Celtic Cross Instruments handmade by Neil Russell
I moved down island to Victoria on my 19th birthday in 2009. While checking out my new city apartment a few weeks before hand I made my usual stop in one of the islands biggest music stores, Long and McQuade. As usual I head straight to the acoustic room, you know, just in case.. This visit, my tradition paid off! Front and center of the room was one lone weissenborn. I already owned one, a Goldtone in fact. However it was a cheap mass produced instrument, with little defining tone or characteristics. Great to learn on, but it after 2 or 3 years it was time to advance. Little did I know that the instrument before me had a much larger story, one that would shape my music for the rest of my life.
I picked it up and gave it a quick once over. At the time I knew very little about what went into making an instrument. However the label inside gave me a bit of a idea of what I was holding. Serial Number 236 from December 5th, 2004. Victoria, B.C. Hand signed by N Russell. Local! I was immediately sold, and I had yet to play it. A sales staff walked in to check up, I asked for tonebar and to start drawing up the paper work for me to charge it to my account. I wasn't leaving her behind. I was moving into my first place in a few weeks and probably couldn't afford a new instrument, but something felt different with this one.
After 7 years I still hold this instrument very close, even as I type this shes sitting right beside me. It wasn't until 2014, her 10th birthday, that I met the luthier, Neil, who opened his massive collection to me for recording my first album last year. (Due out this coming summer) But that's a whole other story for another day. Until then please set some time aside to read the most in depth interview of a weissenborn luthier to date. Aron Radford of The Weissenborn Information Exchange has done a fantastic job of getting down to Neil's story.
Thank you Neil for not only making an instrument that has given me countless hours of enjoyment, but also for paving the way in the weissenborn community.
Click here for Neil's story.
I picked it up and gave it a quick once over. At the time I knew very little about what went into making an instrument. However the label inside gave me a bit of a idea of what I was holding. Serial Number 236 from December 5th, 2004. Victoria, B.C. Hand signed by N Russell. Local! I was immediately sold, and I had yet to play it. A sales staff walked in to check up, I asked for tonebar and to start drawing up the paper work for me to charge it to my account. I wasn't leaving her behind. I was moving into my first place in a few weeks and probably couldn't afford a new instrument, but something felt different with this one.
After 7 years I still hold this instrument very close, even as I type this shes sitting right beside me. It wasn't until 2014, her 10th birthday, that I met the luthier, Neil, who opened his massive collection to me for recording my first album last year. (Due out this coming summer) But that's a whole other story for another day. Until then please set some time aside to read the most in depth interview of a weissenborn luthier to date. Aron Radford of The Weissenborn Information Exchange has done a fantastic job of getting down to Neil's story.
Thank you Neil for not only making an instrument that has given me countless hours of enjoyment, but also for paving the way in the weissenborn community.
Click here for Neil's story.
RSS Feed
