A guitar is born
He woke up one morning and decided that he was going to build a guitar.
Peter Borradaile is living the dream.
In his house overlooking Lake Chrissie, this gifted artist crafts guitars, paints landscapes, restores vintage vehicles and even makes his own chilli sauce.
The Highvelder paid Peter a visit at home in Chrissiemeer to find out more.
Once you enter the house, you can feel and see creativity all round. In one corner stands an easel with a half-painted landscape, on the walls hang guitars of all shapes and sizes and on the coffee table there is a blueprint of some instrument that’s due to see the light soon.
Peter hails from Zimbabwe, but after school he moved to Pretoria where he studied Fine Arts.
Five years ago the company he was working for at the time went bankrupt and his road led to Chrissiemeer where he opened the Billiard Room pub.
Peter jokingly tells about the local farmers not being too sure about “die Engelsman met die lang hare” that was settling down in town and opening a pub.
Today, he’s part of the community, accepted, respected and well loved, pretty much the same way he feels about them.
Back to the guitars, a hobby Peter started nine years ago.He literally woke up one morning and decided that he was going to build a guitar.
“After all, how difficult could it be?” said Peter. He then pulled the laptop closer to seek advice from his good friend, Google.
As soon as he had completed his first guitar (acoustic), Peter found the challenge of building an electric guitar too exciting and went back to the drawing board.
From then on Peter couldn’t stop building and experimenting with different styles and materials.
He prefers using locally sourced wood and mostly works with African rosewood, “patryshout” and ebony when he’s able to get hold of it.
Peter even crafted a guitar from blue-gum beams that he salvaged from a golf clubhouse and left a rusty nail in place to add to it’s character.
Although Peter is building a commissioned guitar at present, he admits that he finds it very hard to sell his instruments.
“It’s like selling your own children,” he says.
At the moment Peter is hard at work trying to design his own unique guitar shape and create his own identity.
Borradaile guitars can already be identified by their black rabbit trademark.
This trademark was inspired by Peter’s favourite childhood pet rabbit, affectionately known as Koos Kombuis, that will live on in his guitars for ever.
Peter has always loved music. He studied the piano and recorder and played the Blues harmonica in a band in the early ’90s.
He jokingly admits tells that his guitar playing skills aren’t quite up to standard and intends taking a few lessons to brush up, so that he can get the most out of the instruments he builds.
Remember the blueprint on the coffee table? That’s another challenge Peter has set himself.
Since the reality show America’s Got Talent, ukuleles have become popular again and Peter now intends building a series consisting of five ukuleles.
For now he’s enjoying the serenity of the lake and being awakened in the morning by the cry of a fish eagle, while he still has to work as a carpenter and do guitar repairs to pay the bills.
His dream is to be recognised as a builder with his own identity, and then ultimately have a star playing one of his instruments.
Tune in to Vrydag4uur (VIA, DSTV channel 147) at 17:00 on Friday, 24 February to watch the film crew’s visit to Chrissiesmeer and their visit with Peter.
If you want to learn more about Peter and his craft, visit his facebook page Borradaile Guitars.
