Weird and wonderful from Worthing

Written by Dermot Watson on Monday, 12 April 2010

As the weekend just gone was so lovely  I had the perfect excuse to jump on my bike and travel along the coast to Worthing  which can boast – as well as great chips and ice cream – one of the better guitar shops in the country.

Guitar Junction, which has just moved to a new building, boasts 2 floors – the top one being given over to acoustics (my favourite). GJ specialises in hand-made, boutique makers like James Patrick Eggle and Fylde, as well as carrying some nice, top-end Martins and the like (new and vintage).

This time ‘round, I was checking out the weird and wonderful.

I had read a bit about Martin Colettis before. No-one seems to know much about them, except for the fact that they are made in Germany. This one had previously been owned by Gordon Giltrap (and features on the cover of the Total Giltrap album). Dating from somewhere in the sixties, it sounds quite unique…it projects really well and is really defined. Not sure how I feel about the aesthetics of the headstock, though.

Also on the unusual tip was this really, really odd Grimshaw. Looking like a early archtop, but with a round hole (like a Gibson L1) this also came with a build in resonator on the back. I’m not sure this is the guitar for me, but it comes with lovely provenance: a letter from London luthier Emile Grimshaw (dated late 1940s) addressed to the original owner.