Dowina Chardonnay GAC Acoustic Guitar

I did a lot of research before choosing this guitar and it paid off in spades. For me it's ideal for that livingroom relaxation drenching yourself in it's superb playability and sound.
It simply sparkles with fantastic clarity. If you want to play lightly with speed and accuracy it'll be your best pal.
Now how it's made. Obviously with the utmost care and signed in pencil on the inside top bracing by the luthier. Beautiful tonewoods with the grain telling you these are from mature trees. The rosette is wonderful as is the flame maple binding holding things together. Flawless.
I had a chat with Jon and was looking for something handmade in Europe with artisan quality. Something a little different away from the usual suspects. Richard's ( Jon ) kept me posted on set up ( low ) strings and playability as it progressed through the shop process. I did not want to buy a guitar posted direct from a warehouse without being looked at like some suppliers. It took 4 days to travel through the quality process and was posted out arriving 24 hours later. I've had the guitar, which now has a name, for over a week now and have not put it down.
Thank you so much Richard's and Jon.

I've left giving feedback for a couple of weeks in order to properly review this guitar. It's so easy to mistake the initial feeling of excitement and joy for objective truth!
But honestly, each time I pick this Dowina Paduak GAc up, it continues to offer up its distinctive sound and leaves you in bliss. The Cedar top and open pore back and sides Padauk provide a perfectly balanced tone across the frequencies and across the strings. Neither too boomy nor too brittle. No matter what chord you are playing, or whether finger picking up and down the neck, each string, each note is present. Only your hand position controls the tone.
The ebony fretboard is as smooth as the the proverbial and gliding up and down is a breeze. Each note is true, even at the 14th fret.
The setup is perfect. The people at Richard's Guitars have done a professional job. Action, tuning, neck - absolutely 1st class.
It took two visits to choose this guitar. Jake made sure there were similar models as well as different sounding instruments in order to make fair comparison. Some of the other makers were very tempting - Auden and Furch, for example.
Richards Guitars - and Jake - provide a very comfortable, personal space in order to allow you to test the guitars and their unhurried attitude made it possible for me to finally choose my Dowina Padauk GAc.
I cannot praise Richards Guitars and Jake (and Jon) highly enough. They really do what they claim on their website -provide a superior professional service rooted in their own knowledge and enthusiasm for great sounding instruments.
Thank you.

Richard comissioned a very fine build from Dowina. The tonewoods are top notch -- rosewood back & sides and the moon spruce top -- and the bindings, tuners, rosette, and fretboard are all quality appointments. Of course, the fine craftwork and attention to detail of Dowina make it a stunning instrument.
I'm from the US, and I ordered this guitar it seems at the height of the tariff chaos and confusion. The courier was sending conflicting messages: the shipments is lost, then it's in transit, then it's lost again, paperwork was missing, etc. But the Richard's team hung in there with me providing real-time info and moral support. This is a world-class dealer supporting world class products.

I love playing my Darmina guitar, the more I play it, the more I want to play it

Great experience, from booking the visit through playing the guitars to placing the order and taking delivery. I thought of be buying based on a number of factors but in the end it was just the sound. Sweetness, depth, sustain. It's just a beautiful sound, even in my hands. Thanks to Jon for his help in seeing up the demo guitars and guiding me through the process. I now have a guitar for life. It's perfect.

Really nice, after experiencing my first Dowina GAC I was taken by the tone,quality and hand made build, so although I tried lots of others in the shop I kept coming back to the Dowina for the perfect sound for my preference. John was so helpful in the shop, letting me try everything over a few hours with no pressure to buy. Knowing how my other Dowina was set up I let Chris set my new one up and it was perfect. Highly recommend Richards Guitars for guitarists

I' wasn't expecting that! I'm completely blown away. A truly amazing guitar. Beautiful and beautifully made. A real pleasure to play. I used to play sporadically, I now play every day, I cannot put it down and my playing has improved tenfold. Thank you Dowina and thank you Richard.

Buying from Richards guitars has been the best consumer experience I think I've ever had. The guitar is also exceptional and has set a high bar on my expectations for what an instrument can deliver. I feel very satisfied by both the srvice and the product, many thanks

Very impressed with service.My Dowina BV guitar was waiting for me when I arrived to collect it. Beautiful instrument. Sounds great and a nice size. Had a chance to play it before I took it away to make sure I was happy with it. Nice relaxed atmosphere. Their attention was just about right, ie around when I needed anything but left alone to have a strum etc which I think it’s important.

Wow!! Beautiful small guitar, punches way above its weight.

A really special guitar. The guitar is particularly responsive. A very balanced sound; exactly what you would want from a mahogany-spruce combination. The satin finish feels very good in the hands. The fretwork is excellent. The setup was perfect.

A wonderful guitar. The OM shape is very comfortable to play. The guitar feels very lively. Responsive and balanced. The fretwork is immaculate. Set up well (as always from Richards).

Very good service and taking time for answering all my questions. Fats delivery. I am happy with my Dowina guitar and would order again.
Thank you,
Carmen from the Netherlands

Love my new Dowina guitar, it has a beautiful and bright sound. I’m finding it hard to put it down!
Thank you for your impeccable service.

A beautiful, perfectly set-up guitar, inspiring to play. There was great engagement in ensuring that I would be absolutely happy with the guitar and prompt delivery in perfect condition. A second very happy purchase !

The sound and look of this guitar is just amazing. It is suprisingly loud and has a long sustain for its size. The perfect couch guitar.

Also thanks to you guys at Richards Guitars for the great setup, plays like a charm. If I get the urge to buy another acoustic it will be a Dowina again. And of course again from your store.

This guitar feels alive.
I'm still getting to know it.
I would recommend it without reservation to anyone.

This guitar is absolutely unique in its design and playability.

It has no right to be so articulate and soothing while still retaining such resonance.

The team at Richard’s Guitars have excelled themselves as have Stan and his gang at Dowina.

I cannot thank everyone involved enough.

You are class acts and this guitar is way beyond anything I could have hoped for in even my most optimistic of dreams.

I purchased a Dowina Cedar /walnut OMG! I really love the cedar warmth and sweetness together with the super articulate and fundamental sound of the cedar and walnut combination!
Richard and his staff were great to work with…especially Jon! Great follow up and communication!
I would definitely recommend Richard and his staff and especially the Dowina guitars! Great guitars and amazing value!

This is my second Dowina and I didn't think I could love it any more than my first. But I do. It is a beautiful guitar in every way - lovely wood, beautifully made, little details, really comfortable to play. And the sound is quite special. I'm not a brilliant guitarist but it is such a pleasure to play, and makes me sound way better than I am. The customer service from Richards Guitars was outstanding. From the first question, to sorting out a complex shipping, both Jake and Jon were helpful, friendly and speedy in responding and in making the whole thing a pleasure.

I've waited a while to write this review. It's too easy after a new guitar purchase to get over excited and try to justify spending a sizeable chunk of money on an acoustic that doesn't have Taylor or Martin on the headstock.

My advice to those that have a sizeable chunk of money to spend - don't buy a guitar with Taylor or Martin on the headstock. Buy a Dowina. Full disclosure - I own a Taylor.

The build quality at this price point is what you should expect. No excess glue permeating the bracing etc, neck smooth as butter, first class tone woods and absolutely on point when it comes to the detail.

Dowina has this in spades and then some. Blows the water out of Martin and Taylor at this price point, it's no contest. This guitar is so responsive, you can make it whisper, you can make it shout out loud - in every scenario it is perfectly voiced. If I had to choose one word to describe it, it would be....

Incredible.

As an aside to the guitar review, let's talk about Richard's Guitars and the buying experience.

These guys are special. In the current climate of buy fast and buy cheap they are beacons of what customer service and quality products should be. They are wonderful individuals, the absolute best. I can't find enough superlatives to describe these folks, but what I will tell you is that they know their guitars, they recognise quality, understand how personal a guitar choice is and will always do what is best for you not them.

I bought a Dowina OMG rosewood guitar it is the best acoustic I have played it was dispatched very quickly and the service could not have been better.