There is a school of thought that says “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. In a way, it is true. There are dangers in changing things. You may waste time and money. You may not succeed. There is a Chinese saying “be careful what you wish for.” But there are also dangers in standing still. Life is like a river, sweeping you along in the tide. Have you ever met a general who says “I have a very good rifle, so I don’t need a better one?” Have you ever met anyone who went about his daily life wearing a wig in the style of Mozart because “it was traditional?” Have you ever seen a model T Ford in the car park at Lidl?

When I was young, I kept asking questions – like “why” or “how” or “what if?” It must have driven my parents crazy. Many people grow out of it. I don’t know why (damn, there I go again) but I never did. OK, it’s an addiction. It lands me in all kinds of trouble. It’s too late to stop now.

So, I’ve lived in England, France, Mexico and Germany. As well as building harpsichords and guitars, I’ve worked as a Lecturer at London Guildhall University, as a Researcher at Imperial College, together with writing articles and giving lectures in music schools and conservatories all over Europe and North America.

I took part in the exhibition “Making It” at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and made a short children’s programme on guitar-making for the BBC. My signature, along with the other members of the team, sits on a silicon wafer on the surface of the planet Mars, carried there by NASA’s “Mars Phoenix” mission.

So, I think I’ll keep asking questions. It’s just too much fun. Along with making guitars...

Trevor Semple