I've been writing and playing songs and tunes since teenage years in folk clubs and pubs. I co-organise the Kelso Friday night live music sessions at the Cross Keys (hosted singaround 7.45-10pm) and Cobbles Inn (10-12pm open mic with The Cobbles Band) with the help of many friends. All welcome! Visit us at kelsofolkandlive co uk. It is worth clicking on the tab because the sound quality of my tracks is far higher than the auto player on this page. Many can be streamed or downloaded at 320KBps and the enhancement for solo guitar/voice far exceeds the benefit you get for highly compressed band recordings. My recordings are full dynamic, not compressed. Just select Hi-Fi for the first song, and an MP3 high bitrate window will open - you will still get a sequence of songs. Most of my downloads are free, but some 320KBps tracks are paid-for. These are selected because they make up my main instrumental album. I now have a YouTube page and have started doing some video recordings for fun: @daviddkilpatrick I have mainly played Lowden guitars since 1999. I current play a 1985 S5FN (nylon string), 1986 S22 (jumbo O-size mahogany/cedar), and 1995 S32 (small body rosewood/spruce). I also play my own 1997-built Martin 'kit' Grand Auditorium rosewood/spruce, a Sigma OM-T, Furch Little Jane, Tacoma Papoose, Guild 8-string baritone, Vintage V880 parlour guitar and Gordon Giltrap signature model, a Troubadour mahogany/spruce classical and an Adam Black 12-string. And that's just the guitars... also viola, mandolin, mandola, waldzither, bouzouki, Appalachian dulcimer, low D whistle, keyboards.

Did a lot from 1968 to 1974 in South Yorkshire folk clubs, took a long break to bring up family and build my photographic and publishing businesses, moved to Scotland in 1988, started doing music and writing tunes and songs regularly again in 1996, never stopped except for a quiet patch during Covid. Sound familiar? In 1970 I narrowly avoided joining a psychedelic experimental band and going on tour in France. The band's van and gear was stolen on the second day on the road after crossing the channel. I've played as a social activity in many parts - USA, Spain, Turkey, Germany - and with friends as The Cobbles Band did a one-week trip to Italy supporting the main act at the 2023 Introdacqua Music Festival. In the last year I've been invited to play and been handed a fee without asking for one, several times. I/we usually play for charity or to support professional guests at events we are helping with. I can now afford new strings!

I play live, mainly for local events in pubs, restaurants and at festivals, fairs and markets. Much of this involves accompanying other musicians and they in turn accompany me. I also do solo performances.

Been rethinking this one. Countless early influences but Steeleye Span, Fairport, Pentangle, Jansch, Renbourn, most so. Today, Tony McManus, Ian Melrose, Pierre Bensusan, and countless local musicians in Scotland.

I record using AKG C2000B, Behringer C2 (two of), small Yamaha mixing desk, various preamps and a Roland VS880EX digital 8-track converted to operate with CompactFlash. But most often now I record direct to iPhone or Mac. Live, my guitars are often fitted with a dual source pickup, whether magnetic+piezo, mic+piezo, undersaddle+soundboard sensor. I run through a Boss AD-5 or AD-10 into PA systems, or play direct using an AER Alpha 40 for guitar and vocal.

I used to import guitars, bouzoukis and mandolas from Romania to my own specifications, and sell them under my own Troubadour label. That's ended as the costs rose too much and the logistics became more complex. If you find one of 'mine' for sale, it's usually much better than the equivalent retail standard version. Example, my Blondel travel guitar uses a three-part laminated maple and acacia neck with no steel bar inside, a rosewood fingerboard, reshaped headstock and bridge, superior tuners and natural unstained solid spruce top and maple sides with laminated lime (for the back) woods. The balance, playability and sound are well above the standard of the Ozark, Blue Moon or other rebranded variants of the same HORA original design - I paid extra for the modifications.