Musical Instrument Crafts tutor completes 20-year-old unfinished guitar by late former pupil.
James Lister, Course Coordinator and Teacher of Guitar Making and Repair at Newark College's School of Musical Instrument Crafts, explained:
"I was contacted a few years ago by Tara Worth whose father, John Worth, had studied guitar making at Newark College from 2001 to 2003.
"He had sadly passed away and left an unfinished guitar that he had started on during the course. He also left some tools and materials which Tara thought might be useful for the college workshop and the current students.
"I offered to finish the guitar and return it to Tara, to thank her for the donated tools and materials.
"The guitar assembly was basically complete, but the frets needed to be installed, the neck carved, and a bridge made. The guitar also needed French polishing, which presented a slight dilemma.
"The spruce top had developed a beautiful golden colour over the years since it had been assembled, but there were some areas that ideally would need sanding to make them perfectly flat before polishing.
"Sanding any of the surface would have removed the colour, and although it would eventually return, I felt it was worth retaining the colour at the expense of some imperfections in the finished instrument.
"Most of the work was finished quickly, with the frets installed and the neck carved. The work was then interrupted by Covid, but eventually late last year, I made the bridge, and completed the French polishing and setup on the guitar.
"Tara was finally able to see the finished work and collect the guitar in December 2022."
Thank you to the Worth family for their generosity donating the tools and materials to our workshop for our current and future students to benefit from, and our sincerest condolences for your family's loss. In memory of John Worth.
