Making guitars is ter-riff-ic (From South Wales Argus)

Making guitars is ter-riff-ic

2:40pm Friday 7th May 2010 in News By Chris Wood, Reporter

WHEN he was 14, Richard Meyrick couldn’t afford an electric guitar, so decided to make one himself.

As a pupil at Monmouth Comprehensive, he excelled at woodwork and had built toy boats, go karts and even attempted to build an aeroplane.

But, it was the urge to play the songs of his favourite bands, such as Led Zeppelin, that paved the way for a career as one of Wales’ only luthiers- a maker of guitars.

Mr Meyrick, 25, from the Monmouthshire village, Newcastle, operates from a workshop at Kemys Commander, near Usk, and makes around 11 guitars a year.

He said: “I was in bands when I was younger and just wanted a nice electric guitar to play.

“But, they were around £1,500, so I decided to make my own. It worked alright, so I decided to go to university and learn properly.”

He gained a first class honours degree in musical instrument technology from London Metropolitan University, where he studied alongside people learning to make furniture and other instruments such as pianos and cellos.

It takes around four months to make each guitar and after starting off his business from home, Mr Meyrick moved to his workshop last July.

Mr Meyrick, who lives with girlfriend Samantha Stead, makes acoustic and electric guitars, mainly from European spruce, which he sells for between £800 and £1,300.

People contact him through his website before they come up with a design.

Details of his work are at www.richardmeyrickguitars.co.uk.