Something Old, New, Borrowed & Blue


“The Bluesbreaker” is my tribute to Mr John Mayall, who along with Alexis Korner, can rightly claim to be “The Father of British Blues”. Almost every significant British Blues player passed through his band, his influence was, and remains, immeasurable. Apart from paying homage to Mr Mayall, I also wanted to pay my respects to the pioneers of British guitar design, by creating a period retro-styled guitar that echoes the time when Britain woke up and discovered she had the Blues!

Inspiration for “The Bluesbreaker” came from seeing a photograph hidden away in the depths of Google of a semi-hollow thinline called the “Bell Carousel”. I subsequently discovered that she was built in London in the early ‘60s by Henry Weill using Jim Burns electronics and pickups. Distribution was by Bell Musical Instruments Ltd, hence her name. Having seen the “Bell Carousel”, I immediately knew I could do something with her, and subsequently she became my blueprint for “The Bluesbreaker”. I am really pleased at how this concept developed because, to me, she symbolises that period of time when Britain “sold” the Blues back to Uncle Sam. As always, many thanks for your time and support. SR

"The Bluesbreaker"

Dedicated To Mr John Mayall And The Pioneers of British Guitar Design