b'The Alexander has been the base design for lots ofworkshop. Im a great believer in keeping as much special orders since then, probably more than anyas possible in house, and I wish I had done this other model, and I cant deny that the name has aa lot earlier. Its also an opportunity to work with certain resonance with me. metal for a change.Acoustic guitar sales had still not picked up much,25 years and new timbersbut the market for mandolin type instruments seemed bottomless. The range had expanded by1998 was my twenty-fifth anniversary as a this time; I was making Bouzoukis and Citternsprofessional guitar maker, and I thought it needed with large bodies and arched tops in response toto be marked in some way. After a few experiments constant requests. I called them Arch Top modelsI tightened the curves on the Falstaff and Orsino - I amaze myself with my inventiveness sometimes.Models, and added coloured purflings to the I cant remember why I didnt try harder to findOberon and Falstaff. Every guitar I was making was a good name for them, but its a bit late now. Innow updated and fresh. I had continually refined 2005 I made a new mandolin, and thought of athe internal structure and felt that I was making brilliant name - Touchstone, the clever court Jesterprogress. from As you like it. I should have thought of it aIn a continued attempt to keep away from lot earlier, I think it is spot on for mandolins, andRosewood and to use sustainable timbers, or at it has become another family name to includeleast timbers that could be reclaimed from other Touchstone bouzoukis, mandolas, and citterns.products, I began to look around to see what was I can sell far more of all these than I can make,available and had a good story that I could use to but the business is called Fylde Guitars, not Fyldepublicise it. My main man at work at the time, Steve mandolins, mandolas, bouzoukis and citterns, thatWhite, suggested a beer barrel, which I thought wouldnt fit on my business cards. was a brilliant idea, but soon discovered that it was Making a new mandolin prompted me to design myabout twenty years too late, beer barrels were now own tailpieces, so I made patterns and had bronzemade from aluminium or plastic. I have a share in castings made which we fettle and polish in thea local cooperative pub - the very first one in the country, and they suggested whisky barrels, which Gareth Evans Tony Hazzard Nancy WilsonGareth is rather unusual, he has built hisTony has written songs for The Hollies,Nancy (Im sure you know who Nancy livelihood not by public performance, butManfred Mann, Lulu, The Yardbirds,is) bought a Cittern from me many years upon musical arrangement and teaching. Hermans Hermits, The Tremeloes, Geneago, then passed it on to our mutual He is a very impressive guitarist, andPitney and Andy Williams, among others.friend Julie Bergman. Here she is playing shares his skills via his web basedRoger Moss was a local guitarist whileJulies Eric Bibb Custom in Santa Rosa. business, Goliath Guitar Tutorials. I oftenI was in Southampton, we recordedCAtell him to get to the Ullapool Festival. together, with me playing violin!Roger brought Tony to me, and they bought a matched pair of Falstaff guitars.83'