I have known the singer and song writer C J Smith for many years and help distribute his music online.
I co-wrote a song with him “If There’s No Guitars in Heaven I Don’t Wanna Go“, my modest contribution was the chords classic ragtime turnaround. Having studied classical ragtime at University this sequence is a particular favourite of mine using the cycle of fifths to get back to the tonic at the end of each verse.
Chris’s lyrics sum up what many guitarists have felt about their precious instruments. Anyone that plays and have owned several guitars will have their own stories to tell. I have an illustrated history of my journey with guitars that I am compelled to share.
My guitar story starts with the purchase of my first electric guitar. My school friend Simon H Fell played double bass in the school orchestra one day he brought his electric bass guitar into school, and he let me have a go teaching me a simple riff. “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple. I was only 17, but was immediately interested in learning more and owning instrument. The amplified sound of the strings was so exciting. I already had an interest in string instruments having started learning the viola when I was studying my A levels. No one else seemed to be playing the instrument and there was always a gap in most amateur orchestras. My bowing technique was not great so I often used to strum chords instead for a bit of fun. I had joined the Jellies, a school punk band, that had found an opening for a trombonist fulfilling the role of an “air bass” in the line-up.
Quite soon I became proficient at playing simple power chords and could knock out a few Ramones songs on the new electric guitar. My first amplifier was an old valve radio that adapted with adding an input jack. The amplifier was easy overdrive with a perfect garage band sound. I was ready to form my own band, playing guitar and singing lead vocal with two other mates playing guitar and bass. The band was called “Cancelled”. My friend Simon Fallows was known as the school documentary photographer took this publicity shot in 1976.
Forming the Dumbwaiters at University the guitar stayed with me until I left University and moved to London. Needing to travel light and find accommodation where possible I liquidated all my electric guitar, effects and amplification, with Brian Berrow’s help and financing (Brian Berrow frontman from the Dumbwaiters1) . The Dumbwaiters reformed in London and became acoustic in the late 1980s and I bought a new guitar that boasted it was inspected by Mr. Tenada himself. With the new guitar I studied flat pick country blues, ragtime and jazz.
Back in Yorkshire in 1990s I returned to the sound of the electric guitar, I bought a stylish Danelectro, with its wide flat neck which was perfect for playing blues and flat pick style. Purchased from the last remaining guitar shop on London Road in Sheffield. I immediately fell in love with this guitar because it sick pea green parallelogram shaped body, and yellowing scratch plate. This was the first time I encountered smooth wound steel strings, although I didn’t like them at first because of the loss of higher harmonics, however they are excellent for minimising extraneous string noises from using guide strings technique. This particular instrument I believe to have been Dick’s old guitar. He was a legend in the rock and blues Sheffield pubs often seen in places like the Netherthorpe Hotel in the 90s. Dick was a tough Geordie labourer that worked on building sites, who was a heavy smoker who and a Led Zeppelin fan. He told me that he had once owned a Danelectro inspired the knowledge that Jimmy Page used one during his career. He had sold it on because he preferred the perfect curve of the Fender neck for playing blues.
I am still playing Danelectro and used the instrument seen here in the photograph, recording the final session of the Community Empowerment Tapes with Steve Kenny in 20102.
Playing Freeform Shoegaze Rock improvisation with Space Rock Guitarist Steve Kenny. I often needed more power. Steve when he was in full flow was a considerable force to be reckoned with. Another lucky find in a charity shop in Berwick upon Tweed, I picked up this customised Chantry guitar, it originally had a tremolo bridge and additional pick-ups added to give the instrument more power. Unfortunately metal fatigue in the bridge meant this instrument had a short life, but was featured in many of the community empowerment tape sessions with Steve Kenny.
The first classical guitar was found at the Ellar Ghyll council tip! There was a hole in the body at the back that looked as though someone had put their fist through it. The soundboard had also become detached from the side of the guitar body too as if it might have been used as a club in an act of desperation. I hastily patched the guitar with Gaffer tape and glue before restring the instrument. I was amazed it worked and I used the instrument for 11 years before acquiring the antique Goya guitar.
The Givson was found in a charity shop in Whitehaven in 2011, it had no strings on it and I thought it was decorative cut out at first. The instrument had only arrived in the shop that morning and the price tag was only £10. I later learnt that the instrument is make by an Indian manufacturer, and their top quality range cost about 40,000 rupees new. The slim body with F-holes means it is comfortable to play jazz rhythm guitar. I restrung the instrument a few days later and had the instrument in my collection for several years.
The Tenada and the Givson guitars are still in the family passed onto my sons so their families have at one house guitar handy.
The Julienne can be a useful tool in the kitchen to quickly thinly slice vegetables for a stir fry meal, however It is a dangerous gadget in careless hands. Looking forward to take my guitar down to Wales to do a bit of jamming with friend, Richard the following day, I managed to slice one of my picking fingers with this evil kitchen tool. I still cringe when think about recounting this tale. The cut was quite deep leaving a large sore flap of skin over the wound making finger picking impossible.
Determined to be able to play in Wales, I thought I would invest in some finger picks, I had never tried them before. I went to the Playtime Guitar Shop in Otley, sadly no longer there. I think it might have been the bluegrass musician, Sam Barrett in the shop, he given a black Vintage guitar with a resonator. I had never played one before.
I didn’t get on with the finger picks at all, but the sound of the resonator guitar was fantastic, I came away thinking about the sound all and night returning the next day to buy the guitar before setting off for Wales.
I always want to have a go at a 12 string instrument, I spotted this cheap 1970s Eros down Huddersfield Market. The Italian Eros, is often known as “the cricket bat” had a bit of a warped neck and very difficult get your fingers around to play, but had a lovely warm sound. Learning to play this instrument toughen me up so I can play just about anything now.
Beautiful Lag guitar from the famous Violin Shop in Dalton in Furness. I met the owner of the shop Alan who was in his 80’s. Alan used to teach violin all over the district, one morning at the rail station, the station master commented; “you’re the second person I have seen with a violin case this morning, he was looking for the violin shop in Dalton”
“That’s a shame it’s my shop and we’re closed, I’m teaching this morning” said Alan
The station master replied “he had an unusual name too”
Alan knew Stephan Grapelli was performing in Barrow in Furness at the weekend so jokingly said “It wasn’t Stefan Grapelli?”
“Yes that’s him!” Said the station master.
I have an antique 1970s Goya Spanish Guitar imported by Juan Teijeiro, purchased at the antique fair Wetherby Race Course. It had a few minor dents on the body but not very significant and the structure seemed sound tuning up one of the old strings a bit the fret were not buzzing and the octave (12th fret) was in tune.
The guitar had a lovely rich sound and I had been playing it for about 7 years, however the nut was chipped so one of the strings did not sound as good as the others. It was great finding out about Colin Davidson “At the 12th Fret” in Otley, I let him have a look at my guitar he said he could fix the nut and put a new bridge on the instrument no problem and would also make sure the frets were in good order too, he agreed to give the guitar a good inspection and come back with some excellent costed recommendations. The tuning pegs were old, and sticky so recommended replacing them as suggesting he could repair cracks on the varnish on the body too. A got my guitar back a few weeks later and the instrument looks beautiful with its new varnish, golden tuning gear, string, nut, and bridge. More important to me it now sounds fantastic.
The twelve string Tanglewood bought on my way back from a holiday in the highlands in Dumbarton. I stopped off at the record shop that also sold guitars on the way up north, I resisted an impulsive purchase, but the decision I realised was wrong when I couldn’t stop thinking about the guitar the whole holiday. The last day of the holidays I phoned the shop asked if it had been sold. It was still there and managed buy it on my return home.
The Tanglewood is a good instrument but was much improved by replacing the nut and bridge so the double strings were closer together. Using the Eros as a guide it was only 0.1mm and it made all the difference.
VicBerry.net 