Following the resounding success of last year’s event, the 2010 NATIONAL VINTAGE GUITAR AND AMP EXPO will return to Canberra this month. Guitbox aficionados will again overrun the unsuspecting Statesman Hotel for a weekend of workshops, demos and extended discussions over mouldy tube amps and battle-scarred axes.
“We had a lot of people come through and I thought the whole weekend had a really enjoyable atmosphere,” says festival organiser Ian Stehlik, of last year’s maiden expo. “Everywhere I went there seemed to be people interested in guitars in one or more of their qualities: aesthetic objects of industrial design, functional musical instruments that sound good, or the special vibe some guitars have from their history, which most players can feel.”
There’s no cause to mess with a winning formula, so 2010’s festival will essentially pick up where the last one left off – though it will, of course, be returning bigger and better. Exhibitors will include locals Berketa Guitars, Copley Guitars, Lark Amps – who I can personally recommend – and Ian’s own Zone of Tone, alongside Sydney’s Global Vintage, Adelaide’s Twangcentral and Gary Denis from the Gold Coast. On the workshop and demoing front, expect to see Chris Johnson, Skip Sail – who’ll be exhibiting as well as performing – Steve Russell, Jenny Spear, Chris Johnson and Ernie Van Veen, amongst others, take to the stage.
A highlight of the ‘09 weekend was the free appraisals, which saw all kinds of vintage gats dragged in by punters for inspection. Ian was impressed with the amount of vintage pieces lurking in the suburbs of Canberra – among them a pre-war Martin 0028 and a 1967 Gibson Trini Lopez DeLuxe – and hopes this year will see similar quality through the doors. “I really enjoyed having a close look at fine pieces which came in last year,” he says. “It also gives me a chance to talk to owners and give some advice on condition. Guitars need a bit of care for long term health, even more so if stored than if played, actually.”
“One of the nice things about last year was the mix of people who came along,” Ian says. “They ranged from guitar players who first got interested as teenagers in the Beatles era through to parents who play guitar with their kids who do too, through to younger alt-country stylists to metal players. So if you’re reading this, make sure to let the guitar players in your life know about it!”
The 2010 National Vintage Guitar and Amp Expo is held at The Statesman Hotel, Curtin, between 10am and 8pm on Saturday March 13 and 10am to 6pm on Sunday March 14. Weekend passes are available at the door for $10, including entry into the lucky door prize of a vintage guitar. For more info, or to enquire about displaying or selling gear, head to www.zot.com.au.
