b'that three other UK makers have attempted theFirst, it is a question of supply - what is available? same idea but only for the back and sides, not theIs the wood strong and stable enough, can it be soundboard. Recently I have been sent some woodbent, shaped, glued and polished? Then everything from Jack Daniels distillery in the USA, whichevolves slowly over the years, until a particular makes me feel a little treacherous, but I like thetimber becomes associated with a particular idea of reaching out a little further.Tennessee isinstrument and certain tones. If the violin had certainly a little further. evolved in Brazil, its materials, shape and music In some percussion instruments, like the marimba,might have been very different. it is the wood itself that generates the sound andWe only need to look at the Sitar, Ukulele or Banjo defines the tone of the instrument. In a stringto see other instruments that clearly came about instrument, the vibrating string generates thefrom a particular combination of materials and sound, but contributes very little to the tone. Thetechnology that were available at the place and design and structure of the instrument are thetime, but it applies to every instrument anywhere. most important things here, and the timbers usedThe steel string guitar is an American development. are just one of the factors that can be manipulatedIt may have its routes in Europe, but its current towards a desired result.form has evolved around timbers that were easily The word tonewood simply means any timberavailable in America at that time; Maple and that is used in making musical instruments. It isSpruce from the North, Mahogany and Rosewood not the case that some woods produce a tone,from the South. Those guitars set the standards while other timbers do not. I could write aboutfor all makers forever onwards, but as one type of that at considerable length, certainly each timberspruce or rosewood became difficult to obtain, the may sound different, some instruments aremakers willingly changed to another that was more characterised by the sound of a specific timber, andeasily available. All the US makers have changed many players will have their own preference, butmaterials over the years, and new timbers are nearly every timber ever discovered could be, andconstantly being tried, with new subtleties of tone probably has been, used to make music.and appearance. There is no best material, only individual preference and fashion.Hattie BriggsHattie Briggs caused quite a stir when she toured with Alfie Boe last year, and Roy Harper various friends put us in touch. I had a Roy was quite an important part of my musical upbringing, the first two albums I everLeonardo model available, and she has bought were The Shadows Greatest Hits (of course), and Roys Come out fightingtaken to it very well. Then Covid came Genghis Smith in 1967, and I learnt to play quite a lot of both. along! We shall see how it works out.Roy regards this guitar as one of the three best guitars he has had, and he has had a lot!A Falstaff with a Cedar top, this style became the Ken Nicol signature model a few years later.The guitar is now owned by Harry Pearce who designs Roys album covers. (And many others). He tells me that Steve Hackett used it on his album Beyond the Shrouded Horizon85'