The Book, 4,000 Guitars and the Auction signed by Sir Cliff Richard OBE
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.
Sir Cliff Richard signing the four Vintage Guitar Aid guitars.
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.
Dave with Sir Paul’s bass guitar statue.
About the book
The story of Guitar Aid. Dave Sumner, founder of the charity, demonstrates through his inspiring life of mission that although we rarely know where God is taking us, all he asks is that we take the next step.
“It’s not just a guitar. It’s a weapon of worship.” – Martin Smith
“What do you have in your hand?”
When God asked Moses that question, he was carrying a staff. When God asked Dave Sumner that question, he was holding a guitar. Dave was preparing to visit Romania for the first time after the fall of communism. What if he would take brand-new guitars that could not be sold and give them for free to church leaders who couldn’t afford them? What difference would that make to their worship? What encouragement could it bring?
The timing was significant. Dave had recently created a miniature guitar for Sir Paul McCartney, on commission, to be presented to him on the 75th anniversary of the P. R. S. The word had quickly got around in the industry, so when Dave shared the idea of bringing aid to Eastern Europe in the form of guitars, they quickly caught the vision. Guitar Aid was born!
£4.99 – £14.99
