Interest in a Faith Blood Moon led me to Richards Guitars website where I found a world of handmade guitars that I could hardly believe. I own a Fender Telecaster, a Fender Stratocaster, two Yamaha 6 string acoustics and a Tanglewood 12 string but wanted to buy a 'next level' acoustic. I telephoned and spoke with Jon and arranged a 2 hour session at RG- on my birthday. Wow, what a present it turned out to be. Jon had arranged 5 guitars ready for me to try. They were not at the maximum of my budget either which was appreciated and each guitar was pure joy to play: Cort, Auden, Furch, Eastman, Faith and Dowina. The process of refining my choice was to play these and other guitars with Jon checking from time to time and offering his thoughts. Since he was able to hear my playing (many apologies, Jon!) he was able to offer suggestions as well as share his expert knowledge to inform my choice. There was no pressure to buy at any time. Long story short, I bought the Dowina (Sol) Walnut GAC, an absolutely gorgeous guitar. To my ear the crisper tones from the walnut softened by the warmer tones of the Canadian Cedar top were just gorgeous; the action was easy and smooth; the satin finish and understated aesthetics look stunning; the quality of the woods used is astounding; the attention to detail evident in playing the guitar and in its look. For me the cost of £999 for this handmade guitar blows away other makes that come in way above this price point. Many thanks for your help, patience and expertise Jon and thank you to Richard, who I did not have the pleasure of meeting though I have watched his YouTube videos, for offering such stunning quality guitars. I will take advantage of the 6 and 12 month checks so will look forward to my return visits. Footnote: I live in Essex and there are many guitar shops locally, in London and much nearer than Stratford-upon-Avon, but I will come to Richards Guitars for any future purchases.

After watching a few of Richard's videos and doing some other googling into Dowina guitars I decided to take the plunge and ordered their SOL GAC model in walnut and cedar. To say I was "blown away" by the build quality, projection, balance and playability of this guitar would be an understatement. This is an amazing instrument. Highly recommended. As is the service and all the folks at Richard's. Thanks to all for a wonderful experience.

Reserved a PM slot on 15.06.22 and was taken care of by John. I had been contacted by one of the Team prior to my appointment to ascertain my Price Range and Requirements. Was greeted with a choice of around 5 guitars to try based on my feedback. Was left to play these beautiful guitars at my leisure and John was at hand to answer any questions. After picking out a Dowina I liked the sound/feel of, John then gave me an Arden and Furch to try as another comparison. Settled on the Dowina and was even given the option to take the guitar away with me as Chris (Instore Luther) said he could slot it in while I was there as I was traveling across country back home, this trip to Stratford being a short holiday for me and my wife. Excellent experience and would totally recommend….

the guitar was nicely set up and plays really well, there was a bit of a wait - but it played well straight out of the box, cannot be said for many guitars bought on the internet

My first Dowina and not my last. Lovely tone from the walnut and great craftsmanship. Thanks to the team for all the assistance and to Richard for showcasing Dowina in a world of mass production. It is appreciated!

A beautiful guitar in regard to playing, feel, sound, construction and looks

Great tone, beautiful to play but - minor point - the D string catches in the nut when tuning. Doesn't t spoil the overall playability though.

See my other review - spoiler alert - I was a score draw! I took both of them.

When I visited Richard's Guitars (September 2020) I tried out a Dowina Acoustic & was taken back by the sound and playability, that when I got home I decided to order one, unfortunately the one I ordered was out of stock & had to be ordered in essentially.

My Dowina Sol GAC arrived today (24/11/2020) & again I was amazed with the sound and playability but what I didn't pay attention to the first time around is the small details that really make Dowina Guitars special.

Details such as;
Abalone D inlay in the headstock
12th fret Abalone Double Diamond inlays
Ebony neckplate engraved D

To the less obvious details like the Ebony Bridge buttons being inlayed with Abalone the bridge also being made of Ebony. Looking inside the sound hole you can see two signatures from the chaps who worked on the instrument & Dowina etched into the woodwork through pyrography.

I've never really gotten along with acoustic guitars owing 7 electric guitars and no Acoustic until now, the Dowina feels nice in the hands and the craftsmanship is the best I've ever felt & seen on an acoustic having owned an Epiphone and Martin previously before moving them on to new homes something I have no intention of ever doing with my Dowina.

Being picky my only negatives can be it doesn't come with a gigbag/case which wouldn't normally bother me but they don't seem to be addable extras/sold separately which is a shame as the Dowina guitar cases look exquisite.

The other negative is there's one piece of the binding (binding looks like flamed maple or something) is a little missed matched the part of the binding joining from the front of the guitar to the back making it only a small piece and it is only slightly miss matched but I can see some folks who want handmade Instruments to be flawless sending it back because of it, it doesn't bother me as I like the little touches that make the guitar unique to me.

I'm extremely happy with my Dowina Sol GAC and would definitely recommend this brand to anyone looking for an Acoustic.