Andrew's Guitars
From a £16 B&H jumbo, via a Hawk, to a Harmony Sovereign Jumbo Deluxe which saw me through the "A Boy And His Dog" period. At one time, I owned an Epiphone Frontier - reputedly once Mick Jaggers. A beautiful cedar topped Guild D-40 died in my arms after Don Partridge played it to death at a party. Later I got his Gibson J-200 but although re-built, it was tired so I traded it to an American for a 1915 Gibson L-00 and a 1927 Martin 2-17. HM Customs & Excise took them from me after they arrested him for smuggling.
I had a fine Gibson J-50 but you are either Gibson or a Martin person. I had a good few Martins. One day my friend Mike Carne (Concrete Cowboys & Hole In The Head Gang) came round with a 1973 Martin D-35 which I knew from it's previous owner, the fiddler, in "Rusty Dowd & the Wild Bunch".  - I always loved it. I swapped my D-28 for that broken necked D-35 - kept it for twenty one years - it never went out of tune or needed any work. When Panhandle Conspiracy were going strong I "needed" a matched pair of Martins so foolishly sold that D-35 to a friend to buy a J-40 and a J12-40. There was nothing wrong with them but we just didn't get along - so guitar maker/dealer Vince Hockey bought the J-40 back from me, and I later traded the 12 string for my Bourgeois DS-260 .
In March 1998, after a gig in Northampton. I told Mike Carne how I missed his old D-35. He said - "have you seen the D-35 I have now ?" I hadn't, I did, I came home with it. 1975 - pre-truss rod, shaded top. Unusual tone for a D-35 – see it in some of the pics on this site.

Back in 1990, when I wasn't playing, I saw a beautiful, unusual Jap guitar in a shop in Chichester. When I went back and the guitar and the shop had gone. That guitar haunted me. Three years later I decided to search for it. I rang a hundred shops - no luck. Then I rang a guitar maker friend of Mike Carne's in Northampton. "Ever heard of a Daion Legacy? " I asked. A strange sound erupted as Martin Cole choked on his coffee. "I'll be damned - I've just opened up a letter from one of my customers -with a photo of him holding one. Don't suppose he wants to sell - but you could ring him". I did - " How did you know that I wanted to sell it - I only decided last night !!" He lived in Bedford. I had to go there for photographic business the next week-end - a deal was struck. I love that guitar - my old friend and guitar magician Andrew Dickinson re-built it for me. Some time later Andy put me in touch with a chap who had a matching twelve string. We did a deal.
Something called me to a music shop in Portsmouth. An unusual 12 string guitar was hanging from the ceiling - and it worried me for a month or two, so I bought it. A Lakewood M12-14 custom. I like matching pairs - so the Acoustic Centre in Wapping shipped an M-18 down from Birmingham for me on "appro" I couldn't leave it behind. On it's first outing, Dave the bass player put his bass spike along the virgin top. He was distraught , but it was nobody’s fault and it didn't affect our friendship. Noble scars. - I recomend them for build, sound and comfort.

Jane, my beloved, commissioned Vince Hockey to build me a parlour guitar for my fiftieth birthday, It's a rosewood 0-28 with slotted head and herringbone trim. Simple and understated - just like me!  We collected it on my birthday and I'd hoped to use it that night in a spot at my home club, but they wouldn't let me. That guitar is beautiful, and so is my wife - my best friend.

I have a nameless maple bodied thing which has the loudest sound. Neck like a tree trunk - but great for slide blues. I'll be doing some stuff on it in future gigs.I traded the Martin J-12-40 for a fine Bourgeois Slope DS-260, a 12 fret in Adirondak and Indian (it's in the pictures here), which I traded  for my Collings Ds2H.  The Collings is an outstanding instrument and is “the one” …I think

After a while I couldn’t bear to be apart from the Bourgeois, so when Don Hendry, an old pal, told me it was still on the wall I traded that shaded top Martin to get it back. 

Don helped (made me) buy a battered Martin D12-35S  which  Vince Hockey virtually rebuilt for me.

My quest for the ultimate guitar continued  - my search for a  Martin D-35s - twelve fret to body led me to the Collings and the Bourgeois.  . In the summer of 2000, a D-35s came my way, and whilst it still needs work, will one day be a beautiful instrument again. If I’d found it a couple of years ago I could have saved so much money !

Of course I have a mandolin and a dobro - but that's another chapter.
If you have similar interests, and would like to discuss, advise, question or signpost me to a good guitar, then : Email me
More Links
Guy Clark - No website at the moment but a subscription only discussion list keeps fans of Guy Clark in touch with each other and other great musicians of the Texas school of songwriting. Send an email to guyclark-friends@e-groups.com with containing the line subscribe guyclark-friends (no subject line necessary)
Townes Van Zandt - www.townesvanzandt.com Townes Van Zandt Central and all roads that lead to various sites about the late and very great Texas songwriter including links to the about-Townes discussion list.
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