Dowina pure is phenomenal in a matter that words cannot make it justice. I'll give you the reasons you shouldn't look at any other guitar unless your budget is at least over double the price of this model.

1) Very rich & coplex overtones while maintaining its tonal focus.

2) Amazing projection. It's not just a loud guitar, it amplifies very sensitively the sound. Even the most delicate touch on strings has resonance. My hammer-ons & pull-offs have the same volume as if I plucked the string, without effort. I haven't played a guitar like this before.

3) Perfect amount of sustain. Some premium quality guitars have extremely long sustain, which makes the sound very big, bad it needs great precision and attention to not sound muddy, making clean playing a challenge, especially for fingerstyle players. That's not the case with Dowina Pure, it has the perfect balance between clarity & richness

4) Very balanced sound. The tonal quality of sound is almost identical across the whole range of the guitar (except the top 6 frets on each string but I think it's almost inevitable)

5) Deep & robust sounding percussive elements on the instrument that have great balance on sound & projection with string's sound

6) Attention to detail is custom shop qulity. Quality of wood, finish, polishing of frets, intonation of the fretboard, literally there is not a single aspect of the guitar I got that has a single flaw.

7) Richards guitars set-up the instrument to perfection. Most of the times that I play or buy online an instrument I need to adjust the nut or saddle because of High action or string buzz. This is he first time I played a guitar which was set straight to perfection.

I'm so impressed with this guitar so much that I wonder how much better a master build of Dowina can be.

Last but not least, customer service is very important and you must take it in serious consideration. I was looking to some OMs as well on the shop, but I talked with Jon through live chat and explained me that OMs will not deliver the volume I need from the percussive elements of my playing as a fingerstyle player, and I should look at Grand Auditorium guitars, making a few suggestions including this model. Even if you see somewhere else a guitar that you like more on the first glance, or cheaper than it is at Richards guitars, you're most likely to buy a guitar from Richard's that you'll enjoy much more, because of his customer service and commitment to sell you the guitar that'll fulifll your needs 100%

Yes, what a wonderfull guitar, i have had, and still have a few guitars, but this guitars stands on its own. Simple though refined looks with a mellow cedar top, wooden bindings and a beautifully golden/flamed spell sides and back, mohaginisch neck? Great neck feel, slightly thinner than my eastman OM, i believe ebony fingerboard. Playability is great, big and clear sound.
Check out the video that Richard, the designer, posted, makes it a special guitar : )

1 note; don't work on your guitar on a windy day and leave it lying on its back; a strong gush of wind lifted one of my daughters paintings and it landed on my top; cedar is soft!! It punctured the surface : (

Short: if you can afford it, buy it. Beware UPS.
Long: I wanted to buy an electro-acoustic guitar in the 400-600£ price bracket.
I wanted to buy it from Richards Guitars (even if I live in France) after randomly finding a video online where he talks about the importance of having the guitar correctly set-up when you buy it, things I knew firsthand as my last acoustic Cort was a complete nightmare (bought locally) out of the box and I had to pay a local tech to make it actually playable.
Since I couldn’t go the UK and check the guitars in person I wrote a long e-mail asking for some advice, and Jake to my surprise answered very quickly, and with a real e-mail, not some pre-written sales rep BS.
He gave me some options that where around the budget I had set, but then introduced me to the Dowina Pure, saying that if I could afford it it was way more guitar for not that much more money, albeit obviously over-budget.
I didn’t know the brand, but after reading a bit of literature online and the generally raving reviews I was kinda sold (I’ll stress that at no time I felt like it was an overselling technique, it sounded like a genuine “you want a guitar for life take this one it’s worth it” kind of advice, and in hindsight I can confirm it was and I’m thankful for the “upsell”).
I'll also underline that the whole e-mail exchange has been one of the best customer experiences I’ve have ever had, and especially refreshing in these weird times we live in.
In the end I’ve settled for a Dowina Pure GAC in cedar, plus a 167£ Fishman Matrix Infinity VT pickup fitted (perfectly) by RG tech Chris.
So overall price is 967£: quite more than I had planned, but I don’t regret it one bit (and it’s a made in Europe guitar by people who I presume are actually paid decently for their work, something I would’t swear on about Far East made instruments).
I was given the possibility to pay a 10% deposit and pay the rest before shipping, that I asked to delay as I was going soon on holiday: all very smooth, and the kind of thing is usually annoying/difficult to arrange in your average online shopping.
(You might have noticed that I have yet to speak about the guitar, but I wanted to underline a few points of the whole process as it was fantastic from start to finish, and specifically for people outside UK: don’t worry!)
The only negative thing I have to say is not about the shop but about UPS, I won’t bore you with details but it was a complete disaster and in order to have the guitar I had to pick it up myself at the deposit (a self-delivery basically): again, even here support from Jon was top notch.
And now the guitar: I was positively blown away. I won’t lie I was a bit hesitant to put that much cash sight unseen, but the moment I opened the box I was lost for words.
It looks stunning in its understated and classy way, finish is fabulous, set-up is exactly as I asked it, plays like a dream, sounds even better.
I admit I was a bit dubious regarding the superlatives laid down by Richard in the description: now that I have it in my hands all I could say he could have easily added some more.
And to John B., the previous review (16/07/22) writer, who says - “At the price I can’t help but wonder if mine is unusually high spec and a perfect storm?” I reply: John, maybe we are two very lucky fellas, but I’m starting to suspect that this is indeed The Worlds Finest Value Hand Made Acoustic Guitar you can buy as of July 2022, since my guitar fits exactly in your description.
Details are beautiful, you could just spend hours just looking inside the hole (never did it I swear…).
I have yet to try the pickup, but I have no doubt it will sound great.
The only problem I could find with all the guitars I play is unfortunately the player, but that has nothing to do with Richards Guitar.
Will 100% buy my electric from Richards Guitars.
Thanks again to Jake and Jon for handling mails and order, Chris for the set-up, and all the others involved whose names I don’t know.
Matteo
PS: I don’t know if this guitar will continue to be this “cheap” forever. I would say if you’re tempted and can afford it, go for it, life is too short for not owning one of these. Sometimes things seem too good to be true, and yet true they are.
PPS: I thought I’d add a few pictures to show some more details for those who are interested

This guitar is absolutely first rate. It is visually stunning but that pales in comparison with the soundscape it creates. At the price I can’t help but wonder if mine is unusually high spec and a perfect storm?
Richard’s Guitars are second to none when it comes to customer care and communication. They also know how to set up a guitar to make it exceptional. I cannot overstate the service level and I cannot recommend them highly enough.

Unbelievable quality all round. After a couple of months I can honestly say this Is best value guitar I’ve ever played. The sound and playability is up there with 3k instruments from American builders.

This dowina Pure GAC is one of the finest instruments I have been able to play. The craftsmanship is stunning, from the interior bracing to the finishing touch, it just looks fabulous. How about the sound? The cedar makes the sound warm and inviting and with the JR Baggs installed pick up it will be the crown jewel in the studio. Playability? Try it for yourself, I had 009 installed and it makes the whole guitar sing. The action is great and playing fast solo's and practicing your chord progression or scales is much more fun this way. Thumbs up for the technicians preparing this instrument!

Thanks for a great guitar. I can’t fault the quality, sound, setup and attention to detail. The stripped back Pure spec is also great as I wasn’t after any bells and whistles… just a guitar that sounds and feels great. My friend who plays a Martin acoustic was slightly taken aback at the quality and sound relative to his acoustic. The guitar has taken pride of place in my home office / studio… see picture. Thanks Richards guitars and Dowina for making such a great instrument