Lost Music

Our cover feature this month deals with a question that all of us have pondered at one time or another: what happens to the guitars that pass out of our lives, either sold, stolen or misplaced? The fate of instruments used by iconic players such as Jimi Hendrix is of special interest (see feature, page 62), but every player can lay claim to at least one story of guitars lost and regretted ever after. Some, including Whitesnake veteran Bernie Marsden, have suggested that guitars should come with a logbook like a car – providing a record of who has owned them. But perhaps it’s better that mystery accompanies guitars that come into our lives without provenance. Like a stray cat that climbs in through the window one day and makes itself at home, we can only guess their past history, and their future is an empty book in which we may write a few lines of music before the page is turned once again.

But while instruments can always be replaced, people cannot. It was with great sadness that we learned this month that Guitarist contributor Roger Newell had passed away. A gifted bassist, Roger wrote for Guitarist for many years on everything from four-string tone to his favourite topic, The Shadows, about whom he was an acknowledged expert. A life-long musician, Roger played the great stages of the world with Rick Wakeman and, in later years, toured extensively with rock ’n’ roll legend Marty Wilde. To those who knew him best he was the most loyal and supportive of friends and his loss will be felt keenly by all at Guitarist. If you’d like to join us in remembering Roger’s eventful life in music, turn to page 36 to read bandmate Neville Marten’s moving tribute.

Stay safe and see you next month.