We were strolling down Stoke Newington Church Street on Sunday when Josh spotted this window filled with odd-looking handmade guitars. There was no shopfront but a buzzer labelled 'Tin Tone Guitars' on the door, so we buzzed and entered the family home-come-workshop belonging to Jon Free.
Jon is a professional musician who also fixes old guitars, and has recently started building these beautiful 'sonic fascinators' from vintage tins, salvaged wooden table legs and homemade electronic bits and pieces. Every tin-tone guitar is built by him in this workshop, he told us.
They are apparently beloved of Sonic Youth and Seasick Steve, amongst others, for their raw bluesy sound. Josh fell in love with them and now wants one desperately. I'm no musician but they were beautifully made and I'd happily just have one to hang on the wall!
Visit Tin-tone.com for a gallery of all current pieces and to order, or pop into 91 Stoke Newington Church Street. Prices start at £150 for acoustic and £200 for electric models.