During this period Ges just could not cope with working
full time and the amount of guitar work coming in so he
decided to try to make Reeve Guitars a full time business.
At that time it certainly looked as though Reeve Guitars
could be a going concern.
I had the unenviable task of preparing the accounts ready
for audit when the accountant took over.
I drew the short straw yet again!
Mick was still teaching and keeping a low profile but the
long school holidays were a bonus, and I also had the the
school holidays.

Totally out of the blue, we were contacted by a guy in
America who expressed interest in buying instruments on
a regular basis.
He had obviously been monitoring our progress through
the regular reviews in the music magazines.
He had also contacted an amplification firm in this
country with a view to them making and shipping out
amps to America.
Our first reaction was of disbelief, quickly followed by a
wildly excited “This is It”!!! Obviously we had to check
that he was bona fide.
The Overseas Branch of our local Bank were brilliant
and ran a check on this guy.
Apparently he had financial backing and everything
seemed ok.
Although on one visit from an adviser from the Bank’s
Overseas Branch , I was told that we should not as much
as purchase a screw until the finances were completely
watertight.

Of course, with deadlines already being given that was
not possible and full production went ahead.
Ges and Mick were working flat out because all these
instruments were custom built.
I was in contact with a shipping company who had
supplied me with prices on packing and shipping out
the instruments and I also had a lot of contact with the
amplification firm.

Gradually we began to get very anxious as the money
had not been transferred and despite repeated phone
calls to America when we were assured it would be
happening very soon, loud warning bells began to ring.
The amplification firm were also very worried and they
sent a representative to America to check out the situation.
I was in contact with the Overseas Branch of our Bank and
it was the Bank, through their sources in America, who
notified me that this guy’s financial backers had withdrawn.
And that was it! The Dream was over.

Although we had about a dozen bodies ready, we were ok
because over time, these were used in the making of other
instruments.
I dont believe the amplification firm were so lucky.”

Words – Val Reeve