Helsinki, Finland (Top40 Charts/ Connected Markets) - Versoul celebrates Ronnie Wood's 60th birthday on the 1st of June 2007. Kari Niemenin and Alan Rogan, guitar tech guru for
Peter Townshend,
George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Joe Walsh, AC/DC, John Fogerty, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, etc. met Ronnie Wood at his home in Richmond, London. During the visit Ronnie bought his 9th Versoul: a Buxom 12 string Baritone Acoustic guitar, and received another as a gift: a Versoul Buxom 12 string
Custom guitar in a special blue/green color with a red/black plastic maple pick guard.
Ronnie Wood has been a long time fan of Kari's unique line of Versoul instruments (he bought his first in 2003), and has wanted to meet Kari personally for years. Kari, who has built many custom instruments for the hierarchy of the music world, grew up listening to Ronnie in the Jeff Beck Group, the Faces and more recently the Stones. Ronnie's 60th Birthday celebration had to be the perfect setting for the two luminaries to finally meet.
Ronnie owns a gallery of Versoul instruments: Buxom 6 string, 12 string and 12-string baritone, Henry with gold-leaf top, Reso Sun resonator, Raya 6-string, baritone, and 12-string guitars.
The British magazine Guitarist recently captured Versoul's London trip in an online article: Ronnie Wood's Luthier.
It's not only Ronnie Wood that loves Versoul Guitars, as immortalized in a special DVD "A Tribute to The King" by Scotty Moore and Friends, live at Abbey Road Studios was published in late 2005, which features songs made famous by Elvis Presley when Scotty was the King's guitarist. Players include: Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Davis Gilmour, Albert Lee, Bill Wyman and Ronnie Wood. Ronnie exclusively plays his Versoul RAYA 6 Electric Baritone on 5 songs for all his rhythm and solo parts.
In related famous guitar tributes, well respected Spanish guitarist/composer Amancio Prada performed in Spain's Alfacar Village's Lorca Memorial Park (near Granada) on August 18th, 2006, in a special Memorial Concert for the world famous poet Federico Garcia Lorca. Lorca was murdered by fascists on August 18th, 1936, at the start of the Spanish Civil war. Lorca is the national hero of Spain, and his influence to literature is very important worldwide. Amancio Prada, who was the only artist to perform in this Concert, played his VERSOUL TOUCO Classical Guitar (Amancio has an incredible collection of the very best Spanish Classical and Flamenco guitars from 1840's, including instruments made by Santos Hernandes, Manuel and Jose Ramirez). The concert was organized by Spanish Cultural Ministry and Granada County Council.
Rock Legend Roger Daltrey (The WHO) ordered BUXOM 6 Acoustic in 2001 and played his guitar on The WHO's US Summer Tour 2002. Here are Roger's words of his Buxom: "What I loved about this guitar when I was first given it is that it makes me want to play - it is got an incredible bell-like quality that makes me sound like a much better player than I actually am. And there is something about the quality of the sound that makes me discover more and more the chords and progressions and things I was previously unaware of. It just made me want to play a lot more than I used to. That is the sign of a good guitar".
Versoul will attend Moscow's Extravaganza Show at Red Square on October 2007. Organized by British company Shorex, Versoul has been invited each year for the past 5 years. Attendance is by invitation exclusively - and these invitations extend only to the World's Best companies - such as Steinway, Cadillac, Dassault (French aircrafts). For more information visit - www.extravaganza.ru
Versoul is proud to offer their exclusive line of custom instruments online through special order. Please contact Kari Niemenen directly at versoul @ kolumbus.fi Previously, Versoul guitars and Versoul basses have only been available through 3 exclusive international dealers.
