About Us


    I started learning the guitar in 1968 and gravitated to classical guitar in 1970, taking lessons from the legendary Ron Moore. Ron at that time was one of the few classical guitar teachers in Scotland and was the first classical guitar teacher at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, as it was then known, in Glasgow. He was also David Russell's first formal guitar teacher. After a break with the guitar in the 1990s I was on the lookout for a concert guitar to revitalise my guitar playing. Finding I had to travel to dealers in the south of England to try out guitars I thought there may be a demand for a classical guitar dealer in Scotland. Hence I established DK Classical Guitars starting with the help and support of Scottish luthiers Bill Kelday, Michael Ritchie and Colin Morison. As well as stocking their guitars and learning something about lutherie,they were also able to guide me as to who were the best luthiers both in the UK and worldwide. The result
being that whether professional, student or amateur, Scotland now has a place where both new and second hand classical guitars can be purchased.
My current guitar is a spruce top Sanfeliu model made by Scottish luthier Michael Ritchie.

I began playing classical when I was sixteen and living in Canada. I earned the $100 to buy my first classical guitar (which I still have) by painting my dads shop on 5 summers nights.
I studied with Gerry Risser whose claim to fame was to participate in Julian Breams masterclasses held in Stratford on Avon, Ontario in 1969. In Canada at that time, classical guitar was a rarefied topic and all music was either produced by Gerry or were multiple photocopied scores.
On returning to the UK, the classical guitar lay in its case for the best part of 25 years, only to emerge in late 1990 when I started lessons in Aberdeen. I soon started attending guitar festivals such as Dundee (run by Allan Neave) and Oatridge (run by Peter Stewart) where my eyes were opened to the multiple dimensions of the classical guitar world. This eventually led to the creation of the North East Scotland Classical Guitar Society (www.nescgs.co.uk) in 2005 with some fellow guitarists. I have been chairman of the society since its inception. The express aim was to offer to members the wide variety of classical guitar experiences of concerts, ensemble playing and camaraderie that we enjoy at festivals. Along with my first guitar, I play a 1999 guitar made by Scottish luthier Colin Morison, a 2014 Spruce top guitar by Italian luthier Giaochino Giussani,and a 1995 Antonio Marin Montero spruce top.