PIERRE IS A GUITAR HERO

An experimental guitar, designed for the player rather than an audience, has won its creator, Pierre Jacquerey (23) a student at Anniesland College, best in show gold medal honours at Craftex 2010. 

The Trades House of Glasgow’s annual craft awards and exhibition shines the spotlight on the very best traditional and modern crafts, design and technology skills taught at Glasgow’s colleges.  The free Craftex exhibition is open until Sunday 13 June within the opulent setting of the Trades Hall, Glassford Street, Glasgow. 

Before Pierre returns to his home in Provence in the south of France from his temporary Glasgow home at Charing Cross, he is heading off with his award-winning guitar to California for an interview with world renowned guitar manufacturer, Ervin Somogyi. 

Picking up his gold medal from Trades of Glasgow Deacon Convener Michael Low, Pierre said:  “This has been a very big surprise for me and more than anything I’d like to thank my Musical Instrument Making lecturers, Paul Highland and Michael Ritchie, for all their support during my two years at Anniesland.  I am absolutely delighted to have taken the top award at Craftex.

“I’ve designed and created the guitar on the basis that many guitarists play for themselves rather than for an audience.  My experimental piece features the sound hole on the top instead of on the front, so that the music goes in the direction of the guitarist.  The floating fingerboard is also designed with the player in mind, as it creates greater vibration in the instrument.  It is made of spruce and cedar, quite unusual materials for a guitar, with walnut sides and back.”

A top student in each of the 25 subjects on show at Craftex 2010 was selected by judges this year, Deputy Lord Provost of Glasgow Allan Stewart and his wife Moira.  Every category winner receives a monetary prize.  As well as the Gold Medal, sponsored by Melville Exhibitions, Pierre took the Music Instruments advanced category, sponsored by the Weavers of Anderston.

Deacon Convener Michael Low also selected his own Best Design award from entries.  This went to Kenny Daniel (36), also a student at Anniesland College and a former Glasgow School of Art graduate (1998) in Product Design.  Kenny’s industrial product design work, which also won him the Industrial/Product Design advanced category, was a safe bio pack container for new and used needles.  His compact cin bin alternative was designed as a potential means to help minimise the hundreds of thousands of needlestick injuries recorded within the NHS every year.

“We have another fabulous line up at Craftex 2010 showcasing the high calibre of crafts and skills that are being honed by our Glasgow colleges today,” said Deacon Convener Michael Low.  “With business and careers representatives amongst the thousands attracted to the exhibition each year, Craftex is a unique and valuable platform for students seeking employment or launching their own business.  We hope Pierre’s win will help contribute to his potential success in California.

“In my choice of Best Design award, I was grabbed by the huge potential for Kenny’s unusual design, as well as by the amount of detail that accompanied his entry.”

Craftex presents end of term curriculum work prepared by college students across a wide variety subjects.  It was established in 1995 and is promoted by the Trades House of Glasgow, a federation of the city’s ancient crafts originating from 1605. 

Contributing to Craftex 2010 are Anniesland College, Cardonald, Central College Glasgow, Glasgow Metropolitan, John Wheatley, Langside, Glasgow College of Nautical Studies, North Glasgow and Stow College.  The event is sponsored this year by the Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management, Melville Exhibitions, Glasgow City Council, Thomas Tunnock Ltd, J Chandler & Co, the Merchants House of Glasgow, Scottish Goldsmiths Trust, the Weavers Society of Anderston, Scottish Engineering and the 14 Incorporated Trades of Glasgow.