Chris Eccleshall
Encyclopedia
Christopher J. Eccleshall (born 26 May 1948) is an English luthier
, guitar designer, guitar dealer and authorised repairer of Martin
, Gibson
and Guild
guitars, and also received the blessing of Mario Maccaferri to make reproductions of his Selmer-Maccaferri jazz guitars.
His main business is making custom-built acoustic and electric guitars, although he also produces a standard range of solid body electrics under the name "Electric Lady." He also makes solid bodied electric mandolins, acoustic mandolins, mandolas and bouzoukis.
Eccleshall originally trained as a violin maker with W. E. Hill and Sons of Bond Street, London, who at the time were the number one violin company in the world. He was also an engineer in the Fleet Air Arm
. Later he moved to Ealing Strings at Ealing Common, London. During this time Eccleshall still found time to make and repair guitars, eventually becoming so busy he set up his own workshop and went into making guitars full-time. British guitar makers were virtually unheard of at the time, but Eccleshall was one of the first to win recognition, along with Tony Zemaitis and John Birch
. Week after week the three were involved in a competition to get their outlandish guitar designs onto Top of the Pops
during the heyday of British Glam Rock
. Although his name is better known to insiders than to the general public, Eccleshall is now well established as one of the world's leading guitar makers.
, Dave Davies
, David Bowie
, Rory Gallagher
, Paul Weller
, Davey Arthur
(The Fureys
), The Sweet, The Cure
, The Levellers, New Order
, The Alarm
, This Picture
, The Men They Couldn't Hang
, Richard Stilgoe
and Richard Digance
.
to make and distribute an Eccleshall-designed Stratocaster-style guitar. Eccleshall travelled to the Japanese factory to supervise the setup and was very pleased with Japanese engineering standards. These guitars are very rare in Europe and are mostly now in Japan and America.
In 1986 Eccleshall uprooted from his native Ealing
to move to Dartington
and a few years later moved his workshop again to Buckfastleigh
. In 2008 he met local timberman and guitarist Eddie Cameron and together they began a new series of co-designed guitars handmade by Eccleshall to a standard design and marketed under the name Electric Lady, again based on the Stratocaster but with locally sourced timber and British humbucking pickups
. He now works at his home in Ipplepen
.
and Kevin Chilcott throughout his career.
in an alloy U-channel, made the first sideless hardtail bridge for a Telecaster (without the original design's raised edges, intended to hold a chromed pickup cover which hardly anyone uses), and pioneered the rectangular solid machined steel block bridge saddles which are now the standard type on modern Telecasters & Stratocasters. He also built a solid body electric sitar - not a sitar guitar but a real sitar - for the late John Perkins.
acoustic, but is smaller. The Kestrel and Falcon electric guitars have solid bodies but with a 335
outline. The MC Model has the 175
outline but in 3/4 size with a slimline body. His 335-style bass is a unique hollow-bodied instrument used by Eddie Macdonald of The Alarm
, Peter Hook
of Joy Division
& New Order
and Simon Gallup
of The Cure
. Eccleshall's solid electric mandolin is used by many electric folk bands and features a pickup hand-wound by Eccleshall.
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
, guitar designer, guitar dealer and authorised repairer of Martin
C. F. Martin & Company
C.F. Martin & Company is a US guitar manufacturer established in 1833 by Christian Frederick Martin. Martin is highly regarded for its steel-string guitars, and is a leading mass manufacturer of flattop acoustics with models that retail for thousands of dollars and vintage instruments that often...
, Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
and Guild
Guild Guitar Company
The Guild Guitar Company is a USA-based guitar manufacturer founded in 1952 by Alfred Dronge, a guitarist and music-store owner, and George Mann, a former executive with the Epiphone Guitar Company...
guitars, and also received the blessing of Mario Maccaferri to make reproductions of his Selmer-Maccaferri jazz guitars.
His main business is making custom-built acoustic and electric guitars, although he also produces a standard range of solid body electrics under the name "Electric Lady." He also makes solid bodied electric mandolins, acoustic mandolins, mandolas and bouzoukis.
Eccleshall originally trained as a violin maker with W. E. Hill and Sons of Bond Street, London, who at the time were the number one violin company in the world. He was also an engineer in the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
. Later he moved to Ealing Strings at Ealing Common, London. During this time Eccleshall still found time to make and repair guitars, eventually becoming so busy he set up his own workshop and went into making guitars full-time. British guitar makers were virtually unheard of at the time, but Eccleshall was one of the first to win recognition, along with Tony Zemaitis and John Birch
John Birch (luthier)
John Birch was an English luthier mainly known for his electric guitars. His customers included Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath, Brian May of Queen, Dave Hill and Jim Lea of Slade, Gerry Shephard of The Glitter Band, and Roy Orbison.-Early life and career:John Birch was born in West...
. Week after week the three were involved in a competition to get their outlandish guitar designs onto Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
during the heyday of British Glam Rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
. Although his name is better known to insiders than to the general public, Eccleshall is now well established as one of the world's leading guitar makers.
Celebrity customers
Over the years Eccleshall's customers have included Pete TownshendPete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
, Dave Davies
Dave Davies
David Russell Gordon "Dave" Davies is an English rock musician best known for his role as lead guitarist and vocalist for the English rock band The Kinks....
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Rory Gallagher
Rory Gallagher
William Rory Gallagher, ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995, was an Irish blues-rock multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and bandleader. Born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland, and raised in Cork, Gallagher recorded solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, after forming the band Taste...
, Paul Weller
Paul Weller
Paul Weller is an English singer-songwriter. Starting with the band The Jam , Weller then went on to branch out musically to a more soulful style with The Style Council...
, Davey Arthur
Davey Arthur
- Biography :Arthur moved to Scotland at the age of two. He started to play music at the age of eight, and at 18 he returned to Ireland, where he started to compose his own music. He became world famous after he joined The Fureys, when they had their most successful hits...
(The Fureys
The Fureys
The Fureys are an Irish male folk band of four brothers - Eddie, Finbar, Paul and George, from Ballyfermot, Dublin. They have also been credited as The Fureys and Davey Arthur.The group formed in 1978 and consisted initially of four brothers....
), The Sweet, The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, The Levellers, New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
, The Alarm
The Alarm
The Alarm are an alternative rock band that emerged from North Wales in the late 1970s. They started as a mod band and stayed together for over ten years. As a rock band, they displayed marked influences from Welsh language and culture...
, This Picture
This Picture
This Picture were a UK alternative rock band that was formed in 1989 in Cheltenham, England and broke up in 1995, after releasing two albums.-History:...
, The Men They Couldn't Hang
The Men They Couldn't Hang
The Men They Couldn't Hang are a British folk punk group. The original group consisted of Stefan Cush , Paul Simmonds , Philip "Swill" Odgers , Jon Odgers and Shanne Bradley .- Controversy and success:Their first single, "The Green Fields...
, Richard Stilgoe
Richard Stilgoe
Richard Henry Simpson Stilgoe OBE is a British songwriter, lyricist and musician. He is noted for clever wordplay as much as for his music....
and Richard Digance
Richard Digance
Richard Digance is a comedian and folk singer.- Biography :He studied Mechanical Engineering at Reid Kerr College Paisley, during which time he was inspired by Billy Connolly....
.
Collaborations
In the early 1980s Eccleshall struck a licensing deal with the Japanese-made brand KimbaraKimbara
Kimbara is the brand name of a range of guitars which were commissioned by the UK-based musical instrument wholesaler FCN Music.The brand name was first registered on the 2nd of January 1968 and the guitar production involved FCN Music commissioning guitars from various factories across the Far...
to make and distribute an Eccleshall-designed Stratocaster-style guitar. Eccleshall travelled to the Japanese factory to supervise the setup and was very pleased with Japanese engineering standards. These guitars are very rare in Europe and are mostly now in Japan and America.
In 1986 Eccleshall uprooted from his native Ealing
Ealing
Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
to move to Dartington
Dartington
Dartington is a village in Devon, England. Its population is 1,917. It is located west of the River Dart, south of Dartington Hall and about two miles from Totnes...
and a few years later moved his workshop again to Buckfastleigh
Buckfastleigh
Buckfastleigh is a small market town and civil parish in Devon, England situated beside the Devon Expressway at the edge of the Dartmoor National Park. It is part of Teignbridge District and, for ecclesiastical purposes lies within the Totnes Deanery. It has a population of 3,661...
. In 2008 he met local timberman and guitarist Eddie Cameron and together they began a new series of co-designed guitars handmade by Eccleshall to a standard design and marketed under the name Electric Lady, again based on the Stratocaster but with locally sourced timber and British humbucking pickups
Humbucker
A humbucker is a type of electric guitar pickup, first patented by Seth Lover and the Gibson company, that uses two coils, both generating string signal. Humbuckers have higher output than a single coil pickup since both coils are connected in series...
. He now works at his home in Ipplepen
Ipplepen
Ipplepen is a small village located within the county of Devon in south-west England. A priory was located there.-Location:Ipplepen is situated about to the west of the market town of Newton Abbot. Ipplepen is also located just from the southern edge of Dartmoor and about to the north-west of...
.
Training
Eccleshall has worked with many apprentices and assistants and has trained and advised other luthiers including George LowdenGeorge Lowden
George Lowden is a guitar maker, luthier, based in Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland. He constructs acoustic guitars, steel and nylon strung.-Company:...
and Kevin Chilcott throughout his career.
Innovations
Eccleshall has been responsible for several inventions for which he never received the credit. He claims to have been the first to house a guitar neck's truss rodTruss rod
The truss rod is part of a guitar or banjo used to stabilize and adjust the lengthwise forward curvature , of the neck. Usually it is a steel rod that runs inside the neck and has a bolt that can be used to adjust its tension...
in an alloy U-channel, made the first sideless hardtail bridge for a Telecaster (without the original design's raised edges, intended to hold a chromed pickup cover which hardly anyone uses), and pioneered the rectangular solid machined steel block bridge saddles which are now the standard type on modern Telecasters & Stratocasters. He also built a solid body electric sitar - not a sitar guitar but a real sitar - for the late John Perkins.
Historic guitars
Eccleshall was responsible for rebuilding Pete Townshend's smashed guitars until he found it too upsetting to continue. He still possess an SG body with a Meher Baba sticker from that era. He was Rory Gallagher's favoured guitar technician from 1971 to 1985, rebuilding and re-fretting his battered Fender Stratocaster at least 15 times (including a neck change), and was responsible for disabling the Strat's vibrato mechanism using a wooden block, a modification he was later also commissioned to apply to Eric Clapton's "Blackie".Original designs
The Eccleshall Scimitar (24.75" scale), Barracuda (25.5") and Excalibur bass have original shapes based on outward curves, rather than the inward curves of traditional electric guitars derived from the rounded classical guitar.Variations
Eccleshall's C-Model acoustic guitar has a classical guitar shaped body, but for steel strings. His "Special" is a variant of this. Many of Eccleshall's standard designs are modified versions of shapes associated with Gibson guitars. His B-Model acoustic is based on the J-200Gibson J-200
Gibson J-200 is an acoustic guitar model produced by the Gibson Guitar Corporation.Gibson entered into production of this model in 1938 as its top-of-the-line flat top guitar, initially called the Super Jumbo, changing the name in 1939 to the Super Jumbo 200. It was made at the Gibson Factory in...
acoustic, but is smaller. The Kestrel and Falcon electric guitars have solid bodies but with a 335
Gibson ES-335
The Gibson ES-335 is the world's first commercial thinline arched-top semi-acoustic electric guitar. Released by the Gibson Guitar Corporation as part of its ES series in 1958, it is neither hollow nor solid; instead, a solid wood block runs through the center of its body...
outline. The MC Model has the 175
Gibson ES-175
The Gibson ES-175 is an electric guitar manufactured by the Gibson Guitar Corporation, currently still in production. It is a 24 3/4" scale full hollow body guitar with a trapeze tailpiece and Tune-O-Matic bridge...
outline but in 3/4 size with a slimline body. His 335-style bass is a unique hollow-bodied instrument used by Eddie Macdonald of The Alarm
The Alarm
The Alarm are an alternative rock band that emerged from North Wales in the late 1970s. They started as a mod band and stayed together for over ten years. As a rock band, they displayed marked influences from Welsh language and culture...
, Peter Hook
Peter Hook
Peter Hook is an English bass player, musician and author.He was a co-founder of the post-punk band Joy Division along with Bernard Sumner in the mid-1970s. Following the death of lead singer Ian Curtis, the band reformed as New Order, and Hook played bass with them throughout their career until...
of Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
& New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
and Simon Gallup
Simon Gallup
Simon Jonathon Gallup is an English musician and bassist of the post-punk band The Cure.-Early years:...
of The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
. Eccleshall's solid electric mandolin is used by many electric folk bands and features a pickup hand-wound by Eccleshall.
External links
- Official website
- Official Electric Lady MySpace site
- Rory Gallagher's guitars including Eccleshall guitar, mandolin & mandola