Today’s guest is luthier Gary Southwell.
Gary makes fine classical guitars in his workshop in Redesdale. His instruments have been commissioned by, among many other eminent musicians, Julian Bream, John Williams and Paul Simon.
He has pioneered the use of Bog Oak, a type of dark, almost black wood that has been buried for thousands of years and is found in only a few locations in the country. The secret of drying it out in pieces large enough to use in guitar-making is known to a select few.
In this episode, you can hear several examples of music played on one of Gary’s Fenland Black Oak A Series guitars: Shining Morn, written and performed by Gordon Giltrap; London Blues No. 4, written by Graham Lynch and performed by Tom Kerstens; and Bog Oak Bouree, written and performed by Richard Durrant.
Gary’s website (https://www.southwellguitars.co.uk/) includes a wealth of information about the instruments he makes, including videos of musicians playing his guitars and background about his approach to making his instruments. The link to the Heartwood CD is https://www.southwellguitars.co.uk/heartwood/.
