Scott MacDonald - Custom Guitars and Expert Repairs

Walking into the reception area of Scott B. MacDonald’s workshop I am always struck by how Scott makes me feel welcome and gives me his complete attention as I describe whatever my latest guitar problem is and wait for his advice. He’ll bring the guitar over to his workbench, check it out, and offer suggestions. The room is well lit, there are a few comfortable chairs, and an old ice-cream parlor type stool reserved for customers picking up guitars – Scott wants you to feel at home when you try out your new or repaired instrument.

Scott has been building and repairing guitars for 16 years in Huntington, Long Island. He has become well known for his custom guitars, vintage instrument restorations and repairs. He has clients all over the world. Having been authorized by Gibson, Fender, Martin, Taylor, Ovation, Gretch, and Tacoma for repair and warranty work, his workshop is always filled with guitars. He has a knack for addressing the underlying causes of guitar problems quickly. I’ve taken an electric guitar to Scott thinking I needed to spend money on new pickups only to have Scott say, “I’ll put new pickups in if you want, but I bet those pickups are fine and this wiring is what’s killing your sound.” Scott was right – he re-did the wiring and the pickups sounded great.

Although his extensive knowledge of both vintage guitars and modern guitar building suggests a man who works because he loves instruments, Scott told me there was something else that he found even more satisfying, “It’s not really about guitars, it’s about people.” He means it. When he says he builds ‘custom guitars’, he’s talking about instruments designed around the needs, spirit and personality of the musician, not just two or three designs that he cranks out over and over. Scott always strives to make a unique instrument for the PERSON who orders it. He insists on getting to know as much about each customer and their music as he can before design and construction begins. In the end, each instrument is as unique as its owner. He considers the whole personality of the musician ordering a guitar.

I’m a guitar player. I like guitars. I like it best when I pick up a guitar and it sounds and feels as good as it looks. Music is born when the right instrument reaches the hands of a creative musician. This is why I’ve become such a fan of Scott’s custom guitars. I haven’t had Scott build me one yet (although I do see a custom electric in my future…), but I have played a few that he’s built for others. They look and feel like something special, they sound great, and in the cases of a few LI musicians I know who own his guitars the instruments genuinely suit their music and playing styles. I think Scott gets high marks for hitting his goal of constructing guitars that fit the personality of the player.

Scott says that he’s seen tremendous growth in his business in the past few years as a result of the internet. I think Scott’s reputation for meticulous work and attention to detail might have something to do with it too, but he has recently re-vamped his website, www.customguitars.com. In addition to seeing photos of some of his custom guitars potential customers can now hear samples of what they sound like. They can also see video clips of Lucinda Williams and her band making good use of the Resonator Electric Guitars Scott made for Lucinda and her lead guitarist.

Scott builds custom instruments for musicians who play large venues and for musicians who play bars and coffee houses. He gives everyone the same respect and attention. Scott says it usually takes about a year to make an electric and fourteen months to make an acoustic. His prices are very competitive so before you shell out a lot of money for an assembly line instrument you might want to consider getting a guitar hand-made with your personality and playing habits in mind instead.

(Industry Insider column for April 2006 Inside Connection Magazine)

A Review of “Spirit Dwelling” by Geoffrey Armes

If you’re used to ‘New Age’ music referring to a lot of directionless noodling by people who haven’t mastered their instruments, maybe punctuated by samples of ocean waves and wind, you will be pleasantly surprised listening to Geoffrey Armes’ latest recording, “Spirit Dwelling”. Geoffrey has already established himself as a singer/songwriter worthy of notice with his CDs “Green Love” and “Elemental Red”. “Spirit Dwelling” demonstrates that he’s also a gifted enough instrumentalist, vocalist, and composer to pull off an ambitious 70-minute, mostly instrumental, recording.

This will be a very long article if I comment on every song, so I will turn most of my attention to the first song. “Spirit Dwelling” begins with “Sun and Cloud.” It starts with a low synth note – so deep and resonant you feel it as well as hear it. You have been alerted; you’re entering a different space. Guitars enter slowly, arpeggiating an easy welcome. A flute plays in the background. Nothing is rushed. The music takes all the time it needs to slowly unravel and you feel as if you have all the time in the world to listen.

Four minutes in and we haven’t even changed chords yet. In fact, there are no chords here, nothing to anticipate, nothing to rush towards. Here, melodies intertwine, they come and go like the leaves drifting past my window as I write this on a November morning.

At almost six minutes into “Sun and Cloud,” percussion and electric bass create a pulse and harmonic foundation. Indian and Middle Eastern influences dominate the guitar melodies. Reggae/Dub influences are apparent in the groove. Eventually the guitar and the groove give way to synth strings that suspend the mood and finally fade to end this eleven minute song.

This ain’t rock’n’roll. This ain’t the blues. This IS thoughtfully improvised world-folk-newage music that creates an atmosphere for introspection, meditation, or yoga – as the composer intended. In fact, Geoffrey subtitled this CD, “Music for Yoga.” I think he succeeded. With this music playing I can let my mind wander as I listen, yet the focus of the musical performance keeps me focused and alert to each thought that enters and then leaves my mind. This music creates a perfect aural landscape for yoga practice.

This is an important recording. It is unified. It maintains a definite sense of purpose from the first song to the last, from the first note through to the last. It is spacious and calming, but not sleep-inducing. Songs with extended improvisations sit beside instrumentals reminiscent of Indian Ragas where modal melodies dance over pedal tones. Some songs groove, some are built on a more open landscape, and some have obvious Celtic/Folk influences. This contrast makes for a positive listening experience. All of the music is engaging – not an adjective I would normally associate with ‘New Age’ music.

The recording’s sound quality is excellent. Recorded at Geoffrey’s Village Recording, and mastered by Tom DeSisto, this CD sounds great. Acoustic guitars sound warm and full, the percussion rings crisp and clear.

This is adventurous music that you should hear. You can purchase a copy at http://www.geoffreyarmes.com/. Then you can light a few candles, put the CD on, and bend your body into shapes like a pretzel.

(originally published in January 2006 Aural Fix)