Inferno Causes Over $1 Million Damage To Melbourne Guitar Factory

A Melbourne warehouse fire will cost Cole Clark guitars somewhere between $1 million and $2 million as the company begins to assess the damage today.

The fire broke out in the Bayswater factory about midday yesterday and required a major effort from fire services to extinguish. Today Cole Clark Guitar's CEO Miles Jackson told theMusic.com.au that they are still working out the extent of the damage, but they expect it to be “well over $1 million. But probably below $2 million, so somewhere between there.”

Approximately 30 people were in the warehouse when the fire, believed to have started in the paint booth, broke out. All escaped without injury.

Jackson said, “We will be out of production for one to two months, then six weeks after that till we will have guitars coming through… We are insured but it will make life difficult for a while.”

The company, one of Australia's most prestigious and respected guitar manufacturers, hope to be shipping instruments again by December, but it may be January.

As well as local artists such as Tim Rogers, Angus & Julia Stone, The Living End, Tex Perkins and Architecture In Helsinki, international artists such as Ben Harper, Snow Patrol and Belle And Sebastian use Cole Clark guitars.