Guitar and Mandolin Builder at Fremantle Jazz Festival
By Ian Macgregor

One of the highlights for guitarists at this year’s Fremantle International Jazz Festival was a display in the foyer of the Esplanade Hotel of archtop guitars and mandolins by South Australian guitar and mandolin maker John Liddy. John supports the Jazz Guitar Society of WA (JGSWA) by advertising on the back page of our newsletter, so it was a delight to meet him for the first time after many phone calls and e-mails. We had also corresponded when John made me an ebony tailpiece and pickguard for my Gibson L7. As I walked into the Esplanade Hotel on the Saturday, UK guitarist Garry Potter was putting John’s guitars through their paces and was obviously very pleased with their sound and feel.

 John who had travelled by car with his wife across the Nullarbor to bring his instruments to Western Australia brought with him a mandolin, two blonde archtops and a sunburst model. One blonde archtop had gold tuners, a Kent Armstrong pickup and tortoise shell pickguard with ebony tailpiece and the other Blonde had ebony tuners, a Lindy Fralin pickup and ebony pickguard and tailpiece. The finish on all these guitars was superb and the tone and playability was excellent. I can honestly say that these guitars are among the best I have ever played. They were further put to the test a few days later when John and his wife and myself were invited to dinner at our member Cory Sea’s house, where our honorary member Dave Smith was staying during his 3 week visit here. Needless to say after dinner Dave, Cory and I had the pleasure of playing all John Liddy’s guitars for the rest of the evening. Dave Smith, who already owns a Liddy guitar, was also partial to the acoustic sunburst model.

 The JGSWA would like to thank John Liddy and his wife for bringing these fine instruments to WA and for giving those of us fortunate enough to get to play one, a pure musical experience. For more on the Liddy Guitars see the advertisement on the back page of the JGSWA newsletter.

 from the Jazz Guitar Society of Western Australia newsletter #81, April 2003.