Official Luthiers Forum!

I've noticed an interesting trend over here at folk club gigs. Fewer guitarists are turning up with their high-end custom guitars. Visit them at home or see them in the studio and they will be playing their Lowden or vintage Martins but in the clubs they don't.

One manufactured guitar they seem to favour now is the Turner, a new British small company that is obviously sourcing their guitars from the far east. A friend of mine who builds custom electrics and has a small retail outlet has just started to stock them. They come in four sizes Grand Concert, Grand Auditorium, Jumbo, Dreadnought with or without cutout. Tops are Sitka (OK Bruce!) back and sides are either Mahogany, Maple, Rosewood or Ovankol. Scalloped bracing looks pretty good, Rosewood fretboard and bridge, fretboard and head are bound. Nut and saddle are in bone. Build quality and fit of all parts including set-up seem excellent. They play pretty well and sound is acceptable for most situations. The price $550-650!!!! A custom guitar over here starts at about $4500. Which are you going to risk falling off the guitar stand?

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Funny you said that Colin. I have repair in house on an 1980's Ovation Celebrity that did just that. "Fell off the stand and off the stage".MichaelP38428.5414351852

We're seeing these guitars over here too. Carvin builds American Electric guitars. My son has one and it's great.

But about two years ago they started advertising the Cobalt Series Acoustics, Jumbo, and Dred only. Everything you said seems to apply.