bass dulcimer from a roof beam i rescued from a hotel I was working at. The internet brought me to this CBG culture and motivated by Shane and company I started compulsively making anything i could and recycling what I could scavenge. Shane's story was a mirror to my own and I don't know if I ever thanked him...in fact as I recall I owe him a guitar...hmm.

Eventually, through study I moved toward flute making and heavily infatuated with Japanese Culture - the Shakuhachi became my goto instrument of choice (it seemed the blues were alive and well in Ancient Edo 1000 years earlier, as the flute can bend notes and is tuned to the minor pentatonic scale, you even have to burn them to ebonise/burnish them like a medieval Jimi Hendrix). A customer was missing a part of her ring finger on her right hand and so I moved the finger hole to fit her...an idea was had to make instruments to order - when my father passed away, I became a dad myself and withdrew from my passion to concentrate on family and work...and both suffered due to my withdrawl and so recently in order to tune up my life I have started to collaborate on a new project combining CBGs and custom made to order guitars in a new company just starting in Perth called Bespoke Guitars. I invite everyone to see what I am trying to accomplish, your help, feedback and ideas are appreciated as this new infant finds its feet. Have a look through my pics - Apart from CBGs i thought it would be nice to take items of personal/ sentimental value and incorporate or infuse them into custom made projects, so as a dedication to my dear old dad - there is a type of acoustic strat that I am really keen for you to meet as it combines the classic CBG piezo pickup with a hofner, a neck tele and a bridge humbucker with a body that has a cbg style front and back made from my fathers 80 year old Jarrah tool chest...pictures and eventually a vid shall be forthcoming I promise. I know he would approve...and in deference to the movie we both loved I nicknamed it "wonderbat"

Well thats all from me right now...again apologies for my absence, i shall make amends.

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. Its good to be back.

Rock

Will