Alan is a musical Jack-of-all-trades, having
worked in most aspects of the music industry. He is deeply involved in guitar and music
technology as well as being a musician, luthier and studio engineer.
Author
Alan is the author of the Electric Guitar Handbook (New Holland
Publishing), which was released worldwide on the 1st October 2005. The paperback version
was released in April 2007.
He is busy writing another book: Hotrod Your Electric Guitar for Thomson Course PTR, which is scheduled
for release in May 2008.
A great number of his articles appear on a wide
variety of popular musical web sites. These articles cover a wide range of musical
subjects, from drum and guitar maintenance to recording techniques and issues.
Musician
Alan plays mostly plays electric, fretless and nylon-string guitar, bass guitar, and
drums. He has a unique way of playing his main instrument, the electric guitar,
incorporating fingerstyle and flamenco playing techniques in a rock context. Sonically, he
utilises complex effect chains and guitar synthesis to create a dense, detailed and
shifting "wall of sound".
Recording Engineer
Alan is a qualified recording engineer and a fanatical home recording enthusiast. He has
studied acoustics and is also an electronics hobbyist. Based on this knowledge he has
built his own home studio and modified most of the equipment he owns to suit his own
requirements.
Clinician
Alan has been using guitar synthesisers since the late 1980's, and often hosts workshops
on these and other hi-tech items such as piezo bridges and effects processors.
Endorsee
Alan has earned endorsement deals from:
(Ex) Luthier
Fascinated by every aspect of how musical instruments work and how they can be improved,
Alan has been taking them apart and fixing them for almost as long as he has been playing
them. He has built some of his own instruments and heavily modified the rest to suit his
own unique requirements. He worked as a luthier for 15 years and was authorised to repair
Gibson, Fender, Martin and Ibanez guitars, as well as install Fishman Transducers.
