Guitar made by Liverpool students played on Jools Holland’s Hootenanny

A guitar designed and built with the help of Liverpool students was played on Jools Holland’s Hootenanny.

Mark Flanagan, a Liverpool-born guitarist who performs with Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, used the bespoke instrument during the famous New Year’s Eve broadcast.

Students in the Northern Schools Trust (Liverpool Life Sciences UTC, The Studio and North Liverpool Academy) were tasked with creating Mark a new guitar which looked and sounded different to the ones in his current collection.

The cross-trust school project came about after Dave Hornby decided to bring together the musicianship of Mark with the guitar making skills of Ray Palf.

Working alongside Ray and Mark, students gathered information about what Mark wanted from the guitar, including the type of sound, the components and materials preferred, and its appearance.

They were also involved in producing technical drawings and designs, models using softwood, testing, modifying and producing the final product on time.

Mark, who has performed with the likes of Eric Clapton, Tom Jones and Amy Winehouse, demoed the finished product to the students before using the guitar during Jools’ Annual Hootenanny.

A host of special guests appeared on the latest musical get-together including Michael Bublé, Jess Glynne, Nile Rodgers, George Ezra, Marc Almond and Rudimental.