Passion for guitars
As a teenager I studied music theory and played the cornet, the trumpet’s smaller brother, with the local brass band, for many years.
The music bug never left me and later the guitars followed. I took guitar lessons in Sint-Niklaas and in Ghent and would like to thank my guitar teachers for everything they taught me and are still teaching me. Thanks to Yv, Sunny, Antony, Rutger and Hessel.
In 2022 I travelled to Nashville, Tennessee, to attend a six-day Country music workshop. I came back full of enthusiasm and started to delve even more into guitars: how exactly does a guitar work, what are the principles and the mechanics that make your guitar easier to play and sound better.
My interest in guitars brought me in contact with James Collins of Guitar Tech Courses, Heathfield, UK in 2024. James graduated in 2007 as a guitar maker and repairer from the Galloup School of Lutherie, Michigan, USA. In 2008 James founded “12th Fret Guitar Repair” for professional set up, maintenance and repair of guitars. Since 2010, “12th Fret Guitar Repair” has been an authorized Gibson Repair Centre in the UK.
In March I attended the Pro Guitar Setup course, where James teaches you in one day, how to assess, professionally set up, restring and maintain your guitar according to a set system. You end up with a better sounding and better playable guitar.
In July I was again with James for his three-day Build Your Own Guitar course.
Here you start from a guitar body and neck of your own choice, and under supervision you carry out all the drilling, screwing, soldering, filing, fretting and polishing work on your own guitar.
Afterwards, I continued my training with the Pro Guitar Setup online course. As a result, I had unlimited access to dozens of video lessons, in which James explains step by step all the details of the setup and maintenance techniques, focusing on the different types of guitars.
Shortly after my contact with James, I met Marc Terreur of www.marcusguitars.be. Marc is an experienced luthier and in April 2024 I attended two of his workshops on guitar setup. Some time later we started thinking about organizing workshops together. Marc has the knowledge and skills when it comes to giving workshops about setting up guitars, my contribution consisted of the location, our Guitar Saloon, as well as my passion to further grow my knowledge on setting up guitars, to give workshops myself and to build my own network of guitar enthusiasts. In September and October 2024 Marc and I organized two workshops “Set up your own guitar” where each time the maximum number of six participants was present. Thanks to Marc for the fine cooperation.
Also in 2024, I traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, again for a six-day Country music workshop.
From November 2024, Guitar Saloon will host a new series of “set up your own guitar” workshops. You will learn the tricks of the trade in an oak cabin, in authentic American style, so that it feels like you are hanging out in the Far West among cowboys and cowgirls.
During the 4-hour workshops, participants are guided through the 2 x 6 steps for setting up, restringing and maintaining their guitar. Everything is demonstrated on a workshop guitar, participants get to work on their own guitar. The workshops take place on Wednesday afternoon, Friday afternoon or Saturday morning.
