2025-09-01 The Blackwell Guitar Project is Launched

VCGS started our Loan A Guitar program for students early on with a variety of donated good quality guitars including two by Tybon Wu plus a Takamine and a Jean Larrivee. Loan A Guitar — Vancouver Classic Guitar Society If you play guitar, you know how important the quality of your instrument can be especially at a certain point in your development. But for most music students, a very high-quality classical guitar is simply out of reach financially..

In the summer of 2025, VCGS decided to expand our Loan a Guitar program by investing in a Blackwell double top guitar, one of the finest concert classical guitars made anywhere by BC’s own star luthier Martin Blackwell and played by professionals including Tariq Harb, Daniel Bolshoy, Michael Kolk, Alec Pearson and many more. We’ll lend our Blackwell guitar to students and professionals for concerts, recording sessions and other needs.

It will take us a few years to raise the money for our Blackwell Guitar Project (which is okay because Martin Blackwell has a waiting list of about 5 years) but it all started with an idea and a generous donation by VCGS member Jordan McCauley who wanted to find a way to get a quality guitar in the hands of students. After talking with then VCGS Chair Alec Pearson, the idea of was born to provide not just a guitar but a super high-quality guitar.  We’ve already made a substantial down payment and we’re fund raising to pay more each year. Read more about Blackwell Guitars