I know many of you visiting this page want an answer fast—so I’ll give you my top recommendations right here.

But if you’re the kind of guitarist who loves to really understand what makes a guitar special, then I invite you to read on. This isn’t just a list of guitars—it’s 27 years of passionate research, constantly questioning my own knowledge and challenging industry norms to uncover the very best instruments.

These are not just recommendations—they are the benchmarks in the industry.

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...

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.

It took me nearly 20 years to find another brand that gave me the same earth-shattering moment as Furch did all those years ago. But 3 years ago, lightning struck twice—this time, in Slovakia.

Dowina Guitars are handmade, all-solid-wood instruments, built by passionate luthiers who focus on creating custom-level guitars at prices that defy logic.

I personally designed the Dowina Pure Series—crafted not for profit, but purely to introduce people to the magic of Dowina’s craftsmanship and ethos. Once someone buys a Dowina, they rarely stop at one. Most customers end up buying a second, third, or even fourth Dowina after experiencing their first.

👉 Best Dowina Guitar Under £1000? The Dowina Pure Series (available in BV (Parlor), OMG (OM), and Dreadnought).

Hand-built in tiny numbers, these guitars are the ultimate blend of simplicity, craftsmanship, and tone. I genuinely can’t believe I even have to "sell" this concept—a handmade guitar, built with love, at under £1000? No mass production, no marketing gimmicks—just pure guitar-making artistry.

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.

If these guitars are so good, why aren’t they hanging in every high-street music shop?

Simple: They aren’t mass-produced.

• Dowina is a small boutique workshop that can only produce a limited number of guitars each year.
• Auden makes guitars in smaller batches, prioritising quality over quantity.
• Furch is now a global success, but demand is so high that we have to pre-order guitars 4 months in advance to ensure stock.
• Eastman has the scale to produce large numbers, but remains committed to traditional craftsmanship—a rare thing in modern guitar manufacturing.

And that’s why you’ll only find all four of these brands under one roof at Richard’s Guitars.

Because I refuse to stock anything else.

I know there’s a lot to take in—but that’s exactly why I’ve spent 27 years guiding players toward the perfect guitar.

If any of this has resonated with you, I’d love to help you find YOUR perfect match.

👉 The Best Next Step?

• Chat with us live – We’re online most hours.
• Visit our showroom – Stratford-Upon-Avon, by appointment only.
• Ask me anything – I’ll always give you my honest, no-BS opinion.

If you’ve made it this far, welcome to the 1%—the guitarists who care enough to dig deeper and find something truly special.

Looking forward to chatting with you soon.

🎸 Check out my Top 10 Electro Acoustic Guitar Recommendations under £1000!