Edward Sparks, Musician

Edward Sparks


Ed playing at the Music Industry Club event February 2008	Ed playing his 1936 dobro at the Music industry Club event Photos by Teri Sparks


Ed played recently with Patrick at "The Spot" on Kent Island	Ed playing his Sparks 8 string guitar Photos by Bob Taylor

Ed played recently
at the OLC Coffeehouse in
Pasadena Maryland

Right Photo by P. McGuire

There is a story about Edward in C.F. Martin Guitar Company newsletter, "The Sounding Board" Volume 23, 2008
Download a PDF of the issue or pick one up at your local Martin Guitar dealer and check out the story on page 4! Check out the "Ed Loves Martin Guitars" section below...

Ed also collects stringed instruments and currently owns 31.
A few of the instruments are relatively new, however a variety
of them are vintage.

Vega Banjolin

Among them an original Vega "banjolin" (left, a very old hybrid instrument which has the neck of a mandolin attached to a small banjo body), a 1948 Epiphone Zenith archtop guitar (right), a 1970 Harmony "Sovereign" with an oversized body, a 1955 Harmony "Sovereign" archtop guitar, and the original 1936 wood-bodied Dobro pictured below...

1948 Epiphone Zenith

The newest in the Sparks collection...
a Hofner Icon Beatle Bass, a Christmas present from the wife
that has been on backorder since November and was just
received the end of MAY 2007...definitely worth the wait!

Edward has also built a few instruments, a few of which are shown below:

Above: 6 string banjo neck, 12 string electric guitar
8 string tenor guitar, 6 string piccolo mandolin

Below: Top row: 8 string tenor guitar
Middle: Josh playing the Sparks 8 string guitar
Head of 6 string semi-solid body mandolin,
Ed with his 6 string mandolin circa. 1985
Bottom row: 12 string semi-hollow electric guitar

All bird inlays are ivory, made from key tops from an old piano, except for the abalone falcon
in the center picture, which was given to Sparks by Paul Reed Smith himself.
Eagle on pickguard on top row is ivory (head & tail), oak (wings), and abalone (body).

Ed playing his
custom-made
Fender-equipped bass
and electric 12 string

For the third year in a row,
Ed had the opportunity to attend the Fall Philly Vintage Guitar Show and visit with old friends
Ken and Becky Sturcke, owners of
"Nothing New Music" in New Jersey

Ed bought a 1994 Gibson J100-extra from Ken & Becky at the Philly show in 2004.

Photo by T. Sparks


This is Ed's favorite place to sit and rehearse...	his own backyard... *Photo by T. Sparks*

Ed performing at a
benefit concert for
The North County
Emergency Outreach Network(NCEON)

Main photo by P. McGuire

Ed loves Gibson Guitars!


"My Four Gibsons..." this photo appeared in Vintage Guitar Magazine, 10/2006	Ed's vintage 1976 Les Paul Signature


Ed at home with his 2004 Gibson J160E Purchased from Bill's Music in Catonsville, MD Photo by P. McGuire	Ed with his newest guitar... a 1994 Gibson J100 Extra purchased at the Philly Guitar Show from Nothing New Music Photo by T. Sparks

Ed outside of an unknown building Memphis TN, Summer 2003 Photo by T. Sparks	Josh with his Dad's Gibson J160E - April 2004 Photo by E. Sparks

Ed recently had a new Fishman Matrix Infinity pickup installed in his 1994 Gibson J100 Extra by ace repairman Nick Anthony at Appalachian Bluegrass Shoppe in Catonsville, MD

Store photo courtesy of Emory Knode, ABS
Right photo by J. Sparks

Ed loves Martin Guitars!

Ed was given the opportunity to play a very special D-45
which is on display in the Nazareth Welcome Center,
which is housed in the original Martin family home.
This instrument is valued at approximately $28,000.00 and
is on display with the original workbench of C.F. Martin.
Photo by Mike Briers

Ed visited the original Martin Guitar Factory
in Nazareth Pennsylvania
Photo by Mike Briers

Ed playing a D-28S at the Martin Factory
This room is called the "Pickin' Parlor"
and houses several high-end Martin guitars.
Photo by T. Sparks

Of his collection of 31 guitars,
two are made by the Martin Company
A 1976 D-28 (L) and a 1980 D-28-12 (R)
Photo by Mike Briers

In a recent visit to the Martin Guitar Museum in Nazareth. PA, Ed found a model of a Martin Guitar he made back in the early 1980's and sent to then Martin Guitars CEO, C.F. Martin III. The model was originally displayed in Mr. Martin's office, then the old museum and has now found a permanent home in the same display case with a poster and signature guitars of Ed's musical heros, Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

Photos by
T. Sparks & P. McGuire

Ed loves Guild Guitars!


Ed has two Guild guitars in his collection Left: 1980 JF212XLN 12 string Right: 1990 JF-30 six string Both are equipped with on-board Fishman pickups/preamps *Photo by E. Sparks*	Ed on stage with his JF-30 six string, equipped with a Hipshot "D" tuner on the low "E" string Ed now keeps this guitar tuned a whole step lower than standard pitch for songs in a lower tuning. Photo by M. Felman

Ed loves Harmony Guitars!

Ed's Harmony brand guitars...
all Vintage & American made!

This photo appeared in Vintage Guitar Magazine, December 2007

L to R:
1968 Stella (Ed's first guitar!)
1955 Patrician archtop
1969 Broadway archtop
1970 Sovereign (Ed's second guitar!)

Ed loves Guitar Art!

Here is a little gift from
my nephew Brandon Goetz

I am partial to that
wonderful pickguard!

Train trip South

with the Baby Taylor

Photos by T. Sparks

In the Video Editing Suite at work on the soundtrack for the video "Living Free"


*"The Free Flight Band"*		*"Sparks & Raymond"*
Edward was the founding member and performed with Steve McCoy and Joel McGuire in the acoustic/electric/ electronic trio *FREE FLIGHT.* After 23 years of making music with Free Flight, Ed retired from the Band in November of 2004 to pursue solo work, while continuing to perform with Patrick and Steve McCoy as "Sparks, Raymond & McCoy."		Edward is a member of the acoustic duo "Sparks & Raymond." He and partner Patrick Raymond operated as well as hosted a monthly non-profit acoustic music venue called "The Red Door Coffeehouse" for almost ten years. They closed the Red Door in March of 2002 to allow them time to perform more as a duo. "Sparks & Raymond" present a catalog of original tunes, as well as a wide variety of select cover tunes.

*"Sparks & McCoy"*		*"Sparks, Raymond & McCoy"*
Edward and Steve McCoy have continued to perform together as the duo "Sparks & McCoy." One of their regular gigs is the Tawes Garden in downtown Annapolis. Steve and Edward continue to perform with Patrick Raymond as "Sparks, Raymond & McCoy."		Besides continuing to perform solo, Edward is a member of the acoustic trio "Sparks, Raymond & McCoy." Follow this link to their schedule page... "Sparks, Raymond & McCoy" Schedule

Ed riding on "Thunder"
during a trip to visit family in Georgia.

Photo by T. Sparks

In 1998 Ed won
a songwriting contest
sponsored by
Acoustic Guitar Magazine
An article, interview, photo and
a complete transcript of his song
"Six Strings Attached"
were featured in the issue.

This is Edward's son, Josh.

Josh performs with his father on occasion. Josh is a cellist
& also plays electric guitar and bass guitar. Josh played bass for the rock band "Something's Amiss."

Above: Left to right - Josh on stage at the Red Door Coffeehouse.

Josh playing his Baby Taylor in OC.

Josh on his Dad's "Sparks" Banjitar

Josh on his Dad's new Hofner Beatle Bass

Josh playing his father's 1936 Dobro.

Left: Josh playing his father's custom-made "FFB-1" bass

Ed uses and endorses the following: