|
|
 |
|
|
About Bailey Guitars |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
Mark started his guitarmaking career at the age of 18 with "Patrick
Eggle" guitars working with people like Trevor Wilkinson, Gary
Levinson, Rob Williams and Patrick himself. He learned from masters
of the art until 1998 when with his partner Carol Davies, he started his own
company "Bailey Guitars", in a double decker bus.
With their immensely popular "Build your own guitar" course, Mark
set about teaching others to build their own dream guitars. Some have
even gone on to start up their own guitarmaking Businesses including
Nathan Sheppard Guitars (BYO088), Arrowhead guitars (BYO107), DBD guitars (BYO174), Ray Turley (BYO046, BYOA03), Mike Tarr (BYO132,140,BYOA02), and Dave Terry (BYO138,139,148), who all built their FIRST guitars with us... and
many more have gone on to build at home for fun. We can't comment on the guitars they've made since, but there is no denying that the course has been an inspiration to many.
Mark is now responsible for building over 260 guitars including
Basses and acoustics and has recently added Jazz style
Archtop's to his catalogue.
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
SOME FACTS ABOUT BAILEY GUITARS |
|
| |
| |
| Started in double decker bus |
|
|
| Resident guitar maker at Martin Taylors KIGF since 2000 (after meeting at Music Live 99) - Mark has had the privilege of working on Martins incredible guitar collection (repairing & maintaining) .
|
|
|
| Built an electric guitar in 13 hours in a tent in a field at KIGF 05 which was played by Tommy Emanuelle and Martin Taylor in the finale with Clive Carroll & Preston PHOTOs see attached
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| Built 2 guitars in Italy FEST 04 in Sieti, and Olivewood 06 Terravechia near Salerno South Italy. www.fest.it |
|
|
| Built a total of 265 guitars in the last 7 years more than 200 through the BYO course(this figure increases every month!)
|
|
|
| Guitars across the world New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Spain, Gibraltar, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Gran Canaria, Iceland, Germany, Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland
|
|
|
| Fuelled a guitar making revolution many of the BYOers have started building at home and some professionally see links |
|
|
| Made a short self funded film about guitar making, "Guitar Magic"
|
|
|
| Now averaging 50-60 guitars a year (inc BYO)
|
|
|
| Use FSC certified, and locally sourced woods where available and careful use of materials keeps waste and costs to a minimum
|
|
|
| Mark does demos/talks eg KIGF, Bath IGF, Uni Warwick, National Centre for Early Music
|
|
|
| In 2006 Mark was commissioned to make 2 custom guitars (including the prototype �triple�) for JJ guitars to take to the NAMM show in US
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007 Mark will be building guitars from scratch at several guitar shows including London Guitar Show and the NW guitar show in Manchester see events
see events |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
Bailey Guitars has been featured in several articles & reviews , in publications across the world.
Literally starting with nothing but a burning ambition, Mark & Carol have built Bailey Guitars from the ground up without grants, financial backing or taking out huge loans, and created one of the UKs strongest independent guitar builders.
2008 is Baileys 10th anniversary, and the success to date is not just because of their commitment. Bailey Guitars has grown and developed due to the huge support received from everyone who has been involved... from the first BYO builders who were brave enough to have a go, the people who bought early guitars, the people that generously gave us tools and equipment, through to all the people who have given us their time and energy and helped put Bailey Guitars on the map.,..without all that support, it would have been an impossible task.
There is something unique about what we do and the way we do it the spirit of generosity and cooperation is alive and well in the competitive and money driven 21st Century - we would like to give special thanks to our VOLUNTEERS who have created Team Bailey
The BAILEY TEAM are :
Big John Lockett - Production Guitars
Billy McMillan - Spray shop & finishing
Fiona McMillan- Residential & Admin
Iona - Design and Blog Editor
Lauren - Bailey Baker
Martin Hannah - Webmaster
John "he maks em , he sprays em, I plays em" Duffy (CA02,BYOA05)
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
SPECIAL THANKS TO DAVE TERRY, who, after coming on several BYO courses, made the amazing Daves Devices
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
which have helped me to make some of the guitars you see on the website.
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Special Thanks also to :
Patrick Eggle( for inspiring)Andrew Selby (for giving Mark a job) , Rob of Rob Williams Guitars (for being the Guru), Stuart Wells of Hollyhurst Farm (for being understanding of Carols bus addiction for so long), Mike Roberts, Den Hands & Rachel at Depot Studios Coventry ( for their support and believing in us), Tony Underwood ( first website) Laurence Tressler (BYO01) (for making us run the first course) & Nigel Meffen BYO02 for being the course guinea pigs, Stevie Pearson (BYO040,097a,141) ( for the second website, Guitar Magic soundtrack, and being so enthusiastic about what we do - 6 Baileys at home is still the record) John at Computime (for giving us practical web support when we needed it most, and continuing it); Dr John Fenby for buying 001 and the gift of many tools, Ben Bartlett for spotting us at a show and sending the unfeasibly impractical Matt Swaine to review the course( thanks to Matt for an article that changed everything) Neville Marten(Guitarist Editor at the time) for his incredible feedback; Joe Beale and the Blues Band (Chris Gibbons, Dan Woodward, George) for demoing so many of the early guitars and encouraging people to play guitar; John Woodfield for making the best guitar in the world and being so cake friendly; Martin & Liz & James Taylor, and Alison Burns for inviting us to Kirkmichael to the KIGF, and all their support - an offer that changed our lives, and gave us a whole new family in Kirkmichael, South Ayrshire, Frazier & Amy McNair ( for finding the perfect place for us, & giving us warmth in the winter..we are eternally, grateful every day) Kenny..( for giving Mark a name and just being there) & Joyce(for endless bags of soft furnishings & proch!) Anderson ; Rab & Jaqcui White for bringing light &/energy & eggy cheese to our lives( and to J for fighting for our space and bringing order where there was chaos), Ray & Lillian & Joce Turley for their kindness & trust , and all the gifts for house & workshop; Derek Turley for the workshop furniture; John Duffy (we worship the ground that we walk on) ; Hank McCrossan for sorting out our IT network without expecting us to understand ;Sandy Thomson for his long suffering attempts to get us to plan for the future; Andy at Muso for his interest & time getting feedback from shops, Big Gav for his support & being a demo-god; Shez Cross for being a great landlord; Davey for being so patient and creating this website and propelling us in to the world of e-commerce; mum & dad for turning off the power when I was playing and telling me to get a job... it worked...
FINALLY, but not least, Adi McGuire for his amazing film skills and all that time he gave up, the BYOers, and everyone who has bought a guitar from us WITHOUT ALL OF YOU.........
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|