b'There had never been a guitar manufacturer inhard headed at times. I was driven to get the guitars the UK before Fylde. A few individual maker/ made, so I did whatever needed to be done and repairers, yes, but no one who wanted the hasslesaid whatever needed to be said. If this caused a of employment and expansion. Usually, the sort ofproblem during the day, somebody was likely to get person who wants to make musical instrumentsa knock on their door that evening and be dragged is not the sort of person who wants to employout for a drink and a meaningful conversation with people, or even the sort of person who wants to beno one else listening. Management by pub, should employed by somebody else. be in the text books.It is difficult enough when the boss is actuallySocrates had the idea of a Symposium, which just the senior employee working for an unseenwas a collection of people drinking just enough board of directors, but quite another when he hasto make them tell the truth. Very sensible man started the business himself, built all the machinerySocrates, particularly after a few drinks. I love and special tools and mortgaged his house toyou Aristophanes, I really do, youre the best. finance it all. In a small business, employmentNo, Socrates, youre the best, youre a real friend. is a relationship, and when the relationshipNo, no Aristophanes, youre the best, a real breaks down, the damage goes very deep. Iphissopholor, philsopholer, phisolopher. That Plato, had no background in management other thanhes not a real phosilliphor, he never even buys a observing other people and none of the staff haddrink. I love you Socrates made guitars before. It wasnt easy. I tried to treatNew customers everyone the same, but the same approach didnt work with everyone. There is the dilemma in manMeeting one musician opens doors to a whole series management - consistency versus diversity.of new contacts. I had made friends with a group The team had lots of skills - pattern making,of people who were involved in the recording musicians, mechanics, artists, even aeronauticsbusiness in London and New York, and I was and teaching, I was younger than most of them andsupplying ever-increasing numbers of guitars to there were lots of egos, but it was my business, myFylde US Inc My agent in New York had the best money, my ideas, my vision and I had to be verycontact book ever, and took orders from many Craig FullerColin Meloy Craig is a founder member of Pure Innes Watson Afounder member of Tarkio, beforePrairie League Then with the band forming The Decemberists, Colin is justAmerican Flyer, he had an album Inness first Fylde was always beingone of many American singer/guitaristsproduced by Sir George Martin, before bashed and left behind in odd places,who acknowledge UK guitarists such as becoming a member of Little Featso I made him another, and he fell offNic Jones, plus a lot of UK Rock bandsHe has a nice little collection of Fyldes his bike and smashed it. Its fixed now.as an influence in their own music.- a mandolin, bouzouki and recently, an Innes was taught fiddle by Lucy Cowan,Orsino. No need to stop there Colin.who was the inspiration for the LucettaEvery time I check, the Decemberists are mandolin! He usually looks as if he justgetting bigger and bigger.thought of something important, probably remembering where he left his other guitar.55'