Checking In on Don @ Oxford

Written by: James Krueger On: Feb 13th, 2023

So I have been writing about music and music gear for years.  I have written liner notes, acknowledgements, reviews and manuals for several companies.  Most of the time, you get an assignment and you are off to the races, do your research, complete your interviews and come up with hopefully a saleable product.  Blog writing is different.  With a blog, you are often expressing opinions or at least your view on certain products or events, or processes.  Since this all comes from you, you have to keep an open mind on things and make sure what you write can be backed up.  Makes it much harder at times to come up with content.  Fortunately here at Solo Guitars, we have new parts, new tools, new kits and lots of new ideas to keep me busy.  Despite that, it’s sometimes fun to go back and visit with some of our suppliers to see what’s happening.

I called up Don Culig at Oxford Guitar Supply Company to see how he is doing.  If you are not familiar with Oxford, you need to check out the Solo website or the Oxford Guitar Supply site to find out what the company is all about.  Oxford is a fairly new company, only 2 ½ years old, but is quickly making a huge mark on the finishing community.  Don has created a line of products that take you on a custom journey to create your own nitro-cellulose finish on your guitar, bass or any other wooden thing you have created.  From prep products to final buffing, stains and colored lacquers to dyes and tinted grain fillers…the Oxford product line is expansive and still growing.

Don is a young guy, with a young family and a young company….and he has a lot of drive!  He plays guitar as well as refinishing them and actually shares the same passion for this craft as many of us do. As we all know, it isn’t easy to source the right materials to get the custom color you want on your guitar build, so it was Don’s dream to create a line of products here in Canada that we could access at a reasonable price.  I believe Brad Angove was instrumental in introducing Don to Solo, and the people responsible here at Solo Guitars immediately grabbed the line….obviously noting the quality and the long relationship that could result….and it has!

So I asked Don what’s new and he started in on several ideas he is developing for the near future.  He is digging into Fender and Gibson colors and finishes from the late 50’s and early 60’s.  He is also working on his Vintage Formula Clear Gloss which can be beautifully aged and cracked through a process (we are planning to create a how-to video on).  Color swatches are coming as well as a line of photos that will accurately display the actual colors he is selling, on actual guitars!!  Work is continuing on the line of dyes he has created as well, plus….there are some exciting new products that are in the initial stages that I can’t say much about, except that some of you out there will be really excited for, and that will give you added ability to customize your build.

Part of the cool aspect here at Solo Guitars, is not just the accessories, tools parts and kits, but the desire on the part of management to support companies like Don’s Oxford Guitar Supply.  Yes, it is mutually beneficial to support Canadian companies, but there is also a ‘feel good’ result.  I’ve been in this business a long, long time, and years back it was really difficult to access certain materials and parts in small quantities.  We either had to beg borrow and well beg and borrow from auto shops or set up something with wood finishing companies (like I did) in order top obtain materials for finishing.  Sure we all did the Canadian Tire finish at one time or another as well, but to have a line of products like we do now, made in Canada, made by a small business man down in car country (Windsor) kind of makes me a bit jealous lol.  It’s the same with Solo…I imported parts for years from the big US guys (Stew Mac, All Parts etc) but the cost of doing this has risen exponentially. To be able to obtain parts, accessories and tools, much less kits, bodies and necks right here in Canada, is a pretty major advancement. I’m not even getting into the creations that are coming from our in-house shop!  So THANKS,  I say, to the small business guys who are working hard to keep us in our happy place, building and customizing guitars and basses.  Check out the Solo Guitars website for access to the entire Oxford Guitar Supply line, and stay tuned for some exciting new products that should be on the shelves this year!!!