After all, Dave was entrenched in guitar journalism well before any of us had even thought of doing what we do today. Dave was always a passionate champion of British guitar makers, and both Andy and Hugh held him in the highest regard. “When I began building guitars, Dave was incredibly supportive and encouraging. We spoke to James Digings, who played drums in one of Dave’s early music adventures. While he was with The Guitar Magazine Dave wrote The Player’s Guide To Guitar Maintenance (Balafon/Backbeat, 1998), which became something of a must-have among guitarists eager to tweak their instruments under his guidance.