If rock-and-roll is your thing, you can now have a custom made guitar built for you in Otley - or even make one yourself!

Martin Dixon is now lucky enough to make a living from what started as a hobby and has brought his Handmade Guitar business to the town.

Mr Dixon and his wife, who hails from Yorkshire, moved back to the area over Christmas.

"Putting the Art back into Guitar Making" is Martin's promise, and judging by the beautiful standard of his work, he is living up to that promise.

"I started building guitars at the age of 16 as it was cheaper than buying them. I am a product designer by trade, but making guitars is the main area of my business," said Mr Dixon, who studied Product Design at University in Wolverhampton and then went on to do an MA in Design at the Central School of Art in London.

Now Martin produces unique guitars and basses and he can also do replacement bodies for bolt-on neck guitars.

Whilst studying Product Design, Martin became involved in designing musical instruments and this has helped him make a living from his skill.

It has taken many years to build up his talent though and now at 39 years of age there is no shortage of experience.

Martin's own musical tastes lie in the areas of blues and jazz, with Robben Ford being his favourite musician.

"I make a lot of guitars for jazz, folk and blues musicians. I made a seven string guitar for a jazz musician, this gives a fuller sound.

"I now mostly supply enthusiasts and collectors, but I have had an order from a Heavy Metal band in the States as well."

Most customers order the Gibson and Fender designs, which are the most widely used shapes for electric guitars.

However, Martin can custom design any shape of guitar and add individual designs.

Guitars and basses can be produced to standard designs, either as exact copies or as variations on a theme.

Unique guitars and basses can be produced with patchwork bodies made from a combination of exotic hardwoods.

Varying the colour of the timbers used can create spectacular effects, usually using geometric patterns.

"The most unusual design I did was for a Celtic Folk band, their guitarist wanted the The Green Man for Folk Lore legend painted on the base, with Ivy curling up the fret board!

"I produce guitars with intricate designs on them using various techniques including marquetry, block work and hand painted dye techniques."

"It takes a couple of weeks to build the guitar and then a further two or three weeks to decorate it. It is important to wait between coats of paint and lacquering to prevent cracking."

Luckily, Martin can work from home, and he and his wife chose to live in Otley as they enjoy the surrounding countryside and wanted their young son, Max, who is two years old, to grow up in this beautiful part of the world.

Martin combines his business with caring for his young son at home.

Martin makes guitars for enthusiasts all over the country and abroad too, and has had customers from as far as Texas in the USA, Belgium and Ireland.

His website generates a lot of interest and together with word of mouth, are the main way he generates business.

Many of Martin's creations are pictured on his website and there is further explanation of the work involved.

"I can email the progress of my work by taking digital photographs, so that customers can see the guitar taking shape," said Martin, who also exhibits his work every year in November at the Music Live show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.

There is a lot of demand for Martin's skill, especially from left-handed guitar players.

"Left handed guitars seem to be something of a specialism of mine, as a result of demand due to fewer available alternatives.

Guitar manufacturers tend to neglect left-handed players, only making one out of 10 of their designs for them."

If you wanted to get more involved in the making of your guitar it's possible to make your own at one of Martin's "Build your own Guitar" courses, based at his home.

In doing one of these courses a customer can have the rewarding experience of helping design and build their own instrument.

They wouldn't need any experience of wood crafting and Martin supplies all materials and tools.

"The build your own guitar course takes about 40 hours, but this can be flexibly done with one evening a week or half a day at the weekend, depending on people's commitments."

He uses all sorts of hard woods including Mahogany, Ash, Sycamore and Maple, with each wood giving a different sound to the instrument. Wherever possible, Martin tries to use local suppliers for his materials.

One of Martin's guitars also makes a unique and personal gift for a special occasion and with his expertise, any guitar player would be thrilled to receive one of these beautiful instruments as a present.

"There has been a large increase in interest in Handmade Guitars, especially in the last couple of years," said Martin.

" My prices are competitive compared to guitars of the same standard, and the quality of products used ensures that the guitar would last a lifetime."

The recent increase in interest is partly due to the resurgence of the music of guitar based bands like The Beatles, and also the popularity of more recent groups like Oasis.

More and more people are taking up guitar playing as a hobby and there are many excellent "teach-yourself" books available on the subject.

Once you've grasped the basics of guitar playing, investing in a quality instrument makes sense, particularly one that is custom made, and can therefore be tailored to your size, shape and preferences.

Martin can also repair damaged or old guitars, or make alterations to a guitar that needs them.

Prices start from £850 for complete instruments, and £350 for "Build your own Guitar" courses.

more details are available at www.mambers.aol.com/mdguitars.