The Instruments
My designs are the product of two decades of thought and experimentation. I learnt my craft while working on and measuring hundreds of vintage and modern instruments.
They are handmade in the UK by a player for players, using predominantly UK made hardware and the best ethically sourced woods.
A good instrument should have its own personality, but its job is as a vehicle for the player to express their ideas, emotions and sound.
It should have great tone, response and dynamics, be tactile and feel good to play. It should express in a whisper as well as it can at full power and be made to last.
Most importantly a good instrument should be a trusted companion, but also a faithful work horse.
About Me
In my spare time I am usually to be found playing banjo or walking in the local hills in the company of Matokie, a Welsh sheepdog, who spends our work hours snoozing under a bench in my workshop. I started learning to make and repair musical instruments in 2009 and it has been my full time occupation ever since.
As a mature student, I enrolled on a one year course in musical instrument making at London Metropolitan University. I went on to do a Bachelor's Degree gaining a First Class Degree with Honors in 2011.
This led to me opening up my own workshop in East London, working professionally as an instrument restorer while continuing to make guitars and banjos.
In 2016 I visited the US and for three months hitchhiked and Greyhounded with my banjo from New York to Lafayette, from North Carolina to Virginia, and to Ithaca and back.
During that time I was lucky enough to track down and spend time with a couple of my favourite musicians. Frank Lee hired me to paint his kitchen and I was able to hang out and take a couple of trips with Richie Stearns.
I was also able to spend time with several of my favourite banjo makers, Greg Galbreath, Jeff Delfield and Mac Traynham, which was very inspiring.
Throughout the three months I got to play a lot of really great banjos.
I was introduced to Peter Szego and he very kindly gave me a personal tour of his famous collection. I made a friend in Asheville called Mike, who has a small but amazing collection of modern luthier-made banjos which, up to that point, I had only seen in pictures!
This whole experience really made a huge impression on me, and on what I felt was a good quality instrument, tonally and on a visual and tactile level. On my return to the UK I moved the workshop to Shropshire and have focused on making the best sounding banjos I can.
