The Ullapool Tenor Guitar

Every year for Ullapool I try and anticipate a current trend, and make something that will sell easily. I knew that Adam Bulley and John McCusker, two serious Tenor players, would be at the festival, and there is a lot of interest in Tenor guitars at the moment.

So here we are, a special Tenor guitar built specially for Ullapool.

Indian Rosewood back and sides. Port Orford Cedar soundboard, Mahogany neck laminated with Ebony centre section and red border lines. Rosewood bindings. Square pearl fingerboard inlays on Ebony fingerboard.

Here is Adam Bulley playing it. Lots of power and a very rounded sweet tone, wonderfully comfortable to play. Link to video

Chas Mackenzie is playing the Personal Selection Rio Falstaff mentioned below. I particularly like the casual way he waves to a friend while he should be concentrating on the job in hand!

The boys are about to start a short tour of England - (actually, Cumbria), dont miss them. Their website

And here is Tim Edey playing it, with the usual Tim Edey enthusiasm.

Tim was a big part of the final late-night show at the Festival. The usual procedure when several musicians are playing together is to swap leads and give everyone else advance notice as to what you will be playing next. Tim does it differently - "how about "The Dam Busters"? about ten seconds after he has started playing "The Dam Busters". Cue hilarity and utter confusion. Great fun though, put Tim together with Clive Carrol, Chas Mackenzie. Adam Bulley and Seonaid Aitken - it's great fun and pure class.

The Tenor is for sale at SOLD, Inc. case and engraved G7 heritage capo, which itself is worth over £100. I can fit a pickup if needed.

All proceeds of the sale will go to the festival fund - next year is the 20th Ullapool, and I do want it to be special.

Do you like the new back stage banner? Thanks To Mike English, Adam Bulley, and Remi Harris. And me.

It was another wonderful festival, despite our usual complications while travelling up.

A few years ago, we couldn't get to our half way B&B because of a landslide. The next year, our Hotel seemed to be run by Basil and Sybil, and a couple of years after that, our Hotel with "Secure Parking" for all the cars and contents, didn't have any semblance of secure parking and we weren't allowed to use the only space that was secure. Last year, the landlady took three hours before admitting that she had let our rooms to someone else, despite being booked and confirmed 6 months previously. She thought all five of us might like to sleep in one bed, nice thought. This year, our stopover was lovely, but we left a good part of our luggage behind. Thank you, Innes, for sorting that out.

But then! We arrived at Ullapool. From there on, nothing but good. Unless you count a bit too much Aqua Vitae, probably my fault for taking eight bottles with me. None came back.

The festival has sold or reserved over 70 tickets for 2019 already, that should tell you something. I'm not going to include the link this time, or they might sell out altogether.

John, with his band, (John McCusker and Ben Nichols) were the headline act on Friday. It was the first night of John's new tour, and also the launch night of his new Album "Hummingbird", It was a brilliant show, and he broke his own, and the festival's, record for album sales.

Here is the story of John's introduction to folk music, and from there to the recording of "Hummingbird", with the reasons for it and John's feelings about the music. There are lots of shots of John's Falstaff, and quite a few visual clues if you want to learn to play the title track. The album notes have tunings and lyrics - you've no excuse now. Link to video

If you want to buy the cd, or the "download" (whatever that is?), go here

Here is John sorting a few ideas out with Clive Carroll ready for the late night club straight after his main show. Every artist who plays at the festival gives maximum support, it's at least an 18 hour day for most of them, and if you count the Monday afternoon pool and drinking matches, sometimes for four days in a row.

The one that got away -

When I make a guitar like this, I like to have an artist in mind, just to give me a focus and some logic in the decision making. I won't tell you who it was this time, and I didn't have time to take any photographs, as it was only finished just in time for the festival. Bit of a tease really - sorry!

Here is Steve Hicks enjoying it a lot.

Becky Langan

Becky is new to the festival but knows a lot of the artists. She is another of the latest players who have done well in "Guitar Star". She warned me that she likes to sit all day on guitar exhibition stands - that's what we were there for! Here she is, playing the Falstaff.

Personal Selection Falstaff for sale

I try to take a guitar like this to Ullapool every year. It represents our best work while sticking to the established tonewoods and decorations

Twins for adoption, apply here.

David Buckingham Band

Black Leonardo For Sale

John Goldie

One of those lovely things that worked out just right. This guitar was made for Chris Difford a year or so ago, but it didn't suit him, and I'd taken it back, we'll talk about another guitar one day. Hugh Burns (who played the guitar solo on "Baker Street"), used it with David Buckingham's band on the final night, in fact, he played the "other" guitar part of Baker Street on it. Then John Goldie found it on the stand in the closing moments of the weekend, and decided he wanted to buy it. Mrs Goldie agreed, the deal was done, and Chris Difford is pleased. Every year, my family gets bigger.

John's site.

That Radio Show - Shortlisted!

Martin Carthy

Elliott Morris

Ben Walker - The Fox on the Downs

Megan Henwood

Megan has been busy writing for stage recently, so it's great to see her singing and playing again. Link to video

Lovely song, lovely sounding guitar, it's "Coco", a Goodfellow with Purpleheart back and sides, and a "whisky" soundboard.
More, Megan - more!

Megan's Website

Jez Lowe - The Dillen Doll

Imagine a book, written around a song, with more songs referenced as headings for chapters and used to explain the background to the story. I suppose it could be called a historical romance, which of course is another way of describing a lot of folk songs. Add a few corrupt officials, a couple of regiments, some ships, a war or two and lots of social information, all woven into an excellent story by one of our best and most experienced song writers, that is what we have here.  I am very impressed, I am thinking of trying to buy the film rights. Don’t tell Jez.

Jez Lowe’s website

Perilous Journey - Gordon Giltrap's Biography

Gordon either has an amazing memory, or some extensive diaries going back fifty years. Every stage of his career is explored: personalities, managers, musical partnerships, tours, bands, albums. Good and bad luck, high times and low times. It’s all there.

As you know, Gordon has been a big part of my time in guitar making. It’s nice to see him talk about some of the more meaningful times of our friendship, rather emotional in places.

And a picture of his latest Fylde guitar on the cover!
Well done Gordon.

Buy it here.