Instruments that become “keepers”

Over the decades I have played and owned countless instruments. Prior to becoming fascinated with ukuleles, I already had a great guitar collection. After spending a significant amount of time with Martin Simpson I started to explore other instruments including dobros, mandolas and walking bass dulcimers. Some instruments come and go and some are “keepers” for life. The keepers tend to be the best of the best and are often custom builds. In many cases I might wait 2+ years for such instruments! I have two guitars from Stefan Sobell, both of which are quite extraordinary. The New World guitar took two years to build. Similarly I have a mandola from Stefan that look a year to build and the latest Shimo was a two year wait. In all cases these instruments fall under “the keeper category!

My main live ukulele is a tenor built by Rob Collins in the UK. This was made with African Blackwood and has a McIntyre pickup in it. Its a great playing no frills instrument and has only got better with age. Sometimes I’ll chance across instruments that I didn’t expect to but, let alone hold onto for life. An increasing number of these have come from the Ukulele Mania store in Japan including the latest National olive green resophonic, the Lax 5 string Shimo and a great Peter Lieberman soprano. Its great to be genuinely surprised by an instrument and to then find the exact same instrument inspires exploring new sonic territory. In terms of recording the Shimo Comet 3 has become a key instrument, because it sounds like nothing else! The new Sobell mandola was also featured on the latest “Protest Songs” EP and sounds fantastic.

The instruments that stay are those that play and sound unique. Its the difference between “a good meal” and a great meal! I’m also mindful not to have too much duplication and recently in Japan I played some amazing Brazilian Rosewood, spruce top tenors built by Japanese luthiers which I would have bought in a heartbeat but for the fact I already had that sound. The National reso on the other hand is totally different to anything else I own and will be used in recordings.

On the guitar front I have some great electrics as well as acoustics. These include a Collings I35, some custom strats and a telecaster built by Dan Ransom in SF that must be the heaviest instrument on the globe. That said it sounds like nothing else. I also own two Parkers, a Spanish Fly and a Bronze Fly. Both a great and both were bought second hand. Sometimes great instruments can appear second hand and I have never regretted making such purchases. The instruments that stay are those that have some special magic about them. The Stefan Sobells, Pete Howletts, Bill Collings, Takahiro Shimos, Pete Liebermans and Rob Collins’s of this world tend to be wonderfully opinionated and possess such magic that makes their instruments “keepers”

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