British Beauties
A selection of six world-class guitars made on British soil
GORDON SMITH GS1000 SPECIAL EDITION FROM £1,199
One of the UK’s longest-running makers, now in the hands of Doug Sparks’ Auden team, Gordon Smith’s GS1 (now from £799) has fuelled many a player’s musical journey. This Special Edition GS1000, based on that timeless GS1 but with a thick body and Brazilian cedar neck and body, earned a Guitarist Gold award and it doesn’t get better than that. Huge range and plenty of new models; custom orders are a speciality. www.gordonsmithguitars.com
SETH BACCUS NAUTILUS CLASSIC £4,299
Recently returned to the UK from Portugal, Seth Baccus (the stepson of British maker Andy Manson) is the archetypal solo maker – although his finishing is done out of house. Inspired by Andy Manson’s Bluebird design, the Nautilus mixes a Fender scale with a stylised cedar/maple-top single-cut body. Powered by his local pickup maker, Bare Knuckle, the guitar’s Riff Raff and Stormy Monday ’buckers feature coil-splits. Classic making of the highest level. https://sethbaccus.com
PATRICK JAMES EGGLE MACON SPECIAL £3,100
One of the UK’s finest makers, Patrick James Eggle and his small team combine exemplary craft with boutique style. Increasingly, Patrick’s guitars show off a tasteful rock ’n’ roll vibe and this stripped-down Macon, with its mahogany/maple-top construction and hand-burnished nitro finish, is a firstclass act. His necks, here from roasted maple, are among the best of any we’ve got our hands on. Powered by Mojo pickups (another great British maker), this guitar sounded as good as it looks. www.eggle.co.uk
CRIMSON RAW SERIES COPPER RODDED DESCENDANT £1,995
Is Crimson a guitar maker or a guitar-making institution? Both. This Raw Series Copper Rodded Descendant, with its split yew body reconnected with four steel rods, is as much sculpture as it is a perfectly playable guitar. Wenge is used for the neck with a striped ebony fingerboard and, as you can imagine, there are a lot of options for a custom build. Crimson also offers guitar kits, tools, finishing products and even guitar-making courses. Great stuff. www.crimsonguitars.com
FIDELITY DOUBLE STANDARD £1,979
Matt Oram only became fully professional back in 2017 but his original style has already attracted many and his order book is full (we’re still awaiting new review models!). This Double Standard typifies the style with a chambered swamp ash body, custom aluminium bridge (with optional Mastery vibrato) and four-way switching of the Mojo P-90-sized Gold Foil soapbar at the neck and P-90-sized Mojotron Blade at the bridge. Plenty of custom options and colours. www.fidelity-guitars.co.uk
LOWDEN GL-10 FROM £2,995
What? Lowden doesn’t make electric guitars? Oh, yes it does, and when George Lowden sets his mind to something with strings on you know it’s going to be special. The GL-10 uses Lowden’s S or Jazz model as the outline, with a 630mm (24.8-inch) scale, and simply promotes great wood with an all-over oil finish. Powered by a pair of Lollar Imperial humbuckers it’s “timeless, versatile, musical and beautifully made… a welcome reminder that not every modern electric guitar has to be a clone of a past design”. www.lowdenguitars.com