Well, that is how it all started, and I soon had to make the decision whether to continue in my existing job or take my chance working for myself making machine heads. This is what I chose to do and though it has been hard work I am sure I made the right choice. Muriel has been my "right hand man" without whom the project could have never got off the ground, and Rob soon fell victim to the evils of child labour. I have a photo of him standing on a large wooden box in front of our first lathe, polishing some brass parts and on the back of his T-shirt are the words "I am 4".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Things have come a long way since then, and he and his wife Sue, now run a very efficient workshop with special-purpose machines, a CNC lathe, computer controlled precision engraving machine etc., all made by ourselves, and our combined aim is to produce "the best". Our pricing policy is very simple. We have one price list and the prices are calculated from the expenses and time taken to make a set of machines. Each set is hand built, and is as individual as possible. We do not operate any system of discounts and the price is set entirely from the specification of the machine head which the customer has ordered. We send our machine heads all over the world to Luthiers, players, dealers and loving collectors, and the amazing thing is that everyone seems to know everyone else. It is rather like a worldwide fraternity, and if we are thought of as members, that gives us a great deal of pride and pleasure, much more satisfying than being a machine-tool designer!

About this time a life-changing experience happened when Muriel and I went to the De Montfort Hall in Leicester to hear a concert given by one of the giants of the guitar world, accompanied by a full orchestra. Outside the weather was cold and wet, in the hall it was hot and dry and the giant had been delayed en route. His guitar was extremely upset about all this, and it is sad to record that most of our virtuoso's time on stage was spent in tuning which, to the audience appeared to be a private war of attrition between the two of them.
This was not what what an orchestra and two thousand people had come to see, and though most were sympathetic to the combatants, there was certainly some coughing and shuffling of feet. My own thoughts were that maybe a machine head made to Gerald's dream of perfection would have reduced the guesswork and
eased the suffering all round. It was certainly blindingly obvious that the ability to tune a stringed instrument with ease is more than just a luxury, and a good machine head is an essential integral part of a guitar, not just an add-on of little consequence, where quality does not matter. I returned to my bench next morning with a new sense of destiny. My second effort was slightly better than the first and, unbeknown to me, Gerald passed it on to David Rubio, who needs no introduction. This worthy gentleman was just setting out on a lecture tour of the U.S. and took my effort number two with him. Much to my surprise I started receiving orders from abroad, not only from the U.S. but also from Germany, Japan as well as the U.K. and I am proud to say that most of my very first customers are still my customers and friends after well over twenty years.

 

More years ago than I care to remember, I was perfectly happy working as a machine-tool designer when one weekend, my wife Muriel's cousin came to stay with us. His name was (and still is) Gerald Crowson, and those of you who also work with stringed instruments tuned with pegs will most likely be familiar with Gerald's large and excellent range of these products.

However, on this fateful visit he brought with him a very beautiful guitar which he himself had made. He claimed to have lost several fingers during it's construction and thought this was a high price to pay for an instrument with which he was only partially satisfied. Most of the blood stains had been removed or hidden so that was all right but something else was worrying the lad, namely the thing at the end of the guitar neck, which he called a machine head or tuning machine.

Gerald is a perfectionist and said his guitar was an exact replica of an 1899 Something, and I said that with a tuner like that nailed to it the price sounded about right to me. His reply was not fit for the ears of anyone, (even a Luthier). Now I have always enjoyed model making and can hardly remember not having a workshop, some tools and a lathe and I strongly suspect that Gerald had this in his mind well before his visit, and arrived with his tear-jerking story already well rehearsed. I soon wilted under the pressure, pushed my latest model steam loco to one side (where is remains to this day) and launched into my first set of machine heads.

Gerald said he would certainly die young unless I made him a set of machine heads authentic to the 1899 original in dimensions, material and style, with accurately meshing backlash free gearing. After several months of struggle and frustration I realised I had sadly underestimated the difficulties involved. Several times I rang him to ask for a reprieve but he would have none of it, and even refused to die young, so I had to soldier on regardless.

Eventually I produced something which I thought might keep him quiet and, much to my relief he was pleased with it, but he failed to keep quiet! He said he had talked to several instrument makers and was convinced that there would be a welcome for high quality machine heads, smooth and accurate in operation, attractive in appearance, available in a range of materials, dimensions and styles, and built with the same degree of care and pride as the guitar to which they would be fitted, and that there isn't a guitar in the world which would not be improved by fitting a better tuning mechanism. I said I didn't wish to know this , as I already had a job I enjoyed, though I had to admit I was rather pleased with my efforts, rather like the man who walked across Antarctica; no fun at the time, a great feeling of achievement but no wish to ever repeat the ordeal, but I digress and you must be getting bored.