John Bailey (luthier)

John Bailey
Born	1931 England
Died	2011 (aged 79–80)
Occupation(s)	Luthier

John Bailey (1931–2011) was a British luthier who made and repaired guitars and other stringed instruments during the 1960s revival of English folk music and beyond. Bailey lived in London until 1972 when he moved to Dartmouth in Devon. He continued to make instruments there into the 1990s.

John was originally a woodwork teacher at a school in Hendon and made instruments in his spare time. His business card from the early seventies said "Albert John Bailey – Violin Maker"

He wrote two textbooks on making instruments, Making a Folk Guitar and Making an Appalachian Dulcimer, that were published by The English Folk Dance and Song Society, Cecil Sharp House.

Illustrated with line drawings, cover designs by Bailey's wife Maurine and a few photographs by Russ Woolnough, these scarce booklets are titles in The Folk Shop Instrumental Series; complete texts on how to make acoustic folk-style instruments.

George Lowden the Irish luthier has talked about the influence of Bailey's book at the start of his professional career as a luthier:

1973 – After a fair bit of prayer! (I needed all the help I could get) I decided to make guitars professionally and armed with some wood, basic woodworking tools and an excellent booklet by English Luthier John Bailey, I began the journey.

Bailey's instruments have been played by many well known musicians:

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