When I first came across Furch Guitars nearly 20 years ago, nobody in the UK had heard of them. I still remember the moment I first opened a case of demo stock, sent by a small workshop in the Czech Republic.

At the time, I was a main dealer for all the "big brands"—running a £2 million dealership, believing I knew exactly what the best acoustic guitars in the world were.

Then I strummed my first chord on a Furch ( It was the Furch Blue D CM)

And in an instant, everything I thought I knew about guitars was turned upside down.

These guitars, at a fraction of the price of the so-called "big brands", sounded better, played better, and felt more alive. It was a lightbulb moment—the realisation that just because something is well-known, heavily marketed, or hanging on every guitar shop wall, it doesn’t mean it’s the best.

Fast forward 20 years, and Furch is still my #1 recommendation in the sub-£1000 range.

👉 Best Furch Guitar Under £1000? Look at the Furch Blue Series—available in OM, Dreadnought, and Auditorium sizes, with Spruce or Cedar tops. If you’re unsure which is best for you, just get in touch—I’ll help you navigate to the perfect match.

Unlike Furch and Dowina, Auden is an English brand. Owner Doug carefully selects the tonewoods and oversees production in two workshops—one in China, one in England.

The result? Handmade acoustic guitars that rival Lowden—at a fraction of the price.

👉 Best Auden Guitar Under £1000? The Auden Neo Series, starting at £899. These guitars are tone machines—built to an insane level of quality for their price.

And since writing this, they’ve now switched exclusively to electro-acoustics, meaning you get exceptional pickups as part of the deal, still under £1000.

I won’t beat around the bush—Eastman guitars are made in China.

But before you jump to conclusions, let me tell you something…

These are 100% handmade, using traditional tools and techniques perfected by master violin builders. The result? Guitars that blow Martin and Taylor out of the water when it comes to value for money.

While brands like Furch and Auden focus on high-end acoustics, Eastman caters to all budgets—with outstanding all-solid-wood acoustics starting at just £500.

👉 Best Eastman Guitars Under £1000?

• AC Series – Perfect for those who love Taylor-style guitars.
• E Series – A dream for Martin fans.
• Entry-Level Models – Around £300, and better than most £600+ mass-produced guitars.

TL;DR – If you want the best bang for your buck, Eastman is a serious contender.