NGD 'Beatrix' Adrian Lucas Pergola guitar.
Jan 6, 2024 22:15:27 GMT
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Post by fatfingerjohn on Jan 6, 2024 22:15:27 GMT
I’ll keep the story as brief as possible! A while back, due to the need to downsize, I donated my lovely Regency/Georgian square piano, which had been converted to a beautiful desk, to Adrian Lucas who I knew loved using reclaimed material for his guitar builds. We had purchased this some 30 years ago and, whilst we didn’t know anything about when it was a piano, it was a beautiful item, made largely from mahogany.
Adrian performed his miracles on it and the resultant all-mahogany ‘Pergola’ guitar became part of the 'Boutique Guitar Showcase European Tour' in September 2023, shown across nine venues including Sweden, Italy and France. By amazing coincidence, some 2 months later, I saw on a TV programme about Beatrix Potter, a square mahogany piano which looked more or less identical to my old desk, clearly from the same maker. It turned out this was a renowned composer and pianist called Muzio Clementi (January 1752 – March 1832) who became known as the ‘Father of the Piano’ by manufacturing top quality instruments, and also founded a group of musicians known then as the "Philharmonic Society of London", which became the Royal Philharmonic Society in 1912.
Having discovered such an impressive provenance, I couldn’t resist contacting Adrian again and was amazed when he said he still had the guitar! It didn’t take much thought for me to make the purchase decision, despite the fact I didn’t ‘need’ another guitar. But ‘need’ didn’t come into it.
I have had little time in the last 3 days to play her (she’s called ‘Beatrix’ by the way) but she is magnificent and very different from my other instruments. Adrian’s love of using reclaimed material (Beatrix is all solid Honduras Mahogany with an English Holly fretboard and rosette and bog oak inlays, Douglas fir bracing from an old door and a mahogany neck from a reclaimed pool table). Short in stature doesn't deflect from having a wonderfully balanced tone. I’m so lucky to have been able to ‘square’ the circle; Regency square piano, to desk, to guitar, and back to me with Adrian being the magician.
Here's some pics; my converted paino; the piano in Beatrix Potter's house; the guitar; the lucky owner.
FFJ
Adrian performed his miracles on it and the resultant all-mahogany ‘Pergola’ guitar became part of the 'Boutique Guitar Showcase European Tour' in September 2023, shown across nine venues including Sweden, Italy and France. By amazing coincidence, some 2 months later, I saw on a TV programme about Beatrix Potter, a square mahogany piano which looked more or less identical to my old desk, clearly from the same maker. It turned out this was a renowned composer and pianist called Muzio Clementi (January 1752 – March 1832) who became known as the ‘Father of the Piano’ by manufacturing top quality instruments, and also founded a group of musicians known then as the "Philharmonic Society of London", which became the Royal Philharmonic Society in 1912.
Having discovered such an impressive provenance, I couldn’t resist contacting Adrian again and was amazed when he said he still had the guitar! It didn’t take much thought for me to make the purchase decision, despite the fact I didn’t ‘need’ another guitar. But ‘need’ didn’t come into it.
I have had little time in the last 3 days to play her (she’s called ‘Beatrix’ by the way) but she is magnificent and very different from my other instruments. Adrian’s love of using reclaimed material (Beatrix is all solid Honduras Mahogany with an English Holly fretboard and rosette and bog oak inlays, Douglas fir bracing from an old door and a mahogany neck from a reclaimed pool table). Short in stature doesn't deflect from having a wonderfully balanced tone. I’m so lucky to have been able to ‘square’ the circle; Regency square piano, to desk, to guitar, and back to me with Adrian being the magician.
Here's some pics; my converted paino; the piano in Beatrix Potter's house; the guitar; the lucky owner.
FFJ