An interview with Alex Bishop

How did you first become interested in guitars?

My older twin brothers played guitar, and they encouraged me to take up an instrument.  I started with piano, but soon I was picking up their guitar and strumming. That was  in my early teens. I played  in rock bands and then, at 18,  I discovered the music of jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. As soon as I heard him, I realised I wanted to play like that.

When did you start  making guitars?

I had dropped out of a course in aerospace engineering when I stumbled upon  the Musical Instruments degree course at London Metropolitan. When I read the university prospectus, I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. It was there that  I made my first guitar. The course was the springboard:  I could make a guitar, but I still had a long way to go before  I could make a living from it.

How did the Cockpit Arts/ The Arts Society Award  help your career?

The award was for a year’s studio space at Cockpit Arts in London. With the cost  of a studio space covered,  I could invest in the tools and machinery I needed. Without this opportunity, I can’t see how I could have found the time or the money to develop my skills. It gave me the breathing space to get my business up and running.  It's still tough to make  ends meet, but I'd rather struggle and be a luthier  than anything else.

What does the future hold?

I want to develop the more contemporary, experimental side to what I do. I will continue to make gypsy jazz guitars (like those played by Reinhardt), but I want to alter the fundamental design. I also have plans to create a harp guitar, which will be an exciting departure from  what I have done before.

alexbishopguitars.com