Congratulations to Matthew Nikkel of Winnipeg!

Winner of the Stonebridge Guitar Giveaway.

The Stonebridge Guitar Give-Away

by Steve Bell Oct. 23/07

Last year, at about this time I walked into a music shop in Nova Scotia looking to replace a guitar cable that had worn out on me. As I walked through the store, I noticed a guitar I had never heard of before – Stonebridge Guitars. As I am naturally curious about such things, I took the guitar off the hanger and was immediately smitten by the thing. It reminded me a bit of my beloved Perry Guitars – lightweight, punchy and loud – but somehow warm and cozy at the same time (it’s hard to explain these things in words and all attempts sound ridiculous.) My manager Dave walked by, stopped dead in his tracks and said – “you’ve go to buy that thing!” And it remains the only spontaneous guitar purchase I’ve ever made.

Only a few weeks later, after a concert in Southern Ontario, a man named Roger Schmidt introduced himself to me as the owner of a new guitar company called Stonebridge Guitars. No way! Sure enough, this man owned the company that has rebranded a hand-made guitar built by an old-world luthier in the Czech-Republic and is now marketing the instruments in North America under the banner Stonebridge.

Needless to say, Roger and I immediately struck up a friendship I hope lasts a long time. Roger himself is an extremely gifted player and composer. I hope to soon spend some time under his tutelage. But he also took an immediate interest in my growing concern for issues of hunger and poverty that plague our world today. I told Roger of my connection to the Canadian Foodgrain’s Bank and that my Symphony tour would be used to promote their work. Wanting to help, Roger offered to give away the same guitar I am now using as my main guitar to anyone at the Symphony concerts who will simply go to the Canadian Foodgrain’s Bank table after the show and sign up for a draw. There is no ticket fee, or requirement to donate, but certainly we hope folks will give generously to the Canadian Foodgrain’s Bank efforts to End Hunger. And, some lucky person is going to get a cedar-top, rosewood sides and back, cut-away Stonebridge guitar.

So, if you want a good chance at the guitar (easily one of the best guitars I’ve ever played) come out to one of the Symphony concerts this fall (check my home in the village for concert dates,) locate the Canadian Foodgrains Bank table in the foyer and sign up. But please consider the cause as well.

Draw date is December 24th.