Chris Eccleshall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chris Eccleshall
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Chris Eccleshall, the English guitar maker, in his workshop in 2014
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Christopher Eccleshall
26 May 1948 Gosport, England, UK
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| Died | 13 August 2020 (aged 72) Dartington, Devon, UK
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| Nationality | British |
| Children | Michael Eccleshall, Morwenna Del Mar |
Christopher J. Eccleshall (born May 26, 1948 – died August 13, 2020) was a famous English luthier. A luthier is someone who makes or repairs stringed instruments like guitars. Chris Eccleshall was amazing at designing and building guitars. He was also allowed to fix guitars from big brands like Martin, Gibson, and Guild. Plus, he even got permission from Mario Maccaferri himself to make copies of his special Selmer-Maccaferri jazz guitars.
Contents
The Life of Chris Eccleshall
Early Life and Training
Christopher Eccleshall was born in Gosport, Hampshire, England. His parents were Doreen and Leslie Eccleshall.
Chris started his career by learning to make violins. He trained with W. E. Hill and Sons in London. At that time, they were known as the best violin company in the world. He also worked as an engineer in the Fleet Air Arm, which is part of the British Navy.
Later, he worked at Ealing Strings in London. Even then, Chris found time to make and fix guitars. He became so busy, especially with guitars for the famous musician Rory Gallagher, that he decided to open his own workshop. He then focused on making guitars full-time.
Becoming a Top Guitar Maker
Back then, not many people knew about British guitar makers. But Chris Eccleshall was one of the first to become well-known. Other famous British guitar makers at the time included Tony Zemaitis and John Birch. These three often competed to get their cool and unusual guitar designs shown on the TV show Top of the Pops. This was during the exciting time of British glam rock music.
Even though his name was more famous among musicians and guitar experts, Chris Eccleshall became one of the world's best guitar makers. He was known for his amazing skill and unique designs.
Chris Eccleshall passed away on August 13, 2020, at 72 years old. He is remembered by his two children, a grandson, and his sister.
Famous Guitar Customers
Many famous musicians chose Chris Eccleshall to make or fix their guitars. Over the years, his customers included:
- Pete Townshend
- Dave Davies
- David Bowie
- Rory Gallagher
- Paul Weller
- Davey Arthur from The Fureys
- The band Sweet
- The Cure
- The Levellers
- Peter Hook from New Order
- The Alarm
- Echo & the Bunnymen
- This Picture
- The Men They Couldn't Hang
- Steven Woodcock
- Richard Stilgoe
- Richard Digance
Working with Others
Collaborations with Brands
In the early 1980s, Chris Eccleshall made a deal with a Japanese brand called Kimbara. This deal allowed them to make and sell a guitar designed by Eccleshall. It was a Stratocaster-style guitar. Chris traveled to the factory in Japan to make sure everything was set up correctly. He was very impressed with how well the Japanese engineers worked. These guitars are quite rare in Europe now, with most of them found in Japan and America.
Moving Workshops and New Designs
In 1986, Chris moved his home and workshop from Ealing to Dartington. A few years later, he moved his workshop again to Buckfastleigh. In 2008, Chris worked with a local timber expert and guitarist named Eddie Cameron. Together, they created a series of guitars. These guitars were handmade by Eccleshall and had a standard design. They were sold under the name "Electric Lady." These guitars were also based on the Stratocaster shape. They used local wood and British humbucking pick-ups. Chris Eccleshall's last home and workshop were in Totnes.
Sharing Knowledge and New Ideas
Training Other Luthiers
Chris Eccleshall worked with many apprentices and assistants throughout his career. He also trained and gave advice to other luthiers. Some of these included George Lowden and Kevin Chilcott.
Guitar Innovations
Chris Eccleshall came up with several new ideas for guitars. He didn't always get credit for them. He said he was the first to:
- Put a guitar neck's truss rod inside a special metal U-channel.
- Make the first hardtail bridge for a Telecaster without the raised edges. These edges were originally meant to hold a pickup cover that hardly anyone used.
- Pioneer the rectangular solid steel bridge saddles. These are now the standard type on modern Telecasters and Stratocasters.
He also built a solid-body electric sitar for the late John Perkins. This was a real sitar, not just a guitar that sounded like one.
Special Guitars and Repairs
Historic Guitar Work
Chris Eccleshall was known for rebuilding Pete Townshend's guitars after they were smashed during performances. Eventually, it became too upsetting for him to continue this work. Until he passed away, he kept an SG guitar body with a special sticker from that time.
He was also the favorite guitar technician for Rory Gallagher from 1971 to 1985. Chris rebuilt and re-fretted Rory's well-used Fender Stratocaster 18 times! He even replaced the neck once. Chris was also responsible for stopping the Strat's vibrato (whammy bar) from working by using a wooden block. He was later asked to do the same modification for Eric Clapton's famous "Blackie" guitar.
Original Guitar Designs
Chris Eccleshall created several unique guitar shapes. These included the Eccleshall Scimitar, Barracuda, and Excalibur bass. Unlike traditional electric guitars, which often have inward curves, his designs featured outward curves. The pointed lower part of the Scimitar guitar looks a bit like a Gibson mandolin.
Variations of Classic Designs
Chris also made his own versions of classic guitar shapes:
- His C-Model acoustic guitar had the shape of a classical guitar but was made for steel strings. His "Special" was a variation of this.
- His B-Model acoustic was based on the J-200 acoustic, but it was smaller.
- The Kestrel and Falcon electric guitars had solid bodies but looked like a 335 guitar.
- The MC Model had the 175 outline but was a smaller, 3/4 size with a thinner body.
- His 335-style bass was a unique hollow-bodied instrument. It was used by Eddie Macdonald of The Alarm, Peter Hook of Joy Division and New Order, and Simon Gallup of The Cure.
- Chris's solid electric mandolin was used by many electric folk bands. It featured a pick-up that Chris himself made by hand.
Images for kids
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The Electric Lady guitar range
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A custom-made Eccleshall Scimitar guitar
