Pete Howlett - ukulele maker

A prophetic photograph of me age 4 forms the background, Bowman style, to all of my labels. Clutching my plastic Woolworth's ukulele, standing in the tartan kilt of my mother's Scottish clan, it is a constant reminder that I really was born to do this job!

My whole philosophy is one of care in the selection of materials and attention to detail. I learned these qualities from my toolmaker father whose exacting eye taught me to take notice of the small things. I remember when our neighbours painted their houses: it took a couple of days with a gallon can of Dulux. It always needed re-doing a couple of years later. Dad took a week applying 3 coats of Mangers lead based oil paint over 2 coats of red lead primer. He only did it once. It lasted years.

Attention to detail, something his son strives towards...