For the love of music, friendship, and combolins
gandryyne , as well versed as you are in Celtic music, you undoubtedly know who the Corries were. But do you know who David Sinton is? You likely do; I didn't. But as I meandered about the internet while waiting for paint to dry in the studio, I learned a bit about him.
"The immense strain on the instruments caused by the multitude of strings meant they needed regular maintenance later in their life, and one of Williamson's [ of The Corries] best friends and instrument repairer, David Sinton, maintained them. After Williamson's death, Sinton was bequeathed the two combolins. He has since issued a CD of tunes played on them, Caledonian Sunset, although it took many years to perfect the playing of these complex instruments, as well as deal with the undoubted emotional difficulty in playing them. It was two or three years before heavy metal guitarists adopted a similar tactic by using multi-neck guitars."
He's built a website dedicated to these instruments. That album, Caledonian Sunset, is readily available too.
It's a beautiful story behind that album and website, and so's the music. I think I know what I'll be asking for on Mother's Day. :)
"The immense strain on the instruments caused by the multitude of strings meant they needed regular maintenance later in their life, and one of Williamson's [ of The Corries] best friends and instrument repairer, David Sinton, maintained them. After Williamson's death, Sinton was bequeathed the two combolins. He has since issued a CD of tunes played on them, Caledonian Sunset, although it took many years to perfect the playing of these complex instruments, as well as deal with the undoubted emotional difficulty in playing them. It was two or three years before heavy metal guitarists adopted a similar tactic by using multi-neck guitars."
He's built a website dedicated to these instruments. That album, Caledonian Sunset, is readily available too.
It's a beautiful story behind that album and website, and so's the music. I think I know what I'll be asking for on Mother's Day. :)