Mike - Founder & CEO 

Mike has been buying and selling vintage guitars since his University days in the 80’s. After playing in a number of bands and as a solo guitarist around North Devon, he met Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick at a gig in the University halls and fell in love with his amazing collection of vintage pieces.

After leaving Uni Mike went on to work as a live sound engineer, recording engineer and producer working on studio albums, singles and live concert releases from the likes of PJ Harvey, Cocteau Twins, Blur, Spiritualized, James, Marillion, William Orbit and more.

Moving on into the 90's, Mike founded one of Europe’s leading vintage pro audio specialists, which then led to him creating the company that became ATB Guitars.

Mike’s favourite guitarists include Jimmy Page, Steve Howe, Martin Carthy and Eric Gales plus all the young up and coming blues based guitarists of the current era.

His favourite guitars are a 1957 Stratocaster and a 1958 ES-335. "I think with those two in your guitarsenal you could probably get nearly every tone you desire…"

When not running ATB Guitars Mike can often be found learning to play piano, learning to fly a fighter jet (DCS World) and collecting modern art, in a modest way.

Mike is pictured holding a one owner mint condition 1964 Gibson ES-335 TDC we recently bought from the original owner.

Dafydd - General Manager

A part of the ATB orbit since 2015, Dafydd became a fully fledged employee in 2018. 

Following a dalliance with the violin from a young age, the real musical epiphany came in the form of six strings and adolescent hormones, derailing a promising career in motorsport engineering… Soon there followed long hair and the never ending search for Muddy Waters and Jimi Hendrix records whilst revising diligently to the Yes album on repeat, along with a realisation that the route to happiness passes through a room filled with like minded people making music. 

“When you work with vintage guitars it's best not to get too attached. On the other hand, a 1935 Gibson Super 400 from a few years ago has left an indelible mark” 

Guitars and music being the all encompassing things that are, Dafydd can often be found in the dark back rooms of the locality mixing bands, stood in the glare of the audience with his band Chameleon or at home fettling another poor guitar player’s favorite axe. Time makes fools of us all...

Dafydd is pictured holding two mint condition 1961 Gibson Les Paul /SG Standards we had here a while ago.

Anna - Content Manager

Anna is the latest member of the ATB team joining us in 2023.

A Ukrainian national, she grew up in the punk scene of Kyiv in the 90s. Surrounded by bands and genre-bending music, she hitch-hiked around Europe following the sound.

Back on planet Earth a long and successful career in commercial advertising followed, working on top-level productions spanning all the way from her home town to London. Later she moved into music videos, providing art direction and styling on videos for Lonely the Brave, Frightened Rabbit and an award-winning collaboration with Rag’n’Bone Man. 

Anna has a keen eye for vintage items, as well as their restoration and maintenance. Stemming from her love of flea markets - none more so than the Petrivka market in Kyiv that spans actual working rail tracks! - her successful website selling Soviet vintage is a testament to that.

Through this career and a year spent at TikTok in London, Anna brings a wealth of experience in social media content production and is thrilled to now turn her attention to the stunning range of vintage guitars at ATB.

“There’s nothing I love more than beautiful craftsmanship and I have loved learning more about ATB’s collection and working with such beautiful pieces, capturing them in all their glory for the world to see. Seeing the reaction of people online, and the passion they have for these guitars has been a true joy.”

An Anglophile, Anna has a wide appreciation for British music and culture. She loves British punk, ska and Northern soul, with a special place in her heart reserved for the Sex Pistols, Joy Division, New Order, Prodigy and 65daysofstatic.