Meeting Mr Simpson
Posted: 08/07/2016
The evening before I started my guitar building career in Edinburgh nearly 12 years ago I went to see a performance by a man whose music has been with me for as long as I can remember.
Sat in the Pleasance Folk Club listening to Martin Simpson that night literally started me on my guitar making journey! Never have I been so mesmerised by the presence and sound of a live performance! I didn't know that that kind of musical beauty was possible.
Walking home that night I decided that I was going to make guitars and the next day I started ordering the wood. 4 months later I had built my first 3, 2 of which were orders. 3 months after that I had my first workshop in Edinburgh and as they say the rest is history...
A month ago, one of my wonderful clients took two of his Tarans to one of Martin's gigs for Martin to have a look at. The next day Martin called me and ask if I would like to go down to Sheffield to visit him and talk about guitars.... "that would well be well wow, yes" I spluttered!
On Wednesday this week I had the pleasure of having coffee and talking guitars with Martin Simpson! A fascinating day with lots of ideas and discussions about woods, construction, old and new instruments and as he sat playing one of my latest Cocobolo Tirga Beags I was grinning like a cheshire cat, an emotional one at that!
Thank you Martin for your time and hospitality, hopefully we can do it again soon.
All the very best,
Rory