Home News Uke Chords Lessons Series Songs Books Pricing About Help
Sign In

Published:
2013-12-15
Updated:
2013-12-15

Learning Ukulele with Curt

Stapleton Guitars

I got my first guitar when i was about 13.A cheap and extremely nasty plywood model with metal strings about 1/2 " off the fingerboard(got me started on slide mind!)First thing I did was shave down the floating bridge to save my soft little fingers -it was the start of a long journey. Years went by I learnt to pick a little and went through a succession of gradually better guitars until I visited a guitar shop in Denmark St London(tin pan alley) and tried a Martin an epiphany - had to get one .I saved for a second hand D-35 but I wanted more. Budget would not allow so I hit on the idea of building my own. Enrolled at an evening class. 4 years later there it was a steel string, solid as a wardrobe but it played.

Main Category: Luthiers Main Instrument: Any

2013-12-15

Stapleton Guitars

I got my first guitar when i was about 13.A cheap and extremely nasty plywood model with metal strings about 1/2 " off the fingerboard(got me started on slide mind!)First thing I did was shave down the floating bridge to save my soft little fingers -it was the start of a long journey. Years went by I learnt to pick a little and went through a succession of gradually better guitars until I visited a guitar shop in Denmark St London(tin pan alley) and tried a Martin an epiphany - had to get one .I saved for a second hand D-35 but I wanted more. Budget would not allow so I hit on the idea of building my own. Enrolled at an evening class. 4 years later there it was a steel string, solid as a wardrobe but it played.

Struck by the immediacy of my new hobby I built a couple more and then enrolled at the London College of Furniture in London’s east end where they had a musical instrument technology dept. I specialised in violin family. In the last year (of 4) I met George Hinchliffe and a few of us got the embryonic Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain on the way. At this time the only ukes available were expensive vintage models or virtually unplayable cheap plywood types-and these were what we used. Eventually though I made a uke for everybody so kick starting my career in lutherie.

Marshall Stapleton Mondo Mando Providence Place Lyme Regis Dorset Great Britain