GROOVE MAGAZINE, Graham Greene

The road to luthiery trodden by Andrew Ellis of Ellis guitars has not really been a long one; Nor has it been direct, but the young Perth-based guitar maker is fast making a name for himself among local players as a man who makes a damn fine acoustic guitar. Andrew's first venture into music was playing trumpet in his school orchestra - a venture which saw him perform at the Sydney Opera House. After such an auspicious orchestral start, his musical interests remained varied until the Steve Vai CD Passion & Warfare brought his musical world into focus. That was it - It was the guitar. The interest in playing guitar expanded quickly into an interest in how the instrument itself was made, and the idea to try building a guitar at home followed as a natural matter of course. After years of learning the intricate subtleties of wood, and the craft of being a luthier, Andrew was ready to put his skills to the test in the eyes of the industry and his eponymous company was born in the year 2000. By the end of that year, Ellis guitars had sold its first instrument.

Andrew Ellis specializes in making acoustic guitars from the finest local and imported woods and components, hand crafting them to suit players individual tastes and needs. He consults with customers throughout the construction process, ensuring that the smallest detail is attended to as far as materials and playability is concerned. After delivery of the finished instrument, Andrew maintains contact with each customer to perform any minor adjustments that may be necessary while the guitar is being played in. The result is an extremely rewarding experience for the player and the maker, seeing a finely crafted musical instrument reach its highest potential in their hands.

Dave Mann is one of the rising stars on the WA music scene who has added an Ellis guitar to his collection, where it has become his main workhorse. Dave's Ellis dreadnought is a young guitar, yet has the mellow low-end warmth of a much more seasoned instrument. The rosewood sides and back compliment the spruce top in giving the guitar a rich, balanced tone. The ebony bridge and fingerboard offer up just that touch more brightness than rosewood, giving the sound added definition, without sacrificing any warmth or fullness.

Dave Mann and fellow WA songsmith Nathan Gaunt launched their new Ellis signature guitars at a Triple J sponsored event, held at the Fly By Night Musicians Club in Fremantle on January 25th, 2005. The gig gave the artists a chance to debut their guitars as well as air some of their more recent material, while the luthier was in attendance to answer questions and personally present his instruments. Award winner Gaunt has put his name to the Ellis Nathan Gaunt 000 model, a classically traditional design with slightly less bass than the mellower Dreadnought. The 000, with its ageless styling, would look at home around the neck of any modern - day troubadour or bluesman.

Five years on from selling his first guitar, Andrew Ellis is producing four acoustic models - 000, Classical, Dreadnought and Resonator. From his Perth workshop, he also repairs most types of stringed instruments, sells a small range of accessories, and provides instrument inspections for the early detection of any problems. Ellis guitars offer in - home guitar tuition in most suburbs, and short courses in guitar maintenance are available to those who would like to have more "hands on" knowledge of their instrument. The additional benefit of this knowledge, of course, is the huge potential savings on service and maintenance costs for the self - sufficient guitar owner.

As the number of local artists playing Ellis guitars grows (Roots musician Nathan Kaye is another happy Ellis player), the brand name is sure to spread, along with word of the quality of musical instruments being made today in Western Australia. With a careful combination of traditional techniques and modern technology, cosmetic appeal and sonic allure, Ellis guitars are looking to become more than just a faint star on the horizon. In fact, don't be surprised if the name winds up being associated with more than one star.

March, 2005

.....as a quality Australian luthier in Perth, Western Australia Andrew Ellis of Ellis Guitars blends traditional old-fashioned handcraft with the latest technology to produce sweet sounding custom hand made guitars. Steel string dreadnought, 000, jumbo, OM, small jumbo, L1, Jumbo, Weissenborn, Left Hand Guitars and Lap Steel models, wood body and metal body resonators and custom wood and timber stomp boxes are all hand crafted and handmade. A combination of international solid timbers renowned for acoustic and sound-producing qualities, temperature and humidity controlled environments, attention to colour matching and design, and patient awareness of the delicate processes of manufacture including wood tuning, thicknesses, bracing and finishing techniques guarantee beauty and quality......