Against the Grain

Paul Fischer is a Manxman by birth but an Oxfordshire man by adoption. The life of British luthier Paul Fischer spans the twentieth-century developments in modern and historic instrument making, from his early apprenticeship as a harpsichord maker to his establishment as a maker of classical guitars, lutes, vihuelas and citterns in Oxfordshire. His adventurous spirit led him to spend several years in the British Army-a radical contrast to his solitary life creating concert instruments that would give voice to many musicians of international standing. It has been a life lived to the full with a wide outreach of inspiration-both in giving and receiving. The immense success Paul Fischer has achieved in a remarkable career is, of course, not only due to his amazing gifts but also sheer hard work, his energy, combined with a passionate belief in what he wanted to create.

• List of Figures; Foreword by John Mills; Acknowledgements; Introduction by Therese Wassily Saba; Growing Up and All That Jazz!; An Introduction to Early Music: Harpsichord Apprenticeship at Goble's; Paul Joins the Army: 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own); Paul's Surprise Return to Instrument Making: David Rubio at Duns Tew; Harpsichords at Duns Tew; Independence at The Ridge House; Chipping Norton: Paul Establishes His Own Workshop; Brazil 1983: The Winston Churchill Fellowship; New Classical Guitar Developments: The Taut Bracing System The 1990s; Lecturing and Masterclasses in the UK and Abroad; A New Millennium: Fresh Fields; Fifty Years an Instrument Maker and Beyond; A Visit to the Antarctic; The Dawn of Another Decade: 2010s; Stroke and Recovery: 'I May Be Some Time.'; Not Quite the End: Meeting the Queen; Afterword by Therese Wassily Saba; Appendix I Sergio Abreu; Badi Assad; Sergio Assad; Christopher Dean; Siegfried Hogenmuller Paul Fischer: A Man and His Guitars; Thomas Liauw For My Friend and Buddy for Many Years: Luthier Paul Fischer; Juan Martin My Paul Fischer 1972 Flamenca Nigra; Julian Roach The Making of the Shelley Guitar; Julian Roach The Shelley Guitar: Concert Programme; Jasper Sender; Xuefei Yang Aubade; Appendix II - Articles Bernard Richardson 'Guitar Acoustics at Cardiff '; PhD Theses from Cardiff University; Suggested Publications by Bernard E. Richardson of Interest to Guitar Players and Makers; Dr Bernard Richardson, School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University; Appendix III - Articles by Paul Fischer 'Report to the Churchill Trust Fellowship'; 'Temperature, Humidity and the Guitar'; Journal Articles by and about Paul Fischer; Gallery of Instruments by Paul Fischer; Bibliography; Index;