FYLDE GUITARS

If Roger Bucknall were a chef he’d have two Michelin stars, possibly three. After all, in nearly 60 years of guitar making he’s served up bespoke tonewood recipes to some of the world’s principal gourmets of acoustic guitar tone…

- David Mead

Roger Bucknall began building guitars professionally in 1973 on the Fylde coast of Lancashire, although he actually built his first instrument in his father’s garage at the age of nine. With a degree in engineering – he insists guitar building is simply engineering with wood – and an interest in the works of William Shakespeare (all Fylde models bear the name of one of the Bard’s characters) combined with a love of guitar and music in general, he set up shop.

Relocating to Fylde’s current location in Penrith in the mid-90s, Roger has made guitars for folk legends, including Martin Simpson, Martin Carthy, Davey Graham and Nic Jones, and jazz players Al Di Meola, Pat Metheny and Biréli Lagrène, as well as artists like Sting, Pete Townshend and Paul McCartney.

In 2016 he was awarded an MBE for services to ‘guitar making, music and heritage crafts’. “I did wonder if I would be granted an annual stipend, but apparently not, and I don’t even get my own castle,” he said at the time.

We visited Roger and his small team of builders on a rainy December morning last year and found a hive of activity. After a quick tour, we asked him about the instruments currently making their way through his workshop.