Born on the Isle of Man but brought up in the city of Oxford, it was here that he began his career under the tutelage of the renowned harpsichord maker Robert Goble, making instruments within the finest European tradition. Further study at the Oxford College of Art and Technology completed his training.
Paul is rare in having this skill with different instruments but his love of the guitar led him to a chance meeting with the late David Rubio, at Duns Tew, Oxfordshire, a renowned place visited by Julian Bream. As chief instrument maker and manager he remained with Rubio for a number of years. Success with his own instruments during this period under the Rubio label and stamped P.F (which can still be seen in use today), led him to establish his own studio in 1975.
In 1983 he was awarded a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship to extend his research into the forest of Brazil. Paul Fischer has served as an advisor to the crafts Panel for the Southern Arts Association, and also as a Technical Advisor and Panel Member of the Crafts Council of Great Britain. He still dedicates his life to making fine instruments with a panoramic view of the Cotswold Hills from his workbench.
As the classical guitar has joined the mainstream in the second half of the 20th century, he has been one of the figures in the vanguard and at the cutting edge of the evolution of the modern concert guitar. His instruments have been featured in many publications including the best seller The Complete Guitarist by Richard Chapman (Dorling Kindersley 1993), and The Classical Guitar: A Complete History by John Morrish et al (Balafon 1997).
Having studied and worked with seminal thinkers in the World of lutherie and committed himself to making fine instruments for over half a century, Paul Fischer is now Britain's foremost classical guitar maker.
