I built my first bouzouki for Ivan Milletich back in February 1987, and here we are nearly 40 years later and many, many instruments out there in the wild. I’ve been thinking for a few years now that I’d like to take a break from orders and commissions to concentrate on ways to improve and develop the instruments and to build the instruments that I want to build, and that interest me.
You can’t really try out too many new ideas on a customer’s instrument, especially if it’s on the radical side! What if the idea doesn’t work and you end up with something you’re not happy with? The only thing you can do is to put it to one side and start again.
I won’t be trying anything too radical. Well, I might, but I’m always wanting to try out new ideas, and I’m sure that there are still ways to improve and make a better instrument. You never really stop learning in this game.