A spray painter to trade, 39-year-old Mike desperately wanted to own and play rock's classic instrument since he began playing guitar at the age of 12.

He said: "I did play in a couple of groups, but only small village bands.

''I kept looking for a guy called McCartney to play songs with."

However, when the self-proclaimed "guitar nerd" was finally set to purchase a Les Paul last year he found himself disappointed with the model he had his eye on and walked out of the music shop. That was when he decided to build his own six-string sensation.

Queen guitarist Brian May is famous for building and playing his own guitar – the Red Special – and Mike thought he could do the same.

"The reason I walked away from my childhood dream was I was actually quite surprised by the paint work when I saw it up close.

''I had the money in my pocket, but after that I really didn't want to part with it.

"Gibson Les Pauls start at around £1400 and can go up to four times that.

''I was disappointed the guitar wasn't as nice as I thought it would be – I know it doesn't matter how it looks as much as how it sounds and plays, but I was still disappointed by the paint work.

"I don't know what triggered it, but I thought let's see if I can build one from scratch. I'm a bit of a guitar nerd I suppose and I knew about the construction of guitars and the materials used."

For the next five months Mike worked at night and on weekends at his home in Craigs Crescent, Rumford, and eventually had his very own unique electric guitar in time for Christmas.

"There was an awful lot of trial and error.

''I had to buy a lot of tools – so it was actually no cheaper than buying a real Gibson Les Paul in the end.

"There are no savings to be made when you make your own guitar – but you certainly get the guitar you want."

Mike suspected his wife Careen was actually going to get him a Les Paul for his upcoming 40th birthday.

"I think I might have annoyed her by building my own guitar," he laughed.

Mike's first "commission" came about when a friend saw the guitar he made and asked him to make a Les Paul-style guitar for him.

Now the part-time luthier is planning to build a guitar based on a Fender Telecaster and possibly a Gibson SG-style guitar in a tribute to his guitar idol, AC/DC's Angus Young.

"If I was given another opportunity I would like to build a guitar for someone. I don't think I could make a full time living out of it, though.

"Anyone looking to buy a good guitar off the shelf can do so for less money than it costs to make one.

''But that guitar would be unique and people can always come to me with their own ideas."

Just as people can now buy "distressed" jeans, there are guitars on the market which are designed to look "beat-up", like the signature Stratocasters of players such as blues legends Stevie Ray Vaughan and Rory Gallagher.

"There's an art to making something new look old," said Mike.

"I'm quite interested in doing that too."
For more information visit Mike's website at www.lennonguitars.co.uk

j.trimble@falkirkhearld.co.uk