b'Gordon GiltrapI cant remember the first contact I had with acoustic guitar playing other than my sisters boyfriends. My first ever record purchase was The Shads, so that might have been it, but I also bought records by John Mayall, Django Reinhardt, Davy Graham, Roy Harper and then The contemporary guitar sampler. That was most definitely the first time I ever heard Gordon Giltrap. The first volume of the sampler was just acoustic guitar, and Gordon may have been one of the reasons it wasnt called The Acoustic Guitar Sampler, because his playing was so different to all the others. Gordon did the same as me, he listened to players and tried to work out how it was all done, but somebody told him that steel strings had to be played with a plectrum like Hank Marvin and consequently Gordon worked out his own unique style, plectrum and little finger of the right hand. The resulting sound is unique and nearly always incredibly fast.Gordon was my first paying customer, and also bought my first ever 12-string. Later on he was my first signature artist, with a guitar specially designedfor his own particular needs, and marketed as the Fylde Gordon Giltrap Signature Guitar.It was based upon an Alchemist that Gordon played for a while, but withthe classic timbers of Rosewood and Spruce and an especially wide fingerboard. It also had a little feature of a recessed and sculpted truss rod cover because on most of Gordons guitars, it gets in the way of his trademark behind the nut string bending, so he takes it off and throws it away!Over the last 45 years he has had at least 12 instruments from me, one of which he used to record his big Hit- Heartsong. That guitar was eventually given to Cliff Richard, but recently Gordon has borrowed it back and isnt intending to return it.After buying an Orsino from me at Ullapool, Gordon fell in love with its light touch and responsiveness, resulting in a request for a similar guitar, but with a cutaway. It took me a while to think of a way of making it different, and eventually I made a Leonardo, but with the same materials as the Orsino. We are both very pleased with it.Gordon has been a huge support to me in professional and personal matters; we have shared some very special moments. He and his wife Hilary spent their honeymoon with me, and recently they stayed with us for their silver wedding. We always have some idea or other on the go between us, he introduced me to many of my early contacts and he was the obvious choice for writing the first introduction to this book.Thanks for all that, Gordon.31'