There are many ways to commemorate the death of a loved one, and for this guitarist whose dad was his “biggest supporter,” incorporating his ashes into the fretboard of his electric guitar serves as a way to honor him and ensure he's still with him at every show.
Metal guitarist Mark Wood's dad, Keith Wood, taught him how to play guitar and would travel miles just to see him play. “Dad was my biggest supporter. He just used to rock,” he tells the BBC.
When Keith suddenly passed away at the age of 68 on Christmas Day in 2022 as a result of a heart attack, the family were left grappling with “a big hole” in their lives.
And while Mark's sister, Katie, turned some of his ashes into jewelry, the guitarist thought it was fitting to commemorate his dad and his love for guitars.
The idea? Incorporating his ashes into the neck of his go-to Fender Telecaster.
Admittedly, working ashes into the inlays of his Tele's neck “was something that I did not know could be done,” but after reaching out to a friend and fellow musician, Sam Orr, the two worked up a plan.
“At first, I was just wondering how it would work, then the more I thought about it and did a few test runs on a spare guitar neck I had, I realized it wouldn't be too difficult to complete it,” says Orr. “And while mixing the ashes with special glue was painstaking work, the result was worth it.
“We put some music on in the background and had a couple of beers and made a thing of it,” Wood recalls. “Sam did the work while the shop was shut and was so caring and careful and really respectful.
“I wish Dad was still here, but doing this makes me feel like he's always going to be here with me, and you have always got your memories.”
And the first thing he did when he got his now-customized guitar back? “[I played] a song that he liked – Stranglehold by Ted Nugent. He always asked me to play that as a kid.”
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