Where in the UK can I go and try out luthier made guitars?

[Lonzo]

Rory Dowling
Tom Sands
Daisy Tempest

For direct contact

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by BenWinwood

This website is confusing me a bit, its in GPB but is there a Uk showroom at all?

I'm looking to view them ideally in person

I don't think so. but please check with them , and share what you learn.

[Malcolm Kindnes]

Originally Posted by colins

With TAMCO and TNAG no longer offering a UK shop for high end acoustics, what about The Fellowship of Acoustics in The Netherlands? Just a ferry ride away?

This is the best advice. I have made this trip from Ireland, it is very straightforward, lovely people and a great selection of guitars.
As others have said, there is now nowhere in the UK with a range of luthier built guitars.

[packmule]

Originally Posted by colins

With TAMCO and TNAG no longer offering a UK shop for high end acoustics, what about The Fellowship of Acoustics in The Netherlands? Just a ferry ride away?

Wouldn't there be VAT and duty charged on any purchase made though, since the OP is in the UK and they're no longer in the EU? I've been looking at some high end concertinas (the free reed instrument, not the Breedlove guitar!) for sale in the UK recently but have been put off by the added cost VAT and duty would incur when shipped here to Ireland.

[Honkycat]

Originally Posted by packmule

Wouldn't there be VAT and duty charged on any purchase made though, since the OP is in the UK and they're no longer in the EU? I've been looking at some high end concertinas (the free reed instrument, not the Breedlove guitar!) for sale in the UK recently but have been put off by the added cost VAT and duty would incur when shipped here to Ireland.

Do you have any friends in Northern Ireland?

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

I think you mean Ralph Bown, Andy. Alan Bown was the leader of a ‘60s/70s band.

Thank you ! Silly me!

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by packmule

Wouldn't there be VAT and duty charged on any purchase made though, since the OP is in the UK and they're no longer in the EU? I've been looking at some high end concertinas (the free reed instrument, not the Breedlove guitar!) for sale in the UK recently but have been put off by the added cost VAT and duty would incur when shipped here to Ireland.

TFOA’s advertised prices include Netherlands VAT at 21%. They wouldn’t have to charge Netherlands VAT on a sale to someone outside the EU. The UK VAT rate is 20% payable on import, plus around 4% Customs Duty, so the advertised prices are very close to what the guitar would cost in total to a UK customer (plus shipping cost, of course). Not exactly the same, but pretty close.

[Sijos1]

Living close to the south coast I was spoilt having TAMCO and TNAG within reach but now it is really difficult to try top notch luthier guitars. I have used TNAG recently to buy a guitar but I had to pay £150 shipping. The guitar was not what i was expecting so I took advantage of the returns policy BUT I had to pay £150 return shipping to Nashville plus a 3.5% restocking fee!! These fees are not clearly shown on the website until you request a return. I must admit this stung a bit and has made me re-think about dealing with TNAG again which is a shame as I have bought a good few guitars from them over the years.

[steveh]

What's your budget - some of the options offered here have base prices of 15K GBP!

Everyone is right - with the loss of TAMCO and TNAG (although the latter's prices were, shall we say, "optimistic") there is no large choice of luthier made instruments available to play today.

For me, the VFM sweet spot is likely to be a luthier made guitar from one of those who have resisted the temptation to get locked into a dealership, who is offering a lot for the money and no VAT - e.g. Richard Osborne, Swanell, Marchwood. There are plenty. Have fun hiking around and visiting them (pandemic permitting). Or buy used. If you want the very best, then Rory Dowling, Tom Sands, Ralph Bown, but you'd better have deep pockets.

Cheeers,
Steve

PS: Nigel Forster is in Australia these days.

[Wolfram]

Yes, there are some great shops like Coda with some excellent guitars, but the beauty of TAMCO and TNAG was that you could try 30+ guitars from a cross-section of some of the world's greatest luthiers back-to-back. It was a real eye-opener for me, to be able to directly compare guitars from the luthiers discussed on AGF: Somogyi, Matsuda, Greenfield, Traugott, Baranik, Taran, Sheppard, Tippin, Sexauer, Shenk, Kinnaird etc. For my tastes, some vastly exceeded my expectations (and yes, some guitars were purchased ); some others, with stellar reputations on AGF, were not to my taste at all. Any one of you would probably have had a completely different selection of favourites!

And more than anything, my mind was blown by what a really, really great acoustic guitar, perfectly aligned with my preferences, could do for my tone and my playing. I could genuinely say it was life-changing - that moment ignited my passion for the acoustic guitar and led me to quit my job and start Wolfram, to bring that same no-compromise ethos to the tools players use to interface with the guitar.

Nowhere else in Europe that I know of has that kind of stock - even Fellowship of Acoustics, great thought their collection is, is dominated by high-end Martin and small factory builders like Lowden and Bourgeois; they actually have very few single-luthier guitars.

So it is sad that we must now make guitar choices in isolation - either chasing one or two guitars that happen to be in stock, or speculatively ordering from abroad or directly from a luthier. Let's hope places like Dream Guitars endure, to keep that dream alive!

Cheers,
David

deleted account

[packmule]

Originally Posted by Honkycat

Do you have any friends in Northern Ireland?

Ah, there's a thought, thanks for that!

[Yrksman]

Originally Posted by packmule

Wouldn't there be VAT and duty charged on any purchase made though, since the OP is in the UK and they're no longer in the EU? I've been looking at some high end concertinas (the free reed instrument, not the Breedlove guitar!) for sale in the UK recently but have been put off by the added cost VAT and duty would incur when shipped here to Ireland.

You are correct unfortunately. However as a shop would be selling outside the EU VAT would not be charged in the country of origin but VAT and duty would be payable in the UK. This now includes private (non VAT) sales effectively adding around 25%. Nightmare!

[JC.]

It would be interesting to know whether TAMCO stopping guitar sales "proves" that the UK market isn't big enough to support such an operation or whether other factors caused the cessation. My own experience with the store wasn't good..and if that was replicated across many customers it might suggest that a similar business with a better approach to customer relations could thrive. (I may of course just been "unlucky").

I don't see any point buying from TNAG. If I'm going to import a guitar from the US, I can go to all the best US (in fact worldwide) online stores.

[Sijos1]

It was always an 'interesting' customer experience at TAMCO! I cant believe the market in the UK for boutique/luthier acoustics is so small it cannot be viable but then again I am no way brave enough to start a shop myself!!

I agree that dealing with TNAG has no benefit than dealing direct with the excellent stores in the States often with more realistic pricing. Unfortunately stores like Gruhn do not ship to the UK I believe.