My Bill Lewis Story
Born & Bred in Vancouver B.C. Canada
I was taught music at the age of 6 by a mother and father that would not get me a guitar but had me play the accordion stating that if I mastered it I could play what I wanted, I achieved this at 14.
I was bought a San Francisco pawnbrokers guitar for $12.00 by a friend. I broke every string but one the low "E" I decided to do everything I could on that one string & over time gained noteworthy status among my friends & fans as a one string wonder, it wasn't enough. I went on to learn each string the same way & to this day am still self taught.
Early in my Music I made a decision to become an artist rather than a working musician & wrote & played for my own pleasure and as it turned out the pleasure of a lot of others. I had been working for Cana Truck Rentals on Kingsway in Vancouver for a number of years & decided that it was time to buy a good guitar. I went to the bank in the morning to get a loan for $1000.00 & I wanted it by noon, they said it could not be done I in return said if not i will go somewhere else, shortly before noon I got my loan.
I got off early & headed for Bill Lewis music on Broadway near Alma in Vancouver. I was still in my work clothes & looked rather shabby. I tried a few different guitars, then saw the Lewis I asked to see it.
Immediate Bliss I was sold, it was unique one of a kind much like myself & felt like an old friend. I asked what he knew about it he was new & didn't know about it. I asked how much, he looked at me like I could never afford it (Gibson Les Pauls) were selling for $450.00
He said $750.00 I slapped the money down & walked out.
The next day I got a call from Bill lewis he said he was sorry to tell me that it was not supposed to be sold. I told him that I really wanted to keep it. He asked why and I told him my story, there was was a long pause he then stated that it had been hanging around the shop for a number of years & no one was really looking after it maybe it was better it gets the proper care it deserves. He made me promise though that I would not sell it unless I sold it back to him & he would give me what I had paid. I agreed. About 10 years later it was stolen out of my house without the case which three days later went through a fire which totaled the house..............Did the guitar or something else know what was to come??? I was devastated went to every store & pawnshop in the area with pics & a description.
NO LUCK.
About a year later I had found a Kinal Guitar By Mike Kinal a local luthier who Bill Lewis had said was his most talented pupil. This guitar was the tenth electric guitar he had built it was styled after an alembec. The woodwork was the best I had ever seen, It played like a dream the care & attention to detail was beyond question. Gibson Les Pauls were going for about $750.00 then it was priced at $1800.00. I followed it from store to store for almost a year, in the meantime my friends had been saving money to give to me for a new guitar & gave me $1000.00 I cried & thanked them all, words could not explain how I felt. The Kinal came back to the original store & the owner recognized me & said are you still after this guitar I said yes but explained I didn't that much money, he offered to give me Mike's home number, I phoned told him the story& made arrangements to meet. Upon meeting with him he asked me to play it. I must have made a good impression as he agreed to sell it to me for the $1000.00 I had & threw in a form fit custom case. This is my main guitar to date.
3 years from the date it was stolen the Lewis reappeared in Vancouver's San Francisco Pawn shop where i had brought photo's and a description of it & been reassured that they check all incoming stock.My bass player saw it hanging on the wall for $200.00 they thought it was a cheap copy of something. I went down & sure enough it was the Lewis I got a hold of the police & was told that I needed to identify it somehow as they were saying that there were lots of them. In red ink behind the back cover it said "Dear George I hope you like it" as it was originally intended for "George Harrison" Of "The Beatles" he was given one of the regular ones as Bill didn't want Mark to give up his own custom Lewis guitar. I had Bill Lewis phone the police & he explianed to them that it was a one of a kind custom guitar. I was amazed that somehow the Lewis had made it back to me. Upon checking it over a few extra scratches and very small dents it was in great shape,
I popped off the back only to find that the pawn shop had tried to sand off the inscription to George Harrison but under a bright light you can still see it. This guitar is still with me but due to financial difficulties it is up for sale all offers will be considered.
It is reputed to be the last one made & the most advanced & the only one with an ebony "V" in the face of it.
Les Clarke
clarkeles@yahoo.com
