The book ‘Take The Next Step’ gives in-depth details and accounts of Guitar Aid’s founder and director Dave Sumner’s memoirs of how this remarkable charity has to date, gifted well over 4,000 guitars to Christian musicians, worship groups, and church communities around the world.
This astonishing number of guitars, reached this magic number with the creation of four custom build Vintage® guitars, put together in the Vintage UK ProShop to celebrate this wonderful achievement, all four guitars have a full provenance pack and to further mark the occasion, have been individually signed by the Patron of Guitar Aid, Sir Cliff Richard.
Of the four guitars, one instrument will be gifted to the 4000th recipient, one will be retained for the collection for posterity and two will be auctioned on the 3rd of September 2024 at one of the country’s premier auctioneers, Gardiner Houlgate in Bath, UK, to raise funds for Guitar Aid’s worldwide missionary work.
With fascinating stories, acknowledgements and quotes of gratitude from people around the world, Dave’s book, ‘Take The Next Step’ contains a forward which explains how Sir Paul McCartney was the unsuspecting progenitor of the entire Guitar Aid enterprise, as a result of Dave Sumner being commissioned by the Performing Rights Society to create a gold statuette of Paul’s Hofner bass for a Novello award in 1989.
Based in Exeter, Devon in the UK, Dave Sumner gave his first guitar away on a cold winter mission to Romania in 1990, as he explains,
“I’ll never forget the first guitar”, says Dave, “The reaction and immense gratitude I received from a youth pastor and his students was immense, I realised that aside from the humanitarian aid in poor countries, there was a desperate need for a practical gift that could give spiritual fruit.
From that first guitar to the present day, Guitar Aid has gifted well over 4,000 models, that’s one every three days for thirty-four years. I’ve witnessed so much joy and many heart-warming stories within the power of music that I just had to write this book.
We talk about things happening in biblical proportions like floods and disasters, but it’s uncanny that in Chronicles 23:5 in the new King James version of the Bible, it states that ‘Four thousand praised the Lord with musical instruments.”
Dave continues, “Our guitars are being used in well over 90 countries across the globe, a gift of a guitar not only impacts the person that receives it, but also has an influence on all those that hear its sound.
I can say from my heart, that when I give someone a guitar in a poor country, I’m changing lives and empowering them to worship God. We are sowing into the seed of Guitar Aid and bringing gospel music to Christian musicians, worship groups, and church communities around the world, often to areas where people have little or nothing to call their own.
JHS who own and distribute Vintage guitars worldwide, have been incredibly supportive, not only with the 4 models to reach this incredible quantity, but also having supplied us with a colossal amount of high-quality Guitar Aid branded guitars for well over 34 years, I can’t thank them enough.”
“It’s an honour and privilege to work with Dave Sumner and his Guitar Aid charity”, says JHS Executive Chairman Dennis Drumm. “For us all here at Vintage guitars, to have been able to contribute to providing such a staggering amount of instruments, all sponsored by donation and given freely away, all of which have served a very special purpose and brought much good into the world, and played a part in providing joy through worship and gospel music has been an uplifting experience. Guitar Aid is a wonderful charity for JHS and Vintage to support and we look forward to working with Dave Sumner into the future as he continues to pursue his mission”.
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