The Montreal Guitar Show Ste-Cat Collection
Hats off to Montreal Guitar Show!
The Montreal Guitar Show was a true game-changer of guitar exhibitions. It bears a significant role for me personally as it revealed to me for the first time the contrast of the normal guitar trade fairs and a truly exceptional show. And I certainly wasn’t the only luthier who was impressed – MGS paved way to the birth of EGB (European Guitar Builders association) and The Holy Grail Guitar Show, that has been often referred to be “the new golden standard of guitar shows”.
Collection of guitars ordered from the exhibiting luthiers
One of the cool things MGS did in the years of its existence was the Ste-Cat Guitar Collection. In the spirit of promoting music making, the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal and the Montreal Guitar Show created this fantastic project. Made by renowned luthiers who have participated in the MGS, this choice of guitars constituted an exclusive instrument collection, designed specifically to give concrete free assistance to young musicians in the form of one-year instrument loans.
Guitars Awarded to young musicians
Later on, as MGS seized to be, the Montreal Jazz Festival association has arranged a competition for next generation guitarists, and awarded them with guitars from the Ste-Cat Collection.
Thank you Jacques-Andre!
I was totally blown away by the fact that I was chosen to build a custom guitar for this unique collection. It was such a great honour to participate as the first European luthier and also as the first solid body electric guitar for this unique project. Thank you once again Jacques-André Dupont and the whole MGS team for this honour.
Ste-Cat Duke goes to… Blake Hawley!
Later down the road, the Ste-Cat Duke was awarded to Blake Hawley of Gas Station Mentality. Blake was the first player who got the honour to pick a guitar from the untouched collection – and he chose the Duke..! I have no words. Congratulations Blake once again – I hope you will have great enjoyment of the guitar for many years to come, and that it will help you further your career as a professional musician.
