A Brief History

I began playing guitar at the age of fifteen and made my first public appearance when I was about eighteen - all rather late by today's standards.

At about the same time, I started taking guitars apart and messing around with them, building my first electric guitar, a Les Paul copy, in my parents' study when I was nineteen.

Telecaster and Stratocaster copies followed and these helped to persuade Noel at Sheehan's Music Services in Leicester to take me on as his third employee, an apprentice repairer, under the watchful eye of Bob Dayfield.

I remained at Sheehans for ten years, repairing a vast number of different stringed instruments and saw the business grow from just three employees into the establishment of renown that it is today.

I took a break from instrument repairing (but not playing!) in 2000 to study for a degree in Computer Science at the University of Leicester, and I successfully graduated with a first in 2003.

After the three year break, I decided to return to my first love and establish myself as an independent repair specialist, allowing me the flexibility to pursue my other musical interests as well.

Since my teens I've played and sung in numerous bands including the Pink Cadillacs, the Houndogs, the Hornets, BluesMove,  the Kansas City Faggots (playing 8-string lap-steel) and the Longhorns. I have also done acoustic gigs both solo and with singer/songwriter Sally Barker.

I continue to play several nights a week and I'm currently gigging mostly with The Razors and Parallel Blondie.

You can see pictures of some of these people in the Gallery.