one and play it and he handed me one and
plugged in the amplifier. I was a trained guitar
player and what I played caught his attention.
He approached me asking several questions.
I told him I was from a faraway country, a
worship musician and how I saw his guitars
in the German catalog. After a few minutes,
he surprised me with a statement, “I need to
make a guitar for you!” I was shocked. This
gentleman was Gerard Melancon, the builder of
these guitars. It felt like God poured oil over my
efforts. Just this fact of favor was enough. We
parted our ways. Three years later in 2008 I sent
an email to Gerard asking if he remembers our
meeting. He literally said this, “I do remember,
and this patience is the sign of the Holy Spirit, in
few months your guitar will be finished.”
We agreed on the specs and soon it became
the first Melancon in the whole region of East
and Central Europe. The Croatian custom office
did not believe that Gerard’s extraordinary act
really was a gift. They did not want to accept
any proof of it either. I had to pay a very big
amount of tax and custom duties to receive the
guitar. It just shows how unusual Gerard’s kind
act was.
This Melancon became my main guitar since
2008. It was played on every breakthrough
worship album in the country since then. It
performed on all major worship events. This
year I was invited to be a guitar player on the
biggest worship gathering ever in the history of
Croatia in Arena Zagreb which was at capacity
of 18.500 people. For this sold out night my
Melancon was the main axe.
of one man helped to raise the whole worship
scene in my region, on another continent, half
This year I recorded an Instrumental Worship
way around the earth!
album entitled Six String Worship and the
Melancon custom artist guitar was the lead
guitar recorded on every track. The album
was nominated for our most prestigious music
award Porin… as Best Christian Music Album
of the Year. Gerard’s guitar is on the cover of
the album.
I know he would be very proud. Gerard was
Andrej Grozdanov feat. Matt Redman - When the
Music Fades/Heart of Worship from the album Six
more interested in spreading God’s Kingdom String Worship.
than in the things of this world. The generous act Solo guitar: Melancon Custom artist.
November 2019
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