David Hodson - UK Luthier - RIP

gadjojazz

Just thought I would let you know I have just heard that Dave Hodson has died. His widow Sheila is obviously very upset but said his funeral would be this Thursday and his ashes scattered on Samois island this June.
David was one of my favorite luthiers and a dear friend. His latest guitar for me - a small bodied, thinline Mac with electrics, is my main axe. Now it really is irreplacable.
Andy

sockeye

What awful news, I am so sorry to hear that...

Ken Bloom

When I was first casting about for information to build my seven string, I came upon David's website and there, lo and behold, were two seven string Selmacs that he had built. I e-mailed him and he was incredibliy generous with information about how he approached doing this. He was very specific about the details and very patient with all of my questions.
I think his passing leaves a big hole in the community and he will be sorely missed. Thank you, David, for your giving and generous nature.

emicad

Oh God! That's not possible... I spoke with him recently. I'm really sorry.
He was always available, patient, generous and useful. I spoke with him for months before buying my instrument and we had very lovely conversations about instruments, music and all the rest. He was surely an icon for the scene.
Rest in peace David. I'll play the guitar you made for me untill the end!

klaatu

That's terrible news. I just recently bought a secondhand Hodson Djangolin from someone in the US. David was very helpful in ID'ing the instrument. Seemed like a really nice fellow. I'm truly sorry to hear of his passing.

Bob Holo

A silver lining, if there can be said to be one here, is that he worked in the Internet age so there is a free flow of ideas in forums like this; making it more likely that there will be a record of his work. At this stage, the Internet is largely a transitory media - but through the efforts of some, there are Internet archival projects underway. Nothing is known about the luthiers/craftsmen who made the original Selmer & Macaferri guitars. Very little is known about early influential luthiers such as Busato and the DiMauros. Technology may be on David's side that his work will be remembered.

Bohemian

Sad news indeed.


RIP

TenorClef

How very sad to hear this news, Dave was a very generous man with his time and efforts to me personally in introducing me to Jazz manouche, i also purchased one of my guitars through David albeit not one that he made but he was kind enough to set the guitar up. He will be missed.

Elliot

I never knew him but he made a guitar at a price that enabled many new players to get in with something that had a luthier's touch, even if that meant giving up the one he was holding onto for himself. That's enough for me.

delsbrother

I liked the way David branched out and made truly unusual Selmac-inspired instruments - not only the Djangolin, but also thinline guitars, ukes, guitarras, basses...even steels. And I think there's been no stronger supporter of the EFS since... well... Eddie Freeman. I wish I had actually met him, but I felt like I knew him through his instruments. RIP David.