As you probably know from previous ramblings, I’m very keen on seeing how people find ways to sidestep the mainstream, avoiding the homogenising effects of big business by remaining independent. There’s something so satisfying about seeing someone create a product (whether it’s a guitar, amplifier, CD or piece of software) completely on their own terms. So here’s a quick advert for friends of mine who are Doing Their Own Thing…
Bill Jehle is a hugely talented guitarist from Alabama. I’ve known him for a while as a fellow member of the recording collective we both take part in, and he’s released a number of independent CDs of his music. As far as I’m aware, Bill’s latest release, ‘control FREAK’ is unique… it’s a seven-track album recorded with guitars he built himself, but the CD also has an interactive section where Bill takes you through the processes of building those very guitars.
Two regular denizens of the #ukmg chatroom are even more heavily involved in the nuts and bolts of guitar gear. Trev Ridney has recently started designing and building valve amplifiers to his own exacting specifications, and judging by the audio snippets I’ve heard, Tipton Amplification deserves to be a huge success.
And at the other end of a curly jack cable, Paul Creedy is building, repairing and modifying guitars under the name of arrowheadguitars. Go on, get him to build the custom guitar of your dreams…