When London’s guitar enthusiasts pay a visit to Kevin Bourque for a service, they’re not just running an errand – they’re having an experience. Located up a tight stairwell on the capital’s famous Denmark Street – known as the city’s Tin Pan Alley for its relevance to the music industry – his workshop, aptly named Stairway to Kevin, is a shrine to guitar craftsmanship. One recent Saturday morning, customers filed in and out of his neon-lit studio with a variety of stringed instruments in conditions ranging from brand new to “found in grandpa’s attic”. “I’ve worked on thousands of guitars over the years,” Bourque, 37, says, as he dismantles a 1972 Fender Stratocaster to refit its shoddy internal wiring.
The Canadian, who grew up in Toronto, played in garage bands using discarded drum sets and guitars he learned to fix. The experience allows him to personalise guitar set-ups for his customers, who span working musicians, guitar collectors and first-timers. “Being able to play means you’re closer to actually being able to tell what someone wants – even if they don’t know what they want,” he says.
I put the same quality of work into each one, whether it is a £2,000 or £50 guitar. I've got a minimum standard that I want to deliver.
Bourque is upfront with clients on the cost and time it will take to repair an instrument. Common jobs include removing sticky drink spills from valuable guitars and repairing cracked necks. There is no shortage of demand: requests for full restorations are placed on a three to four-year waiting list. The five ongoing projects hung on his wall include a castoff Flying V from the mid-1980s that’ll take him until the end of this year.
“I put the same quality of work into each one, whether it is a £2,000 (Dh9,425) or £50 guitar. I’ve got a minimum standard that I want to deliver.” In a fully-automated world, his is a throwback, hands-on job that remains irreplaceable. Tricks of the trade include using sawed-off cow bones for various parts of the guitar, and the bone dust to fill in slots when necessary (he buys the bones on eBay). Bourque has repaired vintage guitars worth upwards of £75,000, including a 1930s Martin D-28 and a 1950s Fender Broadcaster. He also finetunes rare instruments, once owned by famous rockers, before they’re sent to auction. Those can fetch up to £1 million, “but that’s a whole other story”.
Bourque is one of five full-time guitar techs on Denmark Street, a small strip of London lined with music stores that has morphed since its heyday as the rockers’ hub of the Swinging Sixties. David Bowie and the Rolling Stones recorded some of their earliest tracks there. Elton John worked his first job at a songwriter’s publishing house up the road.
Yet, because of London’s upcoming Crossrail fast train network that will hover above the street, construction has been rampant. Music venues have shut down and some shops have relocated. Bourque recently moved from one end of the street to the other, and plans to return to his original spot when building work is completed. Despite the upheaval, Denmark Street remains relevant. While Bourque won’t reveal which famous musicians have graced his doors, guitar heroes Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen and Joe Bonamassa have recently been spotted shopping on the legendary street.
Bourque has been a fixture on the road for 16 years, working in various repair shops before opening Stairway to Kevin in 2015. He landed there entirely by accident, arriving in London with nothing more than £100 in his pocket and experience he gained apprenticing in Toronto. “I have to admit that I was naive and unaware of Denmark Street or its significance,” he says in an accent that drifts between Canada and Scotland, where he spent time as a broke musician before moving to London.
While he’s found success, it’s not come easy. The margins of the business rely staying open late six days a week. Bourque mitigates the long hours by standing on a foam mat to cushion his feet while working. Another hazard of the trade? Electric shocks. Bourque has been electrocuted so often that he can now gauge the strength of the current running through his body.
Despite the medical perils to his profession, Bourque often uses the same qualities honed by elite heart surgeons: steady hands and the ability to keep his clients’ expectations in check. “There are a few things I don’t like doing,” he says. “Giving people bad news is one of them. Sometimes, it’s a little bit brutal.
“I’ve seen some people get a little bit emotional with stuff,” he says, “especially if it’s a family heirloom. Those are usually the worst.”
It’s not surprising, therefore, that Bourque prefers to be left alone when it’s time to break out the knives. “I don’t mind if people watch me when I’m working, but I won’t let them watch if there’s any sort of chisels or saws,” he says. “I try and take the client’s feelings into account.”
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
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The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
SPECS
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How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Valladolid v Osasuna (Kick-off midnight UAE)
Saturday Valencia v Athletic Bilbao (5pm), Getafe v Sevilla (7.15pm), Huesca v Alaves (9.30pm), Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Sunday Real Sociedad v Eibar (5pm), Real Betis v Villarreal (7.15pm), Elche v Granada (9.30pm), Barcelona v Levante (midnight)
Monday Celta Vigo v Cadiz (midnight)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NEW ARRIVALS
Benjamin Mendy (Monaco) - £51.75m (Dh247.94m)
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) - £45.9m
Bernardo Silva (Monaco) - £45m
Ederson Moraes (Benfica) - £36m
Danilo (Real Madrid) - £27m
Douglas Luiz (Vasco de Gama) - £10.8m
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Fight Night
FIGHT NIGHT
Four title fights:
Amir Khan v Billy Dib - WBC International title
Hughie Fury v Samuel Peter - Heavyweight co-main event
Dave Penalosa v Lerato Dlamini - WBC Silver title
Prince Patel v Michell Banquiz - IBO World title
Six undercard bouts:
Michael Hennessy Jr v Abdul Julaidan Fatah
Amandeep Singh v Shakhobidin Zoirov
Zuhayr Al Qahtani v Farhad Hazratzada
Lolito Sonsona v Isack Junior
Rodrigo Caraballo v Sajid Abid
Ali Kiydin v Hemi Ahio
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
Company%C2%A0profile
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Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight (Wednesday), BeIN Sports
UFC%20FIGHT%20NIGHT%3A%20SAUDI%20ARABIA%20RESULTS
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Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes