The Undiscovered: Neil Haverstick

Acoustic Stick is experimental guitarist Neil Haverstick's 'long'-EP release, featuring six acoustic numbers in which he uses 19 tone and 34 tone guitar tunings to achieve otherworldly results. Accompanied by John Starrett on 19 tone bass guitar and Ernie Crews on drums, tabla and dumbek, Haverstick explores the blues ("Birdwalk"), Indian music ("34 Steps", "From The West") and African influences ("African Stick"), among other styles. Haverstick has obviously dedicated much of his time to exploring the sonic wonder of microtones, and his compositions are at once intriguing and mystifying. If you can 'get it' on the first listen, consider yourself uncommon; after repeated listenings you'll begin to appreciate the innovations Haverstick is bringing to the guitar world.

Neil started playing guitar in 1965 after being moved by the music of the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Cream. He began working with microtonal systems in 1989. As a composer, Neil won Guitar Player magazine's 1992 Ultimate Guitar Competition (Experimental Division) with a 19-tone guitar piece, "Spider Chimes". Neil has written for Guitar Player and Cadence and has written two music theory books, "The Form Of No Forms" and "19 Tones: A New Beginning". As a teacher, Neil has been on the faculty of Swallow Hill Music Association since 1990, teaching hundreds of students, both privately and in classes. He performs regularly and his "Microstock" alternate tuning festival is in its fourth year.

Haverstick continues to push the sonic boundaries of the guitar. After all, as Haverstick states, "There is this Uruguayan who plays a 53-tone guitar..." It's always nice to have room to grow.

Hapi-Skratch Records
2100 W. Drake Rd., Suite 280
Fort Collins, CO 80526
United States