Hayfield’s very own Guitar Man!

Over the last 40 years, Ken Allcroft of Kinder Road has collected a staggering 34 guitars. Hayfield's new reporter, Allen Fairhurst went to meet Ken and strum a few chords

Born in the village in the summer of 1947, Ken has lived in Hayfield ever since, leaving to travel the world as head of security to stellar acts such as Barry Manilow and The Chippendales back in the late eighties.

Ken’s interest in guitars began when he first bought a Fender Telecaster in the 70’s and was instantly hooked! “Tele’s are still one of my favourite guitars,” said Ken, "I own quite a few. There’s something so tactile about them; the curves, the colours and of course the sound they make. That’s what’s great about all guitars, they all have their individual tones, sounds and characteristics.

And with 34 around the house that’s a lot of personality!

“At the last count I think it was 34 but I keep finding more dotted around the house. It’s a bit like bumping into an old friend you’ve not seen in a while – it’s a good feeling.”

So which is Ken’s favourite guitar?

“I love them all! They all have their own uniqueness, but if push came to shove, it would have to be the Gretsch White Falcon, there’s something so Americana about it. It’s the one everyone is drawn to.

“Apart from it being one of the great iconic guitars of the last fifty plus years, I just love the way it sounds; that crystal clear rockabilly tone, so recognisable from bands such as The Stray Cats and The Cult”

Ken’s eclectic mix of musical tastes runs from Buddy Holly to James Taylor, from The Georgia Satellites to BB King. 

“I have many hero’s but special mention must go out to the likes of Albert Lee – a great speed player, the late, great Chet Atkins, a true idol of mine, Rory Gallagher, Jeff Beck and even Hank Marvin. There are a lot of great players in the village too: Neil Cossar of The Cheaters lives here and he taught me a lot. Then there’s the great Phil ‘The Maestro’ Strange, who I’ve known since we were lads. He’s played all over the world including China, where he was broadcast to millions. He still comes round every Tuesday night for a strum.”

Ken is fighting an ongoing battle with a rare form of cancer known as Waldenström Macroglobulinemia, so playing gigs for charity with his band, The Ken Allcroft All Stars, is something that is of strong personal interest to him. He recently organised a charity gig for a young lady in the village who is suffering from cancer and the night was a runaway success, raising triple figures for the cause and leaving music fans yelling for more.

Ken has many other such plans for musical events in the near future. Keep checking the Hayfield Village events page for further updates.

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