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MS Model and my latest 12 fret New World Model with Douglas Fir soundboards..
Old Indian rosewood back and sides
A couple of videos were recently drawn to my attention. The first was a Dream Guitars video of a year ago in which Robin Bullock plays a Sobell bouzouki. Surely sold by now, but Robin plays so nicely it’s worth a watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDAPY-zujIQ
Robin Bullock with 4 course bouzouki
The second video is one made about me and my work in 2021 by Spoon Jar Films. I recall it was the day after a six hour drive and I was still feeling the effects, but Wayne and Matt were great and managed to convey my views on instruments and instrument building very effectively.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqep_ikrOCM
Wayne and Matt in my workshop
In 1991 I built a Model 1 guitar for my son Jason. Visiting him recently in Melbourne, Australia, I was interested to play it and find how the sound I’m looking for has changed over the intervening years.
At the time I built Jason’s Model 1, I had in mind the clear ringing sound of the Condal classical guitar I’d played in 60s folk clubs. It had an almost silvery sound, unlike most other classical guitars. I always loved the ring of steel treble strings so I strung it with nylon bass and steel trebles; not ideal for either intonation or structural longevity, but I loved it.
When I started building guitars, I was aiming for a steel string equivalent.
Jason’s guitar has the treble ring and clear bass of my guitars at this period. It’s a great sound, though despite a low action it feels rather stiff to play. But while the guitar is now 35 years old, it has hardly been played, and regular playing would surely have softened it somewhat.
The Brazilian rosewood is spectacular, and the sides match perfectly. I recall taking longer to bend these sides than any others ever; they put up an unusually tough fight.
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However, these days I’m looking for a fatter treble and warmer bass, but without losing the clarity of earlier models. I’m using different woods, different soundboard bracing and thickness, and bridge and neck designs have all been modified and developed.
Recent guitars now played by Darrell Scott and Martin Simpson are good examples of my current designs; warmer and fuller sounding, but clear with great separation.
Darrell Scott with Definitive Series 2D
Martin Simpson with Anniversary Series MS model
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Darrell Scott contacted me in late October 2025, asking if I had a guitar he could borrow for the 2026 Transatlantic Sessions tour, rather than have the hassle of bringing his over from the US. It happened to be a couple of days after I’d strung up the first of my Definitive Series guitars. This was an African Blackwood and Douglas fir 2D (extended scale) model, similar to the 2D he already had in the US.
I took it to him in Glasgow, where he was playing the first two Transatlantic Sessions concerts, and while there he recorded these songs for BBC Alba.
He loved the guitar from the start, and deciding he couldn’t live without it, took it back to the US at the end of the tour. He’s taking it on his upcoming tour in the US https://www.darrellscott.com/tour.
Darrell and Definitive D2 at the Transatlantic Sessions concert, The Glasshouse, Gateshead
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Some of us will remember Mike Harding for the comedy series he did on BBC, many years ago now. What they may not know that Mike is also a wonderful story-teller and a multi instrumentalist.
He and his wife Pat recently came to visit us in Hexham. From our days in the early folk clubs, I’ve known Mike for nearly sixty years. He’s the same knowledgeable and interesting person he always was, and every bit as sharp as ever.
While he was here, I checked and did a little work on the frets of his Sobell mandolin, now four years old, and also adjusted the truss-rod on his Collins mandolin. Both played better afterwards.
Mike played me a couple of tunes on his Sobell, and I loved both the tunes and Mike’s playing.
I love his jumper.
Mike with Sobell mandolin
Darrell Scott opening the concert
Yesterday Liz and I attended the Transatlantic Sessions concert at the Glasshouse, Gateshead. There was a really big crowd; the main auditorium seats over fifteen hundred people and looked to be sold out.
The stage was crowded as always, the regular musicians joined by Darrell Scott, Kathy Mattea, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh and Karine Polwart. I hadn’t realised Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves were now regulars with their lovely old-time banjo and fiddle; I really love their music. They were joined on one tune by Darrell Scott playing guitar.
Darrell opened the concert by pointing out I had made the guitar he was playing, getting a gratifying cheer and round of applause. He sang two songs and, after the interval, his great song ‘You’ll never leave Harlan alive’ with Kathy Mattea, the country singer who recorded it and made it famous. Then bass player Daniel Kimbro borrowed the guitar for a solo song of his own.
Allison de Groot and Tatania Hargreaves, John Doyle and Karine Polwart behind
Darrell singing ‘You’ll never leave Harlan alive’ with Kathy Mattea. Both Darrell and Kathy and several other singers have recorded it.
Daniel Krimbo playing Darrell’s guitar. It’s a long scale D guitar, so Daniel capos at the second fret to get standard scale and pitch.
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Innovations can be the result of deep thought. Or serendipity. Or a ‘how can I sort this’ moment.
The soundboard logo was the last of these. I had just finished building a 40th Anniversary New World guitar and was giving it a final once over before it went to the spray booth. On the soundboard, just to the right of the fingerboard was a tiny mark that I expected to sand out.
To my horror, the mark increased in size. It was a tiny knot, the mark had been the tip of the iceberg and was becoming bigger. Nothing to affect the sound but an obvious blemish in the soundboard was a cosmetic nightmare.
At this time I was inlaying a large stylised Birdseye Maple S into the headstock of my then new 40th Anniversary Model guitars, and a half size version into my other guitars’ headstocks.
Looking at these and then at the blemish, it occurred to me that perhaps an ebony half size version would just cover it. Haydn Williams does my CNC inlays, so after a brief phone call I was off to see him with the New World guitar.
Haydn had already prepared the program, so cut a half size ebony logo and we inlaid it into the soundboard. The blemish was gone and the logo looked good.
So good I now fit it to all guitars. It’s shown left on a recent long scale 2D guitar, now in the US with Paul Aegerter.
The time has come around for another Transatlantic Sessions tour. As always, Jerry Douglas, Ali Bain and the other regulars are joined by more musicians, this time including Darrell Scott.
Rather than bring a guitar over from the US, Darrell is borrowing one of mine, a long scale 2D very like the one he has in the US. Both have African Blackwood back and sides, but this one has a Douglas Fir soundboard rather than figured Sitka and a figured old mahogany neck instead of Wengé.
The tour starts in Glasgow, so on a dark rainy day, with Dave Richardson for company, I struggled through rush hour traffic to Darrell’s hotel. This to give Darrell an opportunity to weigh up the instrument he will play on 9 Transatlantic concerts and a solo gig.
Darrell spent a while exploring everything about it so as to be ready for the rehearsal. I had taken a small but excellent Yamaha amplifier with me, so he was also able to hear the Highlander amplified sound.
Darrell is a remarkable guitarist, the guitar sounded wonderful in his hands. Like other great guitarists, rather than simply imposing his will on a guitar, he also finds out what a guitar likes and how it sounds best, and makes decisions accordingly.
His Transatlantic sessions rehearsal was the next day. He reported back to tell me it was perfect and the TA house band all liked it too.
Tour dates here:
https://www.transatlanticsessions.com/transatlantic-sessions-tour-2026/
Darrell’s solo gig:
Saturday 31 January 2026 at 85 Drygate, Glasgow, G4 0UT
Playing Douglas Fir and African Blackwood 2D