I don't have a George Bowden guitar, but I do have an Appalachian Dulcimer that he made. On holiday in Majorca in 1972, we followed a trail of adverts attached to lampposts to George's shop in Palma.

I played and admired a number of his guitars, and then noticed the dulcimer hanging in a corner. He'd made it from some plans provided by a US Navy sailor, but had never heard it played; so I played it for him.

He sold it to me for the something like the equivalent of six pounds, and I carried it home on the plane among the straw donkeys and sombreros. I still have it today, and although it is a bit unconventional (a narrow fingerboard, only three strings and no cutout in the "strumming zone"), it is a comparatively powerful dulcimer and has a superb tone. The only major change I have made over the years has been to replace the violin pegs with banjo machines to aid tuning.

George and I communicated with the occasional letter and Christmas Cards for a few years, but when we were in Palma a few years back, there was no trace of the shop that we could find in the time we had as we passed by on a yacht.

He was a great guy, a Canadian who chose the wood for his instruments from the growing trees, and I would love to own one of his guitars.

If yours has pups, can I have one?

Alan