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Andrew’s first venture into music was playing trumpet in his
school orchestra, a venture that 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 specialises 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 that
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.
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 grow (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. |
