b'John SmithLike my very own Puck, Roger Bucknall has announced key moments in my story with a demonic glint in his eye. And so I wonder; does his inconspicuous workshop really exist when no one is there to walk into it? Is his strange-shaped house in the Lakes hidden from eyes that have not been granted permission to see it? No joke. The sound of his guitars is earthy yet otherworldly, totally real yet almost mystical in tone. He has given sane people cause to ask unreasonable questionsbut we shouldnt be too fooled by that glint. Roger is very real and he frequently pours good whiskey from the bottle of human kindness.I first encountered Fylde in the shape of a cedar and rosewood Orsino with strange card-deck fret markings in a London guitar shop. I had been bothering the folk scene for two years with a factory-made acoustic guitar when I caught a break and was invited onto a national tour as support act. Driving south from Glasgow I called ahead and stopped in to talk with this Fylde man. I was younger and more arrogant then, and I boldly declared that he needed some new artists to endorse. A new folk scene was emerging and who better than myself to pioneer these wonderful handmade instruments? It would be beneficial to us both, I said. The truth was that I was poor and desperate but I truly felt that I was close to finding my instrument, as in the one. I had to have a Fylde. Roger eyed me warily for a moment and said yes, alright then and cut me a deal.I told him about that Orsino. He suggested that instead I play a Falstaff. It was the single most beautiful guitar I had ever played. He recommended some wood and let me pick a matched pair. I left that day knowing that my life was about to change forever.Since that day I have had several Fyldes. Some have been straight forward and others quite unusual. I do spend long afternoons puzzling over my eight-string baritone resonator guitar. Roger is always looking for ways to experiment and push not only his own boundaries as a builder, but the rules obeyed by almost every other builder working today. I have had the great pleasure of recommending him to some of my favourite guitarists and later, hearing their cries of joy when they receive their first Fylde.Roger Bucknall has enabled me to become a better guitar player and I am grateful.13'