UK based guitar makers

Bidley · January 2019

Proud Bartram owner here. His workshop is about 3 miles down the road from me, mine is the best guitar I've ever played. Every bit of it is handmade apart from the tuners and bridge pins. Richard is old school and a true gent.

dean111music · January 2020

old thread but thought id list two other great makers. Anyone played one of Nicks or Richards Guitars?

Richard Osbourne Guitarshttp://www.osborneguitars.co.uk

Nick Benjamin http://www.benjaminguitars.co.uk

GTC · January 2020

TheBigDipper said:

I own a Brook Taw. An interesting thing about it is that it's not very pretty or particularly ornamental. It just sounds great and is nice to play. So if you're looking for wow factor as a player, it might tick the boxes for you, or not. If you like a fat Lowden neck, for example, you might not like the thin Brook one. If you're looking for it to look special or expensive, it probably won't.

Lowden is also in the UK. They sound lovely too.

At last years guitar show in Birmingham, I played a Turnstone which really did it for me.

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/125932/turnstone-at-the-guitar-show-2018#latest

I'd love something like that one day...

Just to put the record straight re Brook - their "standard" model is simple and unadorned but is made and finished to an extremely high standard. Things like custom neck thicknesses and fretboard widths can be incorporated into the standard model by Andy and Simon - usually at no extra cost unlike some makers. If you want something special then they can do almost anything and there are plenty of examples on this forum - including the custom Taw lefty which I picked up last October (with a 46mm wide fretboard at no additional cost).

I've been so impressed with the Taw I've just placed a custom order with Brook for a lefty crossover nylon (ready in about 7 months).

I've also got a custom Avalon and a "standard" Lowden and both are very good too - although a custom Lowden would probably out of your price range

GTC · January 2020

I thought I'd add - although it pains me to say it because there are many fine little-known makers out there - if you ever need to sell a custom guitar then you'll usually do a lot better with one from a "name".

Just like with cars, expensive added optional extras will not significantly add to the resale value

ArchtopDave · January 2020

Mark Bailey (baileyguitars.co.uk) makes good guitars, or you could, as I did, go on his Build Your Own Guitar Course, and make one for yourself.

GTC · January 2020

It would be remiss of me not to mention the excellent Glastonbury-based luthier Alan Miller. Alan specialises in fan-fret guitars but can do just about anything - including cellos and harps http://http//www.alanmillerguitars.co.uk/

dangriffiths · January 2020

@mgaw had a Benjamin

mgaw · January 2020

I did, Benjamin JOM Braz back and sides superb guitar..long wait and a big price tag though.

imalrightjack · January 2020

https://williamsguitars.co.uk @Haydn ;

I believe he made his name in acoustics but I own three of his amazing electrics. Cumbria.

ESBlonde · January 2020

I've just procurred an Atkin Essential D a week ago. Having spent a long time looking and comparing, it gave me what I wanted, and right on the OPs budget too.
Very pleased with my guitar.

dean111music · January 2020

lots of competition but i guess every glove fits a different hand. I'm going to explore. Fylde, Benjamin, Lowden and Osbourne. Out of all the the ones i have tried Osbourne guitars have been the best but probably the least known. Sam Carter a great folk guitar player has two from richard. Best live sound and a guitar that sings acoustically

worth checking out

ToneControl · January 2020

I'd advise that some newer smaller makers are not as consistent as those who have been making more guitars for longer:
i.e. their guitars vary significantly from one guitar to the next. I don't mean quality, I mean the sound.

I know a good luthier who made a few, I can remember trying 2, one I loved, one did nothing for me. If you go to try Lowdens or Avalons, you will get the odd one that sounds a little better, but they are all basically predictable in terms of how they sound

I have a classical from a one-man workshop, I have learned it sounds a lot better than most he makes, I bought it used, and was able to try it against others (in fact I had expected to buy a Ramirez 1A instead)

so I have always been wary of commissioning guitars from newer builders, I prefer to buy one that I can try first

crunchman · January 2020

ToneControl said:

I'd advise that some newer smaller makers are not as consistent as those who have been making more guitars for longer:
i.e. their guitars vary significantly from one guitar to the next. I don't mean quality, I mean the sound.

I know a good luthier who made a few, I can remember trying 2, one I loved, one did nothing for me. If you go to try Lowdens or Avalons, you will get the odd one that sounds a little better, but they are all basically predictable in terms of how they sound

I have a classical from a one-man workshop, I have learned it sounds a lot better than most he makes, I bought it used, and was able to try it against others (in fact I had expected to buy a Ramirez 1A instead)

so I have always been wary of commissioning guitars from newer builders, I prefer to buy one that I can try first

Very true. I think it's true of any builder to some extent. Even the good builders will have some magical ones and some that are just good. This is what puts me off custom orders.

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UK based guitar makers

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