b'timber; perhaps a particular artist or style of music.more.Who will buy the final guitar that I havent I decide all the details with no reference at all toquite finished? And who will get the one where anyone else. I get the chance to find new bindingsIve put the neck on the wrong end? When I am and purflings, and to try out new little features,asked when I will retire, I usually say I am going each one is unique, and I can justify much higherto fall on my chisel. Moira thinks she will find me prices. This has been a lifeline for me, and it hasat my bench, having used my last moments to play produced some absolute beauties. Im approachingsomething on number 10,000.9,000 standard instruments now, and it is good toI digress, something else had happened.I had be able to make something different, it keeps mebeen receiving email newsletters from engineering interested, and I think it produces the best possiblecompanies, and I found some of the stories well instruments.worth reading, they were not simply advertising, It has made a huge difference to the way I feeland I always looked forward to the next issue. I about guitar making, Ive gone from makingwanted to do something similar, so I phoned Mike hundreds of identical guitars and selling themEnglish and asked the obvious question. Mikes to people I have never met, to making far fewer,standard reply to most things isWe can do that.sometimes unique guitars and meeting lots ofAnd we did.wonderful people. Putting such enormous effort into something, and sending it out to an unknownMike has been my interface with the real world destination is not good for the soul. Talking tofor quite a few years, I did have a basic website for the customer before, during, and after the salea while, but since Mike took charge, the Fylde site is another world.Every guitar makes me a newhas been better than even the major manufacturers friend. with huge budgets. It is full of information, interesting and easily navigated. Technology is It occurs to me that if I am forced to slow down,moving ever faster but Mike keeps us ahead of the this might be the route I could take. Perhaps I wontgame with his own wonderful photography and take orders, Ill just make what I feel like and offergraphics, and big chunks of words from me. I owe a them for sale until such time that I cant make anylot to Mike. Gomez and John Smith Fylde Mandolin sinks Nuclear SubmarineI expect you all know what a rider is,Gerry is currently an Instructor in the Royal Navy, and was onboard HMS Superb, on but just in case, its a set of comfortsa secret sneaky mission. At deep depth, and at maximum revs, whilst dived in the Red to be provided to the artist backstage,Sea, the submarine hit an underwater mountain. And after quite a stressful moment of set in stone in the contract. Basically,carrying out safety drills, we had to perform an emergency surface. The angle of the they should be food and drink, but in theboat was about 40 degrees and, after what seemed an eternity, we surfaced. Whilst good old days, fruit and flowers wereeveryone was being warned about phoning home and the command were trying to get mentioned a lot. guidance from the UK, my first thought was go forward, get 3 cans of beer and head to John had warned me that they hadthe lyser shack with my mandolin until everything settled downa surprise for me. We emptied threeSo that is how, with a little poetic licence, a simple Fylde Mandolin saved hundreds of bottles while I was there, but I have tolives and prevented world war three.admit they werent full to start with. 112'