My Website Has Always Been An Outlet To Share Information, Education & Passion

From the conception, I was using the internet (my website) to update customers on latest guitar news and anything I thought would be of interest. I also ran a guitar forum to bring guitarists together in a way that had never been experienced before.

Bare in mind this was "old school" era (30 years ago) - I learned how to create a page and upload it via AOL Dial Up!

I would give out cards to customers who visited which would have my "website address" printed on it (which people would find fascinating/amusing) most of whom didn't even have an email address!

I was constantly told by industry folk that guitars will never sell online - little did they know that online business was already changing my life - and theirs, in ways they could never imagine.

Inconvenient Truths

As I now realize are part of every industry - and all areas of society.

"Inconvenient" truths are truths that are best not spoken about in the name of profit and "growth".

There is a phrase "never meet your heros" and this was never more true than my experience dealing with the likes of Gibson. I constantly struggled with the commercial realities of brand perception vs the brand reality.

My every day would be dominated by Fender & Gibson enqiuries - but only wanted to talk about this wonderful brand I just learned about ... Gordon Smith!

My showroom would be full of Taylors, Martins, Takamine & Yamaha - but I had now found a brand that stole my heart completely, to the point it made me feel like my reality to that point had been build on a lie! This brand was called Stonebridge - and this was 25 YEARS ago! Later to become Furch.

To this day, I continue to love promoting these incredible brands which have a genuine story to tell - one based on tone, feel, build quality, dedication to the pursuit of greatness!!

Every brand I recommend is a genuine benchmark and I will put my reputation behind every one.

Valiant Guitars. A Truly World Class & Utterly Unique Electric Guitar Brand

There is nothing more exciting for me personally than putting a guitar in someone's hands and watch that "penny drop" moment and the smile that immediately follows, and the comment "Why have I never heard of these?!!"

The advent of the Internet has enabled independent voices to give exposure to brands that would have otherwise been hidden under the massive marketing campaigns of the dominant brands of yesteryear - backed up by their allies who help keep realities well and truly dampened down - the mainstream press (or anyone it would seem who prioritises profit over truth - which appears to be most)