@ April 7th 2018 ... here's some of my favourite guitars, also some modest but special ones to come.
This David Whiteman Drop Shoulder Classical guitar is one that I commissioned in 2006.
It is the guitar I have played the most in the last 10 years. It continues to amaze me with the sheer focus of sound and it's astonishing responsivesness and dynamics.
It somehow seems to transcend boundaries of classical and flamenco ... it has snap and duende as but also a balanced bloom and even response. Made from Brazilian Rosewood, German spruce, mahogany, and ebony.
It records so well ... the simple fact is that the slimmer width at the nut and the drop shoulder means I can play and compose things on it that would otherwise be impossible on other classical guitars. I mean you don't want to unduly hear the labour of a performance ... it is is a big turn off for the listener.
I wrote much of the instrumental guitar music of the next album on this guitar, so thank you David for a wonderful instrument I am so looking forward to showing how god this guitar sounds on the record.
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This Patrick James Eggle guitar was also commissioned, in 2014 ...
Although it is based on the OM template of his excellent Linville range, it has a slimmer headstock design and custom neck specs. More eye catching though is the stunning antique Cuban mahogany back and sides, apparently sourced from a reclaimed bankers desk of 100 years age or more. It has a Honduram mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard.
This is the work of an elite craftsman - I've not seen better anywhere.
I wanted it to be pretty much a plain Jane ... if only they were all plain like this. Well it is pretty much unadorned what with the abalone binding but the understated set of Gotoh Delta 510 tuners in antique gold finish, with a 21:1 gear ratio are pretty extraordinary.
The really important bit is that this instrument is pure joy to hear and to play, it chimes and it sings, and is so versatile ... easily my favourite steel string ever and the guitar that I am writing songs on and instrumentasl too.
Playing single notes on this guitar is especially expressive. I sit down to play it a while and a day can go by. I was hoping for something like that when I chatted to Patrick about it pre-construction. I am so glad that actually happened and that I got much more too. Thank you Patrick and I am looking forward to debuting this guitar on the next album.
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@ late March, 2018
The Time and Distance & Late Flower guitar ...
The black stratocaster guitar in the photographs below is the beauty that I played exclusively on my my albums Time and Distance ... and Late Flower.
It plays like a dream because it was customised by artisan and master guitar technician Bill Puplett.
It is now for sale ... please use the contact page to express an interest.
It's an early and rare SQ series model (from the Fender blocks) made in 1985 at the FujiGen Gakki facory in Japan. I'd be happy to see it go to a home that appreciated the music that was composed and performed on it.
Bill transformed it into a unique custom guitar furnished with an array of high quality fittings with which to control the integral Richard McLish piezo system (RMC) that he had also recommended and installed, and which via the 13 pin output on the side of the guitar enbles full control of Roland guitar COSM products such as the VG range etc.
All the Roland 13 pin volume control signals out to COSM modeller/processors are assigned to the regular fender volume pot. The middle pot marked as a Tone control is changed to be a special hybrid volume control which can variably mix the direct RMC piezo signal with the COSM signals. If you add the comprehensively specified RMC Breakout Box then it all comes into its own ... you can direct record 6 strings to 6 tracks for string by string control / reamping / recorded audio editing and so much more for performances both live and in the studio.
The discreet and ergonomically perfect layout of the control switches that Bill Puplett conceived and installed are an exemplary piece of craftsmanship that I have never had any reason to feel could be improved upon ... and it all ensures there is no vandalism of the classic Fender styling. There are just 2 small black push-push parameter change control buttons as well as the slim, sleek gold shimmer from the the piezo bridge saddles - they are all that indicate this guitars extended capabilities.
It was a privelege to commission this work from Bill Puplett ... a class of his own!
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... early in March 2018
Even I am exasperated by now ...
As a composer I want the experience to be a journey of discovery ... like a child.
I suppose I'm kidding myself saying that - I am mostly an adult - but that's how I try to hear things at first, so as to try and say something that is real rather than just habit or muscle memory.
In the case of this long promised third album I made some bad decisons with technical and studio design and it wasn't working for me ... I went through a lot of changes ending up with epic frustration and delaying the actual recordings, and perhaps if I'm honest with myself it gave me a reason to put it off too ... because there was another factor ... the big question of what do I want to create ?
It seems my musical journey moving forward in time is looking backwards to when I was a seven year old with my new first guitar - I could not play at all but un-self conciously I made a couple of songs. That was the last time I tried to.
So it has transpired that over the last few years I shifted away from the instrumental acoustic album I had promised on this page that I was doing and that was because I discovered I was trying to write songs and learn to play rhythm guitar properly too.
I have tried to sing, oh how I wish I could sing ... cause then finding the words might be easier!
It has been an adventure and it's been hard. But I am still here and now the obsessions of gear/studio and the technical curve are under control ... yee haaaaaa!
I've avoided recording any tracks before the music of the songs (not words) is complete in my head, and because I am not a singer and the words come slowly I work on the songs in parallel - rather than one after another.
I haven't posted any clips ...but I will post one of me a year back singing the first demo soon.
I need to collaborate on this eventually and I am actively looking for the right male vocalist to record these songs ... please don't be shy to get in touch about that.
More soon ...
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January 2013
As I was saying, I decided to do an acoustic album. By then I'd met my darling girl Carys.
We decided to get married and make a new life in the Kent countryside.
And along the way to build a studio.
And time passes so quickly ...
Life is rich. It's where music comes from. Where it's renewed.
So here I am in 2013 ...
Recording is now underway.
The album will be available this year. That's a promise.
I do some singing on this one ... fumbling in the dark, back to when I knew even less than I do now. When I was green ...
And at all costs avoiding unearned emotion, ersatz virtuousity, or anything that could be construed as world music pick 'n' mix.
If any of that resonates with you please contact me ... I'd like to know you!
I'm having a new website built in March 2013 ... but if that is slightly delayed whilst I gather enough media so as to make it worth the visit
then I will post some fill in news.
iTunes is handy but overpriced for poor audio quality. It also deprives composers of a decent return for their work, so please buy direct from this site and support my music:
On the Listen page, you can buy the CD's using Add To Cart buttons. For larger orders of 10 CD's or more there is a Contact Overdown link for bulk pricing info.
2006 ...
I wanted the recording process to be better than as it was in Late Flower.
There will be tracks with guests ... cello, piano, harp ... other guitarists too... real live musicians actually playing together!
And some solo items & self-duet pieces too. I hope that this will complement my previous records.
This acoustic cd will be released and sold exclusively through this site.
Er ... it'll all be so simple.
Late Flower ... Album of the Month in Guitar Techniques magazine. See Press.
Band
autographed copies of both Late Flower & Time And Distance
are available.
Time And Distance is now sold direct and exclusively ... see the Listen & Buy page. There is stock of both the official Black Box release (the one where I look like a psycho on the cover) as well as the original private pressing. The music is identical ... just different design & packaging. Please specify which pressing you want.
In the Gallery ... unseen photos from the Woodcray recording (the one that became the cd What It Is) ... the photos were by Tim Hudson and they capture the ad hoc nature of the session!
2004 : I signed with new label Quartz.
Amongst their first releases is Late Flower, the follow up to my debut CD Time And Distance
You can audition every track of both albums on the Listen page, streamed for speed or best quality as you wish.
Also the archive CD What It Is ... check that out !
" ... heartfelt thanks to everyone that has taken an interest
and sent messages of support.
It's been a very long and winding path to Late Flower
..." 5/04
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