JWJ Guitars?

Dave_Mc · July 2022

Hi everyone,

Has anyone tried any JWJ guitars? They seem to be made in England (Shropshire) and are a pretty reasonable price- they start around £1100, which I think is pretty good for something made by a luthier. I'm always a bit wary if the price seems too good, but he seems to have persuaded a couple of decently-big guitar shops to stock his guitars (Knighton Music Centre and Promenade Music)- I could be wrong but I doubt they would stock them if they were rubbish, both shops stock a lot of other good quality acoustic brands and presumably people would just buy them!

Just wondering what people think of them if anyone has been able to try them. Thanks

MSedg · July 2022

No - but I’m watching closely as I’ve thought exactly the same thing!

Mellish · July 2022

I've listened online to the Standard Models.

The sound of each model doesn't do it for me. BUT, hearing them for real, it may be different, so I'd say pop along to Promenade (if you can) and try them out

Dave_Mc · July 2022

MSedg said:

No - but I’m watching closely as I’ve thought exactly the same thing!

LOL great minds think alike and all that

Mellish said:

I've listened online to the Standard Models.

The sound of each model doesn't do it for me. BUT, hearing them for real, it may be different, so I'd say pop along to Promenade (if you can) and try them out

Thanks. I have to admit I listened to a few clips online too and I wasn't 100% convinced, however two pretty big caveats- 1) I'm only listening on laptop speakers and 2) being (presumably) a pretty small company I'm guessing they don't have much of a budget for fancy recordings etc.

I'm in Northern Ireland unfortunately. That's the other advantage of there being dealers for them- I could order one and send it back (if I didn't like it, I mean) and only be out (hopefully!) about £50 or so- way less than making a trip.

Mellish · July 2022

@Dave_Mc ; - what you say about the recording equipment they used, that's a very good point. It may or may not do the sound justice.

And you *can*"order online, returning if it doesn't suit. It isn't ideal but it gives you a chance to try and it's better than nothing

Dave_Mc · July 2022

@Mellish I listened to the clips again (both on the JWJ site and Youtube) and I think I liked them better than before. But I could change my mind again!

And yeah pretty much exactly right regarding ordering without being able to try- not ideal, but if you're not close to a dealer, better than nothing...

Mellish · July 2022

@Dave_Mc ': - I'd say that, if you think you'd like to give it a go, decide which model and go for it.

OK, you might need to return it and that would cost a few quid. But it may not come to that. And anyway, at least if it did it would have satisfied your curiosity

TheMadMick · July 2022

Never heard of them but googled them and came up with:

https://www.facebook.com/jwjguitars/videos/a-few-people-have-been-asking-for-videos-of-the-guitars-in-the-absence-of-a-real/830658744133182/

I wouldn't say he was using a cheap mic in this clip. The balance is not what I would look for but it may be that the guitar simply needs run in. It sounds very tight to me.

thermionic · July 2022

Very reasonably priced for a handmade instrument, plenty of useful information and custom options, 8-week lead time which suggests he’s built many guitars in the last few years. Compare and contrast with a builder who’s only made 2 or 3, charges 4-5 times as much and will take a couple of years to finish an instrument… she does have loads of followers on YouTube and Instagram though

With a purchase like this though (and I am considering something similar) I would want to visit a couple of times to try their different models, discuss wood options, neck shapes etc

bertie · July 2022

great starting price for a more custom build

I dont like the logo (petty I know, but hey ho)

love the fact he offers neck profile choice at entry level, think a few more diagrams to go with the explanation would be good, especially with the "D is like a 59 les paul" and also says its the thinnest ?! (always thought C was TBH hence the request for diags/silhouettes)

Dave_Mc · July 2022

Mellish said:

@Dave_Mc ': - I'd say that, if you think you'd like to give it a go, decide which model and go for it.

OK, you might need to return it and that would cost a few quid. But it may not come to that. And anyway, at least if it did it would have satisfied your curiosity

Yeah that's basically the gist of it

TheMadMick said:

Never heard of them but googled them and came up with:

https://www.facebook.com/jwjguitars/videos/a-few-people-have-been-asking-for-videos-of-the-guitars-in-the-absence-of-a-real/830658744133182/

I wouldn't say he was using a cheap mic in this clip. The balance is not what I would look for but it may be that the guitar simply needs run in. It sounds very tight to me.

Thanks

I don't really know much about mics (or acoustics!), lol, so thanks for the info!

thermionic said:

(a) Very reasonably priced for a handmade instrument, plenty of useful information and custom options, 8-week lead time which suggests he’s built many guitars in the last few years. Compare and contrast with a builder who’s only made 2 or 3, charges 4-5 times as much and will take a couple of years to finish an instrument… she does have loads of followers on YouTube and Instagram though

(b) With a purchase like this though (and I am considering something similar) I would want to visit a couple of times to try their different models, discuss wood options, neck shapes etc

(a) LOL yeah I saw that thread! I suspect he has built a fair few- just looking at the stock of those dealers they each have about 5 of them. There's a used one for sale on Reverb, and I think JWJ is selling one on Ebay as well. So that's at least 12 of them.

(b) Yeah definitely, if you were ordering a custom-build. The fact he has dealers who have a few stock instruments though means that you can bypass that and still (I think!) be covered by distance-selling. I don't think I'd risk a custom-build if I couldn't try first where you (for perfectly valid reasons to be clear) forego those rights.

bertie said:

great starting price for a more custom build

I dont like the logo (petty I know, but hey ho)

love the fact he offers neck profile choice at entry level, think a few more diagrams to go with the explanation would be good, especially with the "D is like a 59 les paul" and also says its the thinnest ?! (always thought C was TBH hence the request for diags/silhouettes)

Yeah pretty much- I thought the same about the "C" shape (apart from shred-style electric necks). His website is actually pretty good in terms of info, a little more info would be excellent, though!

JWJGuitars · July 2022

Hi,

I've just found this thread after someone mentioned it to me.

I'm really pleased to see so many positive comments and I just wanted to add my thoughts.

With regards to pricing, I try to stay roughly within the £1-2k bracket as that's about what I would usually spend on a guitar (assuming I didn't just build my own!) I don't want to offer a product that I wouldn't buy myself, so I try to keep the pricing as reasonable as possible, which I do by streamlining my range and options and keeping things simple so I can focus on the feel and sound of the guitars. Of course, with inflation as it is I may have to increase slightly in 2023, but ultimately I'm not greedy, I just want to make a living doing what I love.

The logo is changing as quite a few people agreed with Bertie and felt it was too modern for the guitars. There's some new models in the spray booth currently so look out on social media and the website over the next few weeks to see it, hopefully you'll like it.

I definitely recommend trying out any guitar before you buy, especially acoustics, but if you can't then I'm sure that Knighton Music Centre and Promenade Music will look after you. They're great retailers and they've really helped me with feedback and advice (like the logo). I'm hoping to find another retailer further south soon, but my waiting list is already running in to December so that's on the back burner for now.

Please feel free to contact me directly (details on the website) if you have any specific questions about any of my guitars you've seen anywhere, I'm more than happy to help.

Regards

Rich

Tannin · July 2022

^ Thanks for chiming in and welcome, Rich. Here in Tasmania I'm a bit far south to be popping in for a guitar myself, but it is always nice to see someone making nice acoustics.

Teyeplayer · July 2022

Welcome Rich, great to see another UK guitar builder joining the community. I believe @steviebee74 has one of your builds, he’s been very complimentary about your work. And of course I’m hoping to try one myself before too long (hopefully they won’t all get snapped up before I get the chance).

bertie · July 2022

JWJGuitars said:

The logo is changing as quite a few people agreed with Bertie and felt it was too modern for the guitars. There's some new models in the spray booth currently so look out on social media and the website over the next few weeks to see it, hopefully you'll like it.

f*ck, that's rare

Image: https://c.tenor.com/PgfvhIRWfrAAAAAd/jim-carrey-yes-sir.gif

Dave_Mc · July 2022

Thanks for chiming in and welcome @JWJGuitars

Image: /plugins/EmojiExtender/emoji/fb/1.gif

FWIW I like the logo- but I'm more of an electric player as I said!

Teyeplayer said:

Welcome Rich, great to see another UK guitar builder joining the community. I believe @steviebee74 has one of your builds, he’s been very complimentary about your work. And of course I’m hoping to try one myself before too long (hopefully they won’t all get snapped up before I get the chance).

Did he mention it on here? I searched and all but I couldn't find anything!

LOL @bertie ;

Teyeplayer · July 2022

Dave_Mc said:
Teyeplayer said:

I believe @steviebee74 has one of your builds, he’s been very complimentary about your work.
Did he mention it on here? I searched and all but I couldn't find anything!

No, it’s a discussion I’ve recently had with him. Sure he’ll happily chime in and share his experiences, but what I will say is I know he is impressed.

MSedg · July 2022

Looking forward to seeing the new logo - not that I thought there was much wrong with the old one. And good to hear from builders on here. Get some sent to Coda though so I don’t have to travel to the wrong end of the country to try them!

Dave_Mc · July 2022

Teyeplayer said:

Dave_Mc said:
Teyeplayer said:

I believe @steviebee74 has one of your builds, he’s been very complimentary about your work.
Did he mention it on here? I searched and all but I couldn't find anything!

No, it’s a discussion I’ve recently had with him. Sure he’ll happily chime in and share his experiences, but what I will say is I know he is impressed.

Ah no worries, thanks. Hopefully your batsignal to him will bring him in here!

artiebear · July 2022

JWJGuitars said:

Hi,

I've just found this thread after someone mentioned it to me.

I'm really pleased to see so many positive comments and I just wanted to add my thoughts.

With regards to pricing, I try to stay roughly within the £1-2k bracket as that's about what I would usually spend on a guitar (assuming I didn't just build my own!) I don't want to offer a product that I wouldn't buy myself, so I try to keep the pricing as reasonable as possible, which I do by streamlining my range and options and keeping things simple so I can focus on the feel and sound of the guitars. Of course, with inflation as it is I may have to increase slightly in 2023, but ultimately I'm not greedy, I just want to make a living doing what I love.

The logo is changing as quite a few people agreed with Bertie and felt it was too modern for the guitars. There's some new models in the spray booth currently so look out on social media and the website over the next few weeks to see it, hopefully you'll like it.

I definitely recommend trying out any guitar before you buy, especially acoustics, but if you can't then I'm sure that Knighton Music Centre and Promenade Music will look after you. They're great retailers and they've really helped me with feedback and advice (like the logo). I'm hoping to find another retailer further south soon, but my waiting list is already running in to December so that's on the back burner for now.

Please feel free to contact me directly (details on the website) if you have any specific questions about any of my guitars you've seen anywhere, I'm more than happy to help.

Regards

Rich

Great to see what you are bringing to the party. If PM have you onboard, that should be good enough for anyone, based upon their great track record. I really look forward to playing a few of your guitars in the near future.

steviebee74 · July 2022

Dave_Mc said:

Teyeplayer said:

Dave_Mc said:
Teyeplayer said:

I believe @steviebee74 has one of your builds, he’s been very complimentary about your work.
Did he mention it on here? I searched and all but I couldn't find anything!

No, it’s a discussion I’ve recently had with him. Sure he’ll happily chime in and share his experiences, but what I will say is I know he is impressed.

Ah no worries, thanks. Hopefully your batsignal to him will bring him in here!

Hi,

This is the aforementioned Steve.

I was at the NW guitar show back in May and ran into Rich and his sister on the top floor. I’ll confess I’d never heard of the brand before that day and I wasn’t “really” looking for anything to buy (especially acoustic-wise as I have several already).

I mostly use Auden guitars (especially for live work) but I wanted something shorter scale for finger style and purely acoustic (my 3 Audens are all 25.5” and have Clark supernatural pickups).

The model that grabbed me is an OM style in mahogany/spruce but it also has an unusual Matt black finish on the top and white plastics. I kept jumping between this and an all-mahogany slope-shouldered dreadnought. The OM really took me because it suits my fingerpicking style though I’ve always had a soft spot for SS dreads. If I’d have had the money, I’d have seriously considered buying both.

Sound wise, it’s really great. It’s more vintage-voiced than my other guitars and note separation is clear and defined. A friend of mine was with me and was equally impressed with how this and the other models that were there sounded.

It came very well setup and interestingly, I don’t think it necessarily needs a breaking in period as it already sounds and plays so well. The discussion to which @Teyeplayer refers above was about neck profiles and the profile on this is (in my opinion at least) quite unusual. I’d say it was a kind of “deep d” shape with very pronounced shoulders. It felt a bit alien at first but I was starting to like it before I’d even bought the guitar.

It wouldn’t be fair to start talking about money in a public forum like this as I believe I got the guitar a bit cheaper for a special “show price”. I’m not sure how it would fare in terms of resale value due to the smaller nature of the brand. I know this matters to a lot of people but I’m always of the mind that you should buy a guitar to play and assume you’ll never want to sell it on. Essentially, I certainly feel this guitar is (to me) worth what I paid for it and more.

Rich was a thoroughly nice bloke who clearly enjoys what he does and believes in his product. He was also more than happy for me and my pal to handle his creations and make our own minds up on the quality and appeal of the instruments. There was absolutely no hard sell whatsoever.

I would (and have) recommend @JWJGuitars in a heartbeat to anyone who might be looking for a well-made, quality instrument with a little bit of its own individuality & identity at a very reasonable price.

Cheers,

Steve B

Dave_Mc · July 2022

@steviebee74 Wow, thanks very much for that very detailed write-up, that helped a lot.

That's interesting that you also tried an all-mahogany slope-shouldered dreadnought. The one (I think!) that I'm mainly hmming and hahhing about is also one of those, largely because (a) it's a little cheaper than the others, just in case I don't like it (hopefully I will!), (b) like you, I think I have a bit of a soft spot for slope-shouldered dreadnoughts, and (c) I don't have anything all-mahogany and I figure if I'm going to go that route I might as well get a nice Honduran one (though I also wonder if spruce might be a safer choice!).

Was the one you tried more vintage-sounding too? (I wasn't sure if you meant that your OM was vintage-sounding, or both of them- or indeed all the models you tried- were.) If so, I think I would like that, I recently bought a Dowina (!) and it's really lovely, but I think it's more on the modern side of things in terms of tone, so something more vintage would be a nice foil to that, I think.

I agree with you regarding the resale- it definitely doesn't hurt to keep it in mind, because you never know what will happen, but at the same time I'm not sure of the wisdom of buying a guitar you don't like as much because of resale! If you like two guitars equally, and one has great resale and one doesn't, then maybe resale could be used as a tie-breaker... but I don't think it makes sense to buy something you don't like as much, it risks becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy!

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