Don's first efforts involved the steel from the door of an old Volvo car but I soon realised it was way too heavy. Don would lay awake at night thinking of ways to overcome difficulties and eventually got one guitar made well enough to string it up.

Don made another, better, one and then one for a friend and now, 20 years later, DOn doesn't have time to do very much else. In 2018 Donold my 500th instrument and so far Ihe has made 380 guitars, 65 or so mandolins and more than 80 ukuleles. Because Don uses his own guitars in many different situations – solo, duo, band, amplified, acoustic, for recording, for busking – Don gets a chance to see how they perform in all conditions. (Some customers may be disturbed to hear that their guitar has been road tested at the local markets!)