Shoreham retired toolmaker creates guitars to leave family legacy

A retired toolmaker who has been making his own guitars for two decades hopes they will be passed down to future genereations
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Tony Lockwood, 60, from Shoreham, began his musical hobby in the mid-2000s after spending his teenage years playing bass guitar in a band.

He said it could take a couple of hundred hours to create the guitars and it allowed his mind to take a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

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“Being a toolmaker, I thought my hobby was sort of a natural progression and there is a lot of satisfaction starting off with an arm full of wood and ending up with my guitars,” Tony said.

Tony Lockwood, a retired tool maker, enjoys creating his own guitars in his spare timeTony Lockwood, a retired tool maker, enjoys creating his own guitars in his spare time
Tony Lockwood, a retired tool maker, enjoys creating his own guitars in his spare time

“Stringed instruments have been made by artisans for years. These guitars are something that you look after and if you look after them well, they can last for a long time.

“It is really nice to be part of an artisan movement which has been going for thousands of years.

“If ever anybody uses the word artisan or luthier to describe me, it makes me feel very proud.”

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Tony added one of the main things keeping him making his guitars was the hope of passing them down to future generations.

Tony's three finished guitarsTony's three finished guitars
Tony's three finished guitars

He said: “When I am gone, these guitars will be passed down to my family, it’s nice to think that I will be leaving something behind.”

Tony has made two commissions in the past but in recent years has made guitars for his brother and his sons.

Tony added: “One day, maybe even my granchildren’s children might be playing one of my guitars in a school presentation or in a band. Who knows?

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“But I believe that if you’ve got something of quality then it will last as long as you love it.”

Tony hopes that his guitars will be passed down to future generations that follow himTony hopes that his guitars will be passed down to future generations that follow him
Tony hopes that his guitars will be passed down to future generations that follow him

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