Classical Guitars - Kent Guitar Classics

Miles Roberts started to play guitar from the relatively late age of about fifteen; first starting with folk music, steel string and some electric guitar. The first proper classical lessons came during early university years with David Taplin and Neil Smith in Manchester and Bolton. A little later and after some interesting summer school courses (including Bristol & Downe House), he studied privately with Julian Byzantine in London and later with John Mills for some years.

After a break from playing and study due to career and family commitments, he had monthly private tuition in Sheffield with Gordon Crosskey, then professor of Guitar at the Royal Northern School of Music, for about three years. During this period he undertook a small amount of public performance and re-established the guitar society in Hull called the Bridge Guitar Circle (named after the Humber bridge).

With wife Christine and two sons, a move to the south-east of England with a job relocation and the associated work, business travel and family commitments, caused a halt in guitar activities for about twelve years. Before this move, all but one guitar were sold and rarely a note played for more than a decade.

Some years later as children, then three in number, became adults and workload decreased, the guitar interests were re-awakened. After a period of re-learning to play (with assistance from Charles Ramirez and later Mark Ashford) Miles became a regular participant playing at guitar societies in Blackheath, Tunbridge Wells, Bromley and Canterbury. Having forged a friendship with professional concert guitarist Paul Gregory, the two get together for lunchtime and evening duo recital performances.

In search for makes of classical guitars much appreciated years before and since missed, Miles hunted around private sales and auctions and after discovering who had since died or emigrated in the years that had passed, began to find interesting instruments. Having then bought and sold a few for personal enjoyment, the opportunities grew to a level where business potential arose and from this, Kent Guitar Classics Ltd was born.