11/22/08
I’ve been playing for over 40 years now and it has given me so much pleasure. I still have my Hold Down A Chord Books and remember the TV series that started me off. I owe John so much. RIP
Andy, United Kingdom
Wow,
Just read this this morning…. This world has lost a great musician and innovator to acoutic music in general. I’ve been using and endorsing John Pearse Strings longer than I can remember.
Meeting and knowing the folks around : Breezy Ridge Insts. ….. John, Mary-Faith, Michelle, and some others It’s like family, or old friends there. Always helpful, super nice, and seemed to really care about me/us more so than just a customer…. I thank Ya’ll for that, and will continue to use, endorse and brag about the great stuff I’ve gotten from there. My prayers and condolences to the family and friends of John…. May God Bless and comfort you.
Tommy Harper Jr.
aka: Promised Land
Endorser, friend, and satisfied customer
Tommy Harper, Jr, United States http://www.promisedlandministry.com
11/24/08
Comments:
Wow! I’ve returned yesterday from the Great American Guitar Show in Philadelphia a bit disappointed that John wasn’t there. I vaguely remembered that he wasn’t a huge fan of Pennsylvania’s version of winter, so I hadn’t asked around.
Then I went to the web site, and discovered that he was gone. And I’m just bummed!
I met John at a Philly Guitar Show maybe 8 years ago. I wanted to talk about guitars, he wanted to talk about computers (I made the tactical error or wearing a Sun Microsystems jacket to the show… my bad<G>!)
We spent far more time than was fair to others in the booth chatting about computers, and eventually guitars. My wife (then my fiance) was as enamored with him as I was. He was a fascinating gentleman.
The following winter I was at NAMM and had the opportunity to leave my booth for a while. I happened across the Breezy Ridge booth and stopped in. Much to my amazement he remembered meeting me – that’s pretty impressive. He didn’t remember my name, but remembered I was going to get married and wished me well.
While John was a wonderful musician, and music teacher (I keep his guitar method on my music stand), and a great business man who set a great example (the dealers I know are of a single voice praising Breezy Ridge Music) the thing I’ll remember most is his gentle, and very amusing presence. I feel fortunate to have met him, and I will keep all those who loved him in my thoughts and prayers, as they have surely lost a good friend.
Bill Thompson, United States
I lived in Germany for a year next to John and Linda. Linda and me quickly became friends. I later came to know John. We had many good conversations. I came to consider both him and Linda my good friends. They helped make my year in Germany a great one. John was great to me and his wife always encouraged me. I am so happy to have meet them both. They helped me more than they know. I am so sad to hear that John passed away. I will miss him. I send out my love to John, Linda and his family.
Sincerely,
Shannon
Shannon McClendon, United States
I’m so sorry to have read about John’s passing. He was a real innovator, and it was always so special to see him (and you) at the shows. I’m sorry not to have gotten to know him better, or to have made some music with him. I will try to remember him each year as I realize that we of the “old guard” are growing smaller in number. I wish you all the best. Sincerely, Harry
Harry M. Tuft, United States www.denverfolklore.com
After using John Pearse Strings for many years, and exchanging a few e-mails with John during that time, I had the pleasure of finally meeting him a few years back at NAMM in Nashville. What a treat! John really did make the world a better place thru music. My condolences go out to his family and friends.
Lynn Dudenbostel, UnitedStates
It was a cold American Autumn in Brevard, NC, I met Mary Faith. [National Resophonic Guitar Festival] Our instruments had made it but our luggage did not arrive from India and we were wearing the light silk clothing from home. She offered my brother and I John Pearse Sweatshirts because we looked cold. Over the course of the festival we met Mary quite a few times every day.
We came to see Mary in Pennsylvania, and heard about who John Pearse is, heard about his musicianship and his passion to help guitarists and of his sharing his joy with others. I felt so honoured to become a member of the John Pearse Family of endorsees. I met him and his wife Linda personally that night and we had dinner together…so full of Joy. I will remember this of him. He was a great guitarist and music connoisseur.
For me, his contribution over the years, it has changed my Guitar tone and practically is a shelter for me and for my students and fan-followers. Chaturangui Strings are now a branded material, as well as my Debashish Bhattacharya John Pearse® Bar.
I love that Man and miss him too…”we will see you, happy, John in another time, another place…” said from my heart!
Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya, India www.debashishbhattacharya.com
11/27/08
John radiated love. I always looked for him at NAMM and missed him when I didn’t see him. John, with music, made the world a better place.
I hope to see you at NAMM
John Amaral , United States http://www.usschoolofmusic.com
11/28/08
Still hear him sing, when he teached me my first song on TV:
Nicola, Germany
11/30/08
John was always so kind to me every year at Winter NAMM. His passion for improving the stringed instrument experience was contagious. Thank you, John. We’ll all miss you.
Jim Fox, United States http://www.jimfoxguitar.com
Art Holland here Mary, I am so very sorry to hear about John’s passing
a great loss for the music community, friends and family. If it takes
awhile to get back to me I understand.
It looks like Iraq and Afghanistan in June/July of 09′. I always give some strings and pics to the troops that play guitar over there. This will be my 6th time to Iraq and 5th to Afghanistan. Very proud indeed to be entertaining the troops in battle zones. An honor…to be playing John Pearse Strings for the troops. Remember…Music Really Does Make the World a Better Place. May John rest in peace.
Sincerely,
Art Holland, United States http://www.gitart.com
I was deeply saddened to hear of John’s passing. He did so much for the guitar.
My condolences to his family.
Martin Taylor – Jazz Guitarist, United Kingdom http://www.martin@martintaylor.com
I first saw John and Mary play a duet act at the Kissimee Fl bluegrass festival in 1976. They fascinated a bluegrass crowd as a duo, pretty much unheard of for that time.
I re-met John 13 years ago when we entered the instrument manufacturing business. John was always fascinated with our hybrid instruments and we spent much time brainstorming about different ideas. He ended up endorsing 4 of our instruments. He was also the inspiration in our creation of the Weissenborn® guitars. He was convinced we had the QC and marketing abilites to distribute an instrument he loved, and we made an agreement to license the Weissenborn® name which he owned.
I myself was inspried by John, for as we talked his eyes gleamed with ideas, all very logical. Ill miss seeing John at our trade shows. In the hectic nature of a NAMM show, it was a wonderful break to hang with .
Wayne Rogers, United States http://goldtone.com
12/5/08
Dear John,
i hope you rest in peace !
Once you bought my guitar ( Ebay ), hope you had fun with it.
We where glad that the guitar found someone who loves to play it…..
Sorry but my
C. Braun, Germany
12/10/08
John,
I am so sorry that I couldn’t be there to thank you in person. I tried to be there and could not make it in time. I am sorry John! I promise I will use your advice that I have stored in my heart. I will never forget the wonderful things you shared with me. I will play the guitar with all my heart in honor of you and I will pass your Legacy to those who doubt themselves, like I did. I was afraid to do this as I knew I would brake down. I miss you! I only wish I had more time to learn from you, and though we knew each other a short time you quickly became my biggest inspiration. Thank you so much. I wish I could have said it in person. I am sorry John.
May we be with God.
Your friend, Joshua
Joshus Revak, United States http://www.myspace.com/zoocrutchhiker
12/12/08
Once upon a time, I held down a chord (dum-chinger-chinger).
Thanks to Mr Pearse, I have made friends (and money) from Glasgow to Albuquerque since first trying, with his help, to control my fingers as they tripped over the strings and stumbled across the fretboard.
When people ask how and when I started, I tell them about Hold Down A Chord and the dum-chinger.
Bob McCallum, United Kingdom
I had never met John, but I knew of him through the splendid group RMMGA (rec.music.makers.makers.guitar.acoustic). I used a JP armrest on my Martin HD-28 for years. John was always quite generous to us at our gatherings and donated many wonderful items for the EC Gathering raffle. In 2003, I won a JP guitar strap and it’s the best one I ever had. Funny, but I had a gig on Oct. 22 and somehow the strap never made it back into my guitar case and it was over a week later that we got the news that John was gone.
He and Linda are in my thoughts and I know that the world of music and guitars just isn’t the same withour John Pearse in it.
Debra Cowan, United States http://www.DebraCowan.com
John Pearse taught me how to play:-
His BBCTV programme
Phil Armitage, United Kingdom
12/13/08
I was saddened when I read about John’s passing. I stumbled on his site during a search for a guitar, the search was for a guitar suitable for fingerpicking, and that is all down to John for he is responsible for firing up the desire in me to learn to play fingerstyle after watching his BBC series Hold Down a Chord, that was a long while ago but I’m still grateful to him for inspiration.
From reading about his life since then he was a very special person, my sincere condolencies go to his wife, family and friends.
The world has one less nice guy in it.
John (Fingers), United Kingdom
12/17/08
I was checking the website to learn of any new genius-inspired toys John may have come up with lately and was saddened to see that he had passed. I’m just a rookie, trying to teach myself acoustic but have been passionate about the sound of the acoustic guitar since I was a little girl. I’m now 45. It’s about time I did something about it!
A very fine guitarist told me about John’s strings a couple of years ago so I learned how to string my baby for the cause. I love them. Sound is something I’m very adept at, I played classical music for years as a kid in orchestras (string bass) and just had music in my genes, but especially my ears, and acoustic guitar always put me in a trance. Nil to do with the orchestra obviously. Had an Uncle that sang me to sleep with his acoustic in Detroit…..
Rather than be convinced that John’s strings were the best for my awesome guitar full of beautiful resonance from top to bottom, I tried many many kinds ~ all top brands…..and then some….and listened….and listened…and listened. There is no set of strings, in my mind, that comes close to the richness and clarity of John’s strings. Usually there’s too much of one and not enough of the other. This man found the combination that opened the lock.
No other set can bring alive the soul of an acoustic guitar, for oh say, Leonard’s “Suzanne”, Cat’s “Father and Son”, finger picking “Take It Easy” or gently picking/strumming Jewel’s “You Were Meant For Me” and wow, so many more…like John’s. John, if you’re catching this, you are magic. You nailed it. You understand. I’m sure you’ve done the same with all of your other strings for different purposes too.
On a much simpler note, people like John, and where my guitar playing is concerned there is only one John, inspire me deeply. I really take it to heart. I had so much respect for him before he passed without knowing most of what I have learned about him since. That’s been icing on the cake. He was my kind of guy. We would have poked each other in the bellybutton and then I would have humbly, and contentedly, begged him to teach me something magical ~ a technique, or a tune, or both. (if I could stop laughing of course because I know he would have floored me a few times)
Thanks Mary Faith for putting up with my Tshirt requests. I’ve solved the problem and am having it delivered soon. I went and created it! It’s too good to pass up.
: ) You are such sweet people.
Rest in peace John, rest and strum…..ah…sweet.
Sue (Toronto), Canada
