Dowina Mahogany GAC

Words cannot express the utter breathtaking & unique beauty of this instrument.

Maybe my pictures don't do it justice but putting it in context - there is nothing out there that can compete with this guitar pound for pound and certainly nothing close in terms of the brands that people normally reel out when thinking of premiium acoustic brands.

Few people have ever heard of Dowina -  but those who have, now enjoy a much more nuanced view of the World of guitar production than that you see in Guitar magazines and mainstream guitar shops - all of whom rely on easy to sell - high volume brands that are available on demand at short notice.

The reality of small guitar builders is that they produce their instruments in a totally different way to mainstream brands.  I have personally visited the workshop (see my video which should appear with the other videos - I will never forget that time with them and I highly recommend you pay them a visit too - they warmly welcome guests.). Every bracing individually tuned by slowly taking slithers away from each brace - until the body resonates to its fullest potential.  Its incredible to watch.

I can guarantee you will have never experienced an instrument like this at the price.

Every Dowina is hand made and the Mahogany model has been made for me using one of their standard models as my initial inspiration (Pomona)- So exclusively produced for Richards Guitars customers :)

Upgrades to their baseline model include...

Grover machine heads with black tuners - instead of unbranded chrome design

Stunning abalone & rosewood soundhole rosette

Mahogany Body Bindings

Figured Ebony heal cap which is so luxurious and compliments the mahogany beautifully

Discrete Abalone dot markers

Solid Kaya Mahogany back and sides instead of Sapele

The guitar also features

Select solid Canadian Cedar top

Mahogany neck

Ebony bridge & fingerboard

If you look at just the specification itself then the price seems pretty fantastic - especially compared to mass produced Taylors & Martin that feature laminated back and sides at this price - but when you realize this guitar is genuinely hand made in a small European workshop (Slovakia) run by a small team of dedicated luthiers - who tap tune the tops - who produce every guitar in the most traditional methods then you would begin to scratch your head and wonder how on Earth it's possible.

But it doesn't end there.  The thought that goes into every guitar - the selecting of the woods used so each piece of wood they use blends aesthetically with the next is something you could never expect to happen on a guitar of this price

The fact the luthiers make notes of the natural acoustic resonance of the top (before its even attached to the guitar) so they can build the guitar using bracing that is suitable is another aspect that belies belief.  This is custom shop work at its finest (A lovely touch is you can see the note the top is tuned to written in pencil on the bracing along with the name of the luthier who selected the top - so wonderful)

Then - look at the photos I have taken - the attention to detail in the build is jaw dropping.

Finally - the sound.  Ohhhh my.....  beautiful sustain - warm but defined tone.  This is a master class instrument   

I cannot cover enough superlatives to sum up how I feel about this wonderful guitar brand and the Pomona is my personal recommendation for anyone wanting a true custom shop instrument at the cheapest price you will ever find.

You know what they say - the best things are always the hardest to find and that is definitely the case with Dowina!

/specification/ 

Back & Sides : Mahogany

Top : Cedar

Rosette : Mahogany/Abalone

Binding : Mahogany,White & Black

Purfling : Black/White

Endpiece : Strip Match Bind

Neck : 1 PCS Mahogany

FGB Inlay : Offset Dots

Finish : Open Pore

Machine Heads : Grovers - Nickel & Black

Strings : D'Addario XS

Case : N/A

Special Notes:  This is a hand made guitar, co designed between Richard & Dowina Guitars exclusively for Richards Guitars