One Kind of Love

Angie Colgoni is a guitar player and successful business woman, but it’s dogs, music and art that sing sweet melodies in her heart.

It’s said that good things come in small packages. Angie makes up for her petite stature with personality: She’s strong, self-motivated, confident and a real go-getter who gets it done with the staunchest quality and utmost integrity. It’s no surprise she was a major force in publishing, advertising and television production while she waltzed and weaved her way through these notoriously nasty industries. Angie has since retired, pulling up her Toronto roots and transplanting to quieter ground in Picton, spending her days exploring her new digs while being true to the artist within by pursuing a passion for creating affordable, authentic, replica guitars.

Angie had an adventurous childhood during a more stable and trusting time, when kids were mostly left to their own devices. The youngest of three siblings, she was born and raised in Scarborough and reminisces with fondness about growing up: “We did the typical kid stuff – riding bikes, playing in the hydro field, building forts, racing go-karts, playing baseball, hockey – and of course listening to music. It really was the perfect time to grow up.”

Angie was a curious and creative child and still has a picture she drew when she was eleven. Below her signature, the prophetic young soothsayer added the tag “Producer/Director.” Her artistically inclined dad played harmonica and dabbled as a painter, and Angie still cherishes a couple of his landscapes; but it was her brother Frank who initially sparked her fire for music and guitars. Being close to the same age, their musical tastes and exploration of the guitar followed a parallel trajectory. Frank played left-handed and Angie followed suit, with her father beaming whenever Angie entertained house guests. Joni Mitchell’s album, Ladies of the Canyon, had a lasting effect on an impressionable young lady. Mitchell’s music and art became a role model for young Angie.

Always a hard worker, she took interest in hand-tinting black-and-white photographs, drawing inspiration from the likes of pop artist Andy Warhol. Angie held three sold-out art expositions in the late seventies but eventually transitioned into launching and publishing her own arts and entertainment magazine, called Close Up. She rubbed elbows with mega-stars including Sting and Daryl Hall, and the final issue featured iconic Canadian comic John Candy. With youthful exuberance comes fearlessness, so Angie hand-delivered her publication and cover letter to Rolling Stone and Interview magazines. It paid off in spades as Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner and Interview editor Robert Hayes proved to be influential mentors and championed her burgeoning career. “The magazine really laid the groundwork for me as a producer,” Angie remembers. “I found and coordinated all the people for the content – the writers, photographers, makeup, talent, photo shoots, everything.”

She began freelancing in advertising, film and TV commercial production, where she spent the bulk of her working life. Ever a creative free thinker, she dipped into the pool of knowledge she’d gained while freelancing and formed her own company, Wilfrid Park, which operated for seventeen years and represented forty international directors. Angie was involved in many successful, large-scale ad campaigns and had a ton of laughs along the way. “It was a great time,” she remarks, “and I had the opportunity to travel all over the world. As with anything that carries on for thirty-five years, I grew tired, and when Covid hit, I seized my opportunity to exit. It was a great run and I consider myself very lucky.” The move to Picton was not only welcomed, it seemed an eventuality. Over the years, Angie had visited friends who owned a seasonal house here. They’ve since made it a permanent residence along with a handful of other transplants from her Toronto tribe, so the change was seamless, with familiar faces in the region.

“I still consider this a hobby. I can do it when I want, I don’t go looking for business, nor do I want to be overloaded.” ANGIE COLGONI

Her first dog Scout was lovingly by her side and – as dogs will do – made the highs a little higher and the lows a whole lot easier.

Scout was a bichon with a persona best described as spiffy, sparky, strong willed and spirited. Angie later discovered Scout had come from a puppy mill, but lots of love got them through the medical issues and behavioural quirks. However, even dogs with less than ideal beginnings have an uncanny gift of healing us when we need it most. The two began to trust, rely upon and love each other as Scout quickly became Angie’s familiar, doing everything and going everywhere together.

Scout kept her grounded and calm. Angie began her foray into the world of replica guitars shortly before her trek from Toronto to the County. Growing up a Beatles fan and actually having seen them as a kid, she chose George Harrison’s funky pink and slightly psychedelic Stratocaster – affectionately named Rocky – for her first replica. It recently even garnered social media attention from George’s son, Dhani Harrison. Angie felt the artist inside itching to come out and play again so she designed more replica guitars. It all grew quite organically as her guitars sold and commission work rolled in. Angie’s painstakingly accurate replicas include Rocky, three of Smashing Pumpkins’ frontman Billy Corgan’s guitars, two of Kurt Cobain’s seminal guitars, Blink-182 guitarist Tom Delonge’s Sticker Strat, Billie Joe Armstrong’s guitar, Blue, and Eddie Van Halen’s Frankenstrat. Angie also creates custom designs, and all guitars play fabulously once transformed by this gifted artist. Each instrument is re-assembled and set up by her brother Frank, a guitar builder since he was fifteen.

Like any artist, emotional connection sparks creativity and it is crucial for a piece to breathe and touch others. “Painting Rocky brought me back to my youth,” Angie explains. “I definitely must have some sort of connection. If I’m asked to do a particular guitar for someone and I don’t feel any connection, I will pass.”

The attention to detail on each guitar is astonishing. From the correct shade of nail polish on Rocky, to wear marks, dings, scratches and specific pickups, to fastidiously torn pieces of electrical tape stuck just right, to the exact stickers that adorn the Sticker Strat – sometimes mulishly sourced out by Angie and sometimes recreated from scratch by partner and graphic designer Natalia.

Angie’s workshop is her kitchen. With an Italian father and French-Canadian-Irish mother, the kitchen was always abuzz with activity and was the hub of the household. The kitchen houses a picture saved from many moons ago to remind her of a child’s illimitable creativity, as well as her favourite speakers for listening to music while she works. To fully capture their mojo, Angie plays the artist whose guitar she’s replicating. She ensures the guitars are accessible to all folks by keeping costs to a minimum. “My guitars are an assemblage of parts that get as close as possible to the original look and sound while remaining affordable,” she notes. “The mandate from the beginning has been creating affordable, artistic pieces that also sound and play great.” Although Angie has sold her guitar-art creations to many players and collectors, including the front man of a premier Nirvana tribute act from the UK, she hesitates to call it a business, explaining, “I still consider this a hobby. I can do it when I want, I don’t go looking for business, nor do I want to be overloaded. It keeps me busy and inspired while making them reasonably priced for people that want the guitar of their dreams.”

After years immersed in the business world, she’d rather call Scout Guitars her latest artistic endeavour, because ultimately it has always been about paying tribute to a unique little dog that taught her so much. These days, Angie is quite content to poke away at her guitar art, explore the local music scene and everything that PEC has to offer, all while enjoying a simpler life with Natalia and their three current canine companions Jack, Hawks and Moka.