Willis Guitars

2010-02-04T18:16:00.020Z

Westham sunset late in November 2008

I'm back, well I never really was away, just been incredibly busy. Towards the end of 2009 I started on a series of guitar making articles that I hope to get published. I plan to post some of them here in the next few weeks.

I have only four more chapters to write in my novel, then it will be time to re-write the whole manuscript before handing it over to the editor.

This guitar is called "Olivia", she is a 615mm scale length, 12 fret parlour guitar. Olivia has been to most of the festivals in 2009 and now is seeking a nice friend to take her home with them. She is modelled on an 1840's Italian parlour guitar that I restored a few years ago. The body is made from highly figured Cocobolo, the soundboard is Sitka spruce. The neck is Brazilian mahogany and the fretboard is ebony. Tuners are by Rubner and the gear ratio is 15:1. The sound of the guitar is bright and cheerful. This demonstrator guitar comes with a hard shell case and all for £1,200.00.

Towersey Folk Festival was another enjoyable weekend, especially when Martin Simpson stopped by and gave us an impromptu concert on "Ursula" a 00 12 fret neck guitar. This 00 guitar is the first in this style that I have made. The body is Indian Rosewood and the soundboard is AA Western red cedar and sports an ebony pyramid bridge. The neck is Brazilian mahogany and the Fretboard is ebony. The tuners are made by Rubner and the gear ratio is 15:1. The guitar scale length is 635mm. Decoration is abalone purfling on the body and soundhole, the logo lettering on the head is hand cut gold MOP as is the inlay on the fretboard. Ursula is supplied in a gig bag and can be yours for the introductory price of £1,400.00.

The year ended like it began with snow and 2010 is following with a vengeance, anyone seen Al Gore lately?

I plan to attend the regular folk festivals again this year and I have been reliably informed that the Acoustic Guitar Show is on again this year in Cheltenham, although at this moment I do not have any dates for the show. There is one other event that I hope to be at but I cant say where till I get more details from the organisers.

This year I have stepped down from membership in the Sussex Guild although I have been invited to be a guest exhibitor on Saturday and Sunday at Michelham Priory.

As I look forward to the months ahead for 2010, I see that this year will be the busiest in many years. As well as all the festivals that I will be attending I am also off to California to celebrate my Dad's 90th birthday in June. While in the USA I hope to drop in on friends in Portland, that's you Dave and Dianne.

Hey Dobbin, where's the global warming then?

Currently under construction in the workshop for me to take to shows and you to take advantage of the demonstrator prices are:

Indian Rosewood and Spruce Classical guitar
Sycamore and Spruce Mandola
Sycamore and Spruce Bouzouki
Walnut and Cedar Tenor guitar
Cocobolo and Spruce Parlour guitar

Currently under construction in the workshop for customers are:

Indian Rosewood CM/C for a singer songwriter who is off to Nashville in April.
Brazilian Rosewood OM/C for a very fortunate certain son, delivery scheduled for May.

Just repaired in the workshop

Yamaha with broken neck. Neck was glued and pined with SS pins
Classical needed new saddle and setup
Fender Strat respray
OM with split body. Re-glued and pined.
Parlour guitar with slipper heal, neck re-set.

2010-01-10T11:54:00.003Z

Global Warming?

What Global Warming?
An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore?

2010-01-09T08:58:00.000Z

Global Warming

Bah

HUMBUG

2009-09-27T09:08:00.011+01:00

What a summer I have had. This time last week I was sitting on train going from Edinburgh to Glasgow. I was in Scotland for a long weekend. My Aunt who lived in the USA for many years passed away a few months ago and my Uncle and cousins came over from California to bury her ashes in the family grave in Port Glasgow cemetery. Other than the solemnity of the service I had a lovely time. I got to meet my cousins for the first time in 30 years. I stayed with my sister in Edinburgh and commuted by train to Glasgow when the occasion arose.

I had breakfast at The Elephant House, the same café where JK Rowling, Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall-Smith have frequented. I found Edinburgh to have a perfect writers atmosphere, very tempted to move there to write. They have a livecam in the cafe so you can see how busy it is and how long the que to get food is.
http://www.elephanthouse.biz/livecam.html

This mp3 track just keeps running all through my mind. It is Eric Satie's Gymnopidie 1 by a brilliant group called Amarcord Wien. It's available to download from Amazon. co.uk. 02%20-%20Gymnopedie%201.mp3 . Mum turn on the speakers and click on the link, it should play automatically.

While in the wonderful city of Edinburgh, I went with my sister to see my nephew Campbell.
Campbell recently started baking at Peter's Yard Artisinal Swedish Bakery in Edinburgh, bread that's inspired by Jan Hedh, Swedish Master Baker. He made two pizzas for us and they were delicious.

I have finally completed my three thousand word short story for a writing competition, it is due in November, the last for the year. I sometimes think if I had put this much effort into studying at school I might have been a teacher or maybe a politician when I grew up, yuck, glad things turned out as they did.

Just as well I have finished the short story as I have found an editor for the manuscript of my novel, so now I have to get busy with the last four chapters and the inevitable re-write of the manuscript before handing it over to be edited. Then it's time to find a literary agent, anyone interested in being my agent? Just email me if you are. I am also about to start on another book that needs to be complete for next September, so it looks like I will be getting callouses on the finger tips from typing instead of guitar playing.

2009-09-16T18:33:00.002+01:00

Just sent of my booking for the Tenderden Folk Festival. I will only be there during the Saturday.
Click on this link for more information,
http://www.btinternet.com/~folkspots/trust/fest09/index09.htm

Towersey 2009

2009-09-02T17:12:00.011+01:00

Here are two shots of the stand at Towersey this year, 2009. All of the ladies were there including Cinderella. Who's Cinderella I hear you ask, well several years ago I had just completed my second guitar, a classical and I thought it was time to make my first steel string guitar. I didn't have a body mould for a steel string guitar, so I just used the classical guitar mould.

Over the years as I developed my steel string guitars I would make changes to Cinderella first. Even so, after all those changes and adaptations she still has a lovely voice.

Tony of the Music Room played her at Sidmouth, and liked what he heard. At Towersey I said to him I was going to put one of my guitars on eBay to raise some cash for a new bike and he said he had a bike he no longer needed and yes we have arranged a swap, thanks Tony and no I don't need any more bikes.

The weather was perfect and the crowds of visitors certainly appeared to be enjoying themselves, I think there is something very spooky about this picture, yes they are everywhere, including here at this link.

Note to Mum, just move your mouse cursor over the link and press the left mouse button.

http://www.spookymen.com.au/ and on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19z0NerTTdM&feature=related.

and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kecx6x3LCKM&feature=related.

There was a lot of interest shown in my guitars this festival and it still amazes me how many talented amateur guitarists there are.

One potential customer brought his friend along to play Ursula the 00/45. This bearded gentleman said that his friend had asked him to play one of my guitars and how could I say no, as it was none other than Martin Simpson himself, boy is he a very talented guitarist.

The camp site was as it always is, full of excited campers. On the way to Towersey we stopped at Middle farm and bought two folding camp beds and with a double air mattrerss on top we slept very well, more later.

Nigella sings.

2009-08-26T20:43:00.006+01:00

Terry Lees paid me one of his regular visits the other day and I couldn't help recording this. He is playing a Willis CM. The guitar's name is Nigella, she'll be at Towersey by the way. The piece of musoc he is playing is called "When First Unto the Country."

Thoughts on Sidmouth Folk Week.

2009-08-25T16:54:00.011+01:00

Well here it is, Wednesday the 25th at five in the evening and I am rushing to get ready for Towersey Folk Festival this weekend and yes the ladies will be with me for you to appreciate and even take home with you.

Please remember I do not accept credit cards, I am tired of supporting bankers and their lifestyles, especially when they don't spend it on buying hand made guitars, I do accept cash and cheques.

As you can see from the photo Sidmouth is still crumbling away at the edges, pity someone doesn't drop more of those boulders at the cliff bottom, it would probably save some very nice houses from being washed out to sea.

It was strange being at Blackmore Gardens this year, especially after the previous years at the Ham. It was definitely quieter, both from the adjacent dance tent and the visitors. The general fear was that no one would show up to look and buy. As it turned out that wasn't a problem although towards the end we could have played cricket in the almost empty tent. Very noticeable was the absence of the professional musicians this year, although we did have a visit from the Spooky Men's Choir for an open air concert.

I will be in the Music Tent at Towersey from Friday morning till late on Monday afternoon.

Here Come the Girls

2009-07-27T06:46:00.018+01:00

Below is the list and specifications of the guitars I will have with me for sale at Sidmouth this year, 2009. Click on the image for a larger view of the ladies.

Remember the Music Fair is at Blackmore Gardens this year and not at the Ham.

Olivia, £1,200.00

615mm scale length, 12 Fret Parlour Guitar. Highly figured Cocobolo back and ribs with Cocobolo bindings. Brazilian mahogany neck, Rosewood fretboard and Sitka Spruce top. Slotted head with engraved tuners. Ablam inlay on body and soundhole. Supplied with hardshell case.

Ursula, £1,400.00

635mm scale length, 12 Fret 00 guitar. Indian Rosewood body with Sycamore bindings. Brazilian mahogany neck, Ebony fretboard and AAA Cedar top. Slotted head with engraved tuners. Ablam inlay on body and soundhole, Gold MOP snowflake design inlay on fretboard and Logo inlaid on head. Supplied with gig bag, Hiscox hard shell case available at an additional cost.

Indi, £1,200.00

650mm scale length,14 Fret 000 guitar. Indian Rosewood body with Walnut bindings. Brazilian mahogany neck, Ebony fretboard and Sitka spruce top. Gold Gotoh tuners. Supplied with gig bag, Hiscox hard shell case available at an additional cost.

Manon, £1,400.00

650mm scale length,14 Fret OM/C guitar. Brazilian Coto Rosewood cutaway body with bright sycamore bindings. Brazilian mahogany neck, ebony fretboard and AAA grade European spruce top. Gold Gotoh tuners. Supplied with gig bag, Hiscox hard shell case available at an additional cost.

Tosca, £2,300.00

635mm scale length, 14 Fret OM/C guitar. Brazilian Rosewood cutaway body with Ebony bindings. Brazilian mahogany neck and bound Ebony fretboard with W/B/W purfling. Bound head with W/B/W purfling. AAA grade European spruce top. Gold Gotoh 510 mini tuners. Headway Snake 3 pickup fitted and the guitar is supplied with a Hiscox hard shell case.

Kira, £1,400.00

635mm scale length, 14 Fret OM/LH guitar. LEFT HANDED GUITAR made with a Walnut body with Padauk bindings and W/G/W purfling on ribs. Brazilian mahogany neck and Ebony fretboard. European spruce top. Gold Gotoh tuners. Supplied with gig bag, Hiscox hard shell case available at an additional cost.

Nigella, £1,400.00

650mm scale length, 14 Fret CM guitar. Dark and sultry Indian rosewood body with bright Sycamore bindings. Brazilian mahogany neck and Ebony fretboard. AA European spruce top. Gold Gotoh tuners. Supplied with gig bag, Hiscox hard shell case available at an additional cost.

Instruments curently under construction.

Tenor guitar.
Mandola.
Bouzouki.
Classical guitar.
Tenor Ukulele.

Print and clip the voucher below, then bring it to the Music Fair at The Sidmouth Folk Week and claim £50.00 off of the marked price off any of the guitars on the stand.

The Shack

2009-07-26T07:00:00.007+01:00

I recieved a copy of "The Shack" from friends last christmas and started reading it immediately.
At first it appeared to be just one of those books that as a theme was all about loss and saddness so I put it down to read it later.
When later arrived, six months later, I started reading it again and was hooked.
At first I wanted to follow Mackenzie on his quest to find out what had happened to Missey, then realised I was on a quest to find answers to to some of my own questions about life and is there really a God who cares about me.

Publishers' Description
Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his great sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.
Against his better judgement he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.

I dare you to read this book and not find your life changed, for the better.

Extract from Sidmouth Folk Week Programme

2009-07-23T08:12:00.003+01:00

Music Fair at Blackmore Gardens.

Friday-Friday 10am-8pm FREE Entry

The best festival music fair in the country’
This year the Music Fair has moved Blackmore Gardens, the town based heart of the new Festival.
This Fair is not to be missed, whatever your musical interests happen to be. All in one marquee, you will find the best selection of folk and world music CD’s, a huge range of musical instruments, music, books and accessories and the finest array of specialist musical instrument makers and sellers in the country.
If you are a musician, don’t miss the opportunity to try out the best instruments available and talk to the experts – fit in a trip to the Blackmore around your gigs, or just give yourself an hour or two off to browse around these superb instruments.
If you just love music, this may be the opportunity you have been looking for to find something special for your music collection, get started with an instrument or buy that accessory you just couldn’t find anywhere else – it’s all here, pay the
Music Fair a visit. If there is something you really want why not ring in advance to your supplier below?
The Whole Wide World: Full range of Festival artists and other
CDs: 01460 77415, 07877 182823
Hobgoblin Music: Instruments, accessories, books & CDs etc.
01273 491456, 0845 1309500
PJ Music: Instruments, accessories, books and CDs:
01379 890088, 07968 687011
The Music Room: Instruments, accessories, books & CD/DVDs, starter kits: 01274 879768
Oakwood Instruments: Makers of handmade acoustic and electric musical instruments: 0113 2658585, 07789 397833
Tim Phillips Violins: maker: 01686 624536
Alex Willis Guitars: maker and repairer of fine stringed instruments: 01323 768689, 07976 739971, www.willisguitars.co.uk.
Sonic Violins (Richard Roberts): maker: 01202 650322
Bridge Violins (Neil Mcritchie): 07885 484509
Jones/Kendall Guitars: makers of acoustic guitars and stringed musical instruments: 0161 797 5136
Wesson Accordions: maker and reseller: 01938 552309,
07980 258038

Sidmouth Update saturday 11th July

2009-07-11T08:34:00.008+01:00

Craft Fair
This year the Craft Fair has been moved from Blackmore gardens and will be in a marquee on Kennaway House Lawn (previously known as Church House) and in part of Kennaway House itself, why? who knows.
Music Fair
This year the Music Fair has been re-located from the Ham and will now be in a magnificent marquee in Blackmore Gardens adjacent to the ceilidh marquee and childrens events.
I will have a wide selection of instruments for you to play and will post photos and details whithin the next few days as the instruments are completed.

Sidmouth 2009 Update.

2009-07-10T15:03:00.003+01:00

Now my website and emails are up and working again I can get back to concentrtating on the preparations for Sidmouth.
Before getting totaly involved I have to complete the repair to the Double Bass I have in the workshop.
I have put off working on them over the years due to their size, but as it appears there is no one in this area that repairs them I have decided to offer a repair and setup service for Cello's and Double Bass's.
If your's reqiuires repairing, or just a setup, please get in contact through sales@willisguitars.co.uk or telephone 44 1323 768689.
I can supply new strings, bridges, tail pieces, tuners, pickups, tail pieces, Cello hard shell cases and of course hand turned, old spruce, sound posts.

Hip Hip Hooray for Easyspace

2009-07-10T10:23:00.003+01:00

Its Friday morning, the 10th of July and the website is back again and now sitting in Scotland on Easyspace's servers. All the email addresses should now be working as well.

ISP part 4

2009-07-07T10:15:00.003+01:00

What lovely people at Easyspace. I had to go direct to Nominet and pay a small fee to have my ISP Tag changed, cheaper than calling Zetnet's premium phone number.

My website is now residing in Scotland, where my heart sometimes is, with easyspace. I hope to have the email situation sorted soon, apparently I am waiting for the domain name to propagate over the web servers and point to easyspace, in the mean time please keep using docguitar@btinternet.com.

SIDMOUTH FOLK WEEK NEWS

My booking for space in the music marque has been confirmed, please note the Music Tent is not on the Ham but in Blackmore gardens this year, more details later, I have to get on with completing the new guitars for this show

ISP part 3

2009-07-06T22:01:00.002+01:00

Well here I am still waiting for Zetnet to release my IPS Tag so I can move to my new home home at Easyspace.
Zetnet is owned by Breathe, why, what did Zetnet do wrong to be bought out by them?

ISP part 2

2009-07-03T12:15:00.002+01:00

During the weekend of the 4th and 5th of July I will be switching ISP's from the incompetent Zetnet to the highly competent Easypace. After that all emails should continue to function and be delivered to the relevant department.

Undeliverable emails.

2009-07-02T15:54:00.002+01:00

Due to the inefficiency of my ISP ZETNET, all my emails are sitting somewhere in the hinterland. I am sorry that your email is not getting through, this is solely ZETNET's fault and I will be switching to another ISP ASAP. If you wish to contact me by email please use docguitar@btinternet.com till further notice.

Regards
Alex.

Busy month May.

2009-05-27T18:53:00.015+01:00

My book statement arrived from the publisher at the beginning of the month and to my surprise I have finally paid off my royalty advance and they are now paying me, at least I will be able to buy some postage stamps with the income.

Middle of the month saw us off to Headcorn Aerodrome to watch the dynamic due Stephanie and Sandra go skydiving. Stephanie decided to surprise her sister as a late birthday present.

With a registration number such as this can you imagine what they get up to at the 5,250 foot altitude.

There were many interesting aeroplanes at headcorn while we were there. This one especially caught my attention. The pilot did a high speed flyby before landing and again after he took off to return to his base.

Other activities during the month were a visit to give a talk on guitar making to The Kent Woodworkers Club, thanks to the invitation of Colin Searl and Harry Miller. I sold several copies of my book Step by Step Guitar Making.
Talking of my book last year I was approached by Harry Lederman and Alan Tutt of the Eastbourne Camera club who wanted to make a video of me making a guitar. The completed video as entered in The IAC British International Amateur Film & Video Competition 2009. It won the 5 star award and The Boosey & Hawkes Music Prize (Royalty free CD's). The film was shown on Saturday the 25th of April 2009 at the British Amateur Film Festival. I hope to have copies, for sale, later this month.
The end of the month saw me at The Chippenham Folk Festival again. Lovely weather, great crowds of visitors to the stand and yet again a guitar sale off the stand. The guitar in question was one of my earliest made, Number 2, a classical.

The above video clip was of an impromptu dance session by a passing French dance troupe. Fantastic atmosphere at Chippenham, pity Sidmut can't get their act together like Chippenham, go on Bob, give them a call and tell them how it's done.

2009-05-01T15:41:00.005+01:00

Well Friday arrived and so did Bob for his guitar. This guitar made for Bob Axford is called"The Duchess".

When a new owner picks up their new guitar for the first time it can be quite nerve racking for me and a real buzz for the new owner. I get to relax when I see the smile on the new owners face and hear the voice of the guitar for the first time.

For those of you contemplating ordering a new guitar the price for a basic 6 string acoustic in "AA" Indian rosewood with a "AA" spruce top is currently £1,800.00 and this includes a Hiscox case.

2009-04-29T16:07:00.013+01:00

Terry Lees playing a brand new Willis OM guitar. The piece he is playing is Mrs McCloud's Reel.
Terry Lees has been playing the guitar since 1960. He has played major concerts supporting Fairport Convention, Davey Graham, Bert Jansch, Martin Carthy, Labi Siffrie, Lonnie Donegan and others as well as making television and radio appearances in his own right.
Terry is a well known performer on the folk circuit and has had many TV and radio performances as well as prominent festival shows and concerts. He also gives demonstrations and workshops.
In 1975 he came second to world class guitarist Adrian Legg in an international fingerpicking competition. In 1998 Terry was runner up in the ‘National Guitarist of the Year’ competition at Wembley Arena having been a finalist for two years running, finally becoming Guitarist of the Year in 2000.
Terry runs guitar workshops at folk festivals throughout the country. He plays any style but his heart is in Celtic and British traditional music. Terry can be contacted through his website, http://www.terrylees.com/.

2009-04-28T20:34:00.010+01:00

I was at Spring Harvest at Skegness for three weeks at the beginning of the month and am now back home. While at SH I was realy moved by the painting that was created in the Big Top on week one. It was painted by Oliver Pengilley.

Friday is a special day, Bob Axford is coming to the workshop to collect his brand new OM guitar, we met at the Sidmouth folk week last year.
Bob chose Brazilian Rosewood for the back and sides. and European Spruce for the top. The fretboard is ebony on a mahogany neck.

It realy is a small world, while I was talking with Gordon Giltrap at The Acoustic Guitar Show last September, Bob showed up with a huge grin on his face all ready to order his guitar and it turns out that they know each other from years back.

I am curently completing three new guitars to add to my show stock. They are, an OM cutaway in Brazilian rosewood, Lefthanded OM in Walnut and a CM in Indian Rosewood. In addition I will have the following guitars available to play and purchase at reduced prices, Classical in Rosewood, 000 in Indian rosewood, OM cutaway in Brazilian rosewood fitted with a Headway Snake3 pickup and a Parlour guitar in Cocobolo, shown above. All these guitars are priced under the regular custom price, email me for curent price and availablity of guitars. I am curently out of stock on mandolins but should have one at Towersey at the end of August.

2009-04-28T10:54:00.001+01:00

Ok folks we are back in business, thanks Vron.

2008 in review final instalment.

2009-03-03T19:13:00.000Z

This is how to transport people, double deck, air conditioned trains. When I left California in 1987 I had probably only used this train service twice in twenty years of living in the bay area. Now when I visit my parents in Hollister I catch one of the last trains of the day and head down to Gilroy. From Gilroy it is a comfortable and efficient ride on the bus to Hollister.The return is just as exciting, bus at five in the morning to Gilroy, train ticket from the machine, coffee and cinnamon ring from the cafe, then its sit back and relax while the train takes the strain. I took this video when I was out visiting dad in hospital. He has since made a miraculous recovery, honestly, prayer realy does work. Get connected, get saved.
In September I went to Cheltenham to the Acoustic Guitar Show and had a wonderful time. I took a commision for an "OM" in Brazilian Rosewood. After Cheltenham it was back to the workshop and complete the guitars that I had started and get ready for the new year.

Beware of Scotsmen bearing pies, the picture on the right is of my brother arriving at my parents house in Hollister for Thanksgiving last year.

Nancy and I flew out at the beginning of the week for the meal. I delivered Nancy's dad's guitar and then we drove down to Hollister, no train this time, but that didn't stop me from having a doughnut or two or three, ah who's counting. We managed to get over to Santa Cruz to see my other sister Nanette and her husband Tom and the boys. Then it was back to Hollister and Thanksgiving meal.

A Tale of Two Guitars.

2009-02-28T11:57:00.000Z

James Follett on the left and Gerry Page on the right playing a pair of Willis "OM"s at an audio/video recording sesion in November 2008. Note that the audio on this clip is purely acoustic, the only mike used is on the Canon s45 used for the recording. James's guitar is a Brazilian Rosewood model while Jerry's is an European Walnut model. The piece of music they are playing was writen by Jerry and is track number 15 on their new album called "The Quirk". To see and hear more of Follett and Page go to; www.myspace.com/follettnpage.

They launched their new album on the 7th of March at the "Counting House" in Eastbourne, copies of their album available through their website above.