When we started to make this guitar, I was thinking it would be a nice addition to our display at Ullapool, so that we have one of each body style on show.

But we now have two rather lovely second hand Leonardos which will do that job nicely and I do like to have something to sell in the newsletter as often as I can, so here we are- somebody's lucky day?

I've often said that I wish we had made the Leonardo style much earlier, I think it's one of the most attractive and practical designs I have ever seen. It is particularly comfortable to play and works very well in a variety of different timbers.

This one is an example of what is becoming a classic combination, Rosewood and Cedar. The pieces we used are exceptional, some of the nicest Indian Rosewood and fine honey-coloured Cedar that we have ever used. A laminated 44mm neck with Ebony fingerboard and Pearl diamond inlays.

The sound is warm, rich and balanced. A glorious guitar.

For Sale at £6,900.00

Left to right

It's nearly that time again,  tickets are selling very quickly, and we are trying hard to have the best ever display of instruments.  It's the 25th anniversary of the festival and it's important that we support it properly

So far, we have four very special guitars waiting for final set up.  This picture is a taste of just how good they are.

A custom Ariel made from deeply figured Pomelle Sapele and Sinker Redwood

A Tenor Guitar, with figured Claro Walnut back and sides, and  a Yellow Cedar Soundboard

A Goodfellow, with Curly Indian Laurel body and fine grain Italian Spruce Soundboard

A long scale Orleans, made using the most beautiful Brazilian Rosewood and Bearclaw Italian Spruce

Ullapool Guitar Festival Website

Four more special guitars will ( I promise, they WILL). be finished in plenty of time.
A Walnut Orsino. This will be this years "Ullapool Guitar", to be sold with all proceeds going to the festival. More pictures next month

A shallow bodied Falataff, Indian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce soundboard and a 13 fret neck join!!

A Brazilian Rosewood and exceptional Austrian Spruce Ariel made using the slightly disputed timber that I showed in the April Newsletter. I'm very interested to see how this turns out.

And an Alexander, made with Bog Oak back and sides and a fine grain top quality Austrian Spruce soundboard

Hello Viewer!

In my world, it's compulsory to bring this video out every few years. I think it's amazing. Gordon is really enjoying himself and showing off that special guitar.

He has a lot of news to announce, I'll feed it through bit by bit , but two special events need to be mentioned now.

He will be at the Ullapool Festival, where he will be taking some workshops and late night club spots, he will also be collecting his refretted fan fret 12 string and no doubt demonstrating it on the Fylde stand.

Then in November, his Anniversary concert in Birmingham.

See you there.

Gordon's Website

The acoustic Bass that I had for sale last month has triggered a couple of things. Its custodian, Rory McFarland, played Bass for quite a lot of my customers, prominent amongst them being the lovely Christine.

If you don't know Christines work, then you should.

Long term musical partner to Clive Gregson, Richard Thompson and Michael Fix. One of the founding members of Daphne's Flight.

Do you remember "Life and loves of a she devil?" That's her; well, that's her singing the theme song anyway, she's not actually a she devil. I wouldn’t have let her carry my daughters up the Lakeland fells on her back if she was…..

Or would I?

Christine's Website

What a splendid portrait. Two people that mean so much to so many.

Sam Carter sent me this picture, and a few others, taken recently at his "Sam Carter sings Nic Jones"  gig at The Manor Pavilion in Sidmouth. Thanks Sam

Nic used a Fylde Orsino  for the original recording;  Sam uses a very nice guitar made by Richard Osborne.  I drop gentle hints from time to time, but Sam does such a good job keeping Nic's music "live" and I want to support him in turn.

Sam does have a Fylde Mandolin, so I don’t complain too much.

Sam's Website

I do like it when I can find links between two or more features . This song is almost the same story as Canadee i o.

One more link- I've been trying my hand at Facebook recently and I included a picture of Jack with his fan fret Cittern in my last post .  I still find Facebook to be rather difficult to get to grips with, but it can be fun.

Jack's Website

What an extraordinary setting for such a strong song, the arrangement and musicianship are excellent. I knew nothing of these two until a friend sent me this video and I'm really pleased he did. Bob plays a Fylde Tenor guitar as well so I've no doubt you'll be seeing more of them in this newsletter

It's a song from "Anne Boleyn - Wolf at the door," written by Bob. It tells the tragic story of Henry VIII's  second wife.

So, Bob has five more wives he can write about, should keep him busy.  I don’t mean they were Bob’s wives of course.

Bob's Website

We made this guitar in our 50th anniversary year, 2023 and sold it straight away to a customer in France, but  sadly he can no longer play so it is available again. 

This is how I described it in the original advert:

“I often tell myself I should have started making this design thirty years ago, while we were offering guitars to a bigger market. It's so comfortable to hold, good to look at and always sounds amazing, no matter what combination of woods we use.

The overall soundboard area of the Leonardo is slightly more than the Falstaff and Orsino, but the body is slightly shallower. These small differences are significant in terms of tone and comfort. I’ll add that this design doesn't look at all right without the cutaway, so please don't ask!

This one uses beautiful Curly Claro Walnut for the back and sides, and fine grained Sinker Redwood for the soundboard. Notched Square Pearl inlays on the 44.5mm ebony fingerboard, The neck is laminated from Mahogany and Walnut, with red lines. The headstock veneer is Walnut, Rosewood binding with red borders. Everything matches.

These timber combinations produce a lot of sound, even to a light touch. The guitar is very responsive and warm, like the very best human beings. No names.  “

It looks and plays like new, I don't think its been played more than a few times, perfect condition

For sale £6,500.00

Made in 2004 and in very good condition. I will include a new, shaped case

For sale £2700.00

We sold a much smaller version last month. What a surprise, two basses, both fretless, come along one after another.

I'm expecting  to take this to Ullapool, but I'm not entirely sure how we will get it there, it certainly won’t fit in my car.

And I'm hoping there will be somebody there who can play it. 

It was made in1994 and is in good condition, partly due no doubt to the extraordinary glass fibre Calton case . I've never seen one of those before. It’s massive!

It will be for sale at £3600.00 Including case, which is an absolute bargain.

Of course, we will also have a selection of other used instruments at the festival, mostly guitars but possibly a mandolin or two. The suspense is too much.

These two have provided some of the most stirring acoustic music I've ever heard, and they are about to embark on a reunion tour. On the second song, Stu is playing his King John bass, just like the one  pictured above, but he has those pesky metal things on the fingerboard.

Forty-five years ago, and they haven't changed a bit. Cough.

Bob's Website

Another excuse to demonstrate an acoustic Bass, but this time, Nic is playing the much smaller " Sir Toby" .  I had masses of fun years ago, choosing suitable names for all the instruments.

I remember the recording of this track for the album, I had Bill Leader push the Bass as loud as it could possibly go.

Over recent years Will has released three teaching books. He has always thought of them as a set, so it makes sense to publish them all under one cover

"And here it is - The Creative Fingerstyle Guitar Collection, or "one book to rule them all" if you'll pardon the Lord of the Rings reference!

This 3-in-1 collection thoroughly covers the ground I feel very passionately about both as a player and a teacher. Simply put: expression and creativity are the bedrock of music"

I have watched Will change and develop his style since we first met him perhaps fifteen years ago. A new composition is only the beginning, there is so much more he adds to each piece  in terms of shaping, timing  and body language.

Will is an education to watch, and now you can purchase some of that education!

Link to "Creative Fingerstyle Guitar Collection"