UK based guitar makers

dean111music

lots of competition but i guess every glove fits a different hand. I'm going to explore. Fylde, Benjamin, Lowden and Osbourne. Out of all the the ones i have tried Osbourne guitars have been the best but probably the least known. Sam Carter a great folk guitar player has two from richard. Best live sound and a guitar that sings acoustically
 
worth checking out

ToneControl

I'd advise that some newer smaller makers are not as consistent as those who have been making more guitars for longer:
i.e. their guitars vary significantly from one guitar to the next. I don't mean quality, I mean the sound.

I know a good luthier who made a few, I can remember trying 2, one I loved, one did nothing for me. If you go to try Lowdens or Avalons, you will get the odd one that sounds a little better, but they are all basically predictable in terms of how they  sound

I have a classical from a one-man workshop, I have learned it sounds a lot better than most he makes, I bought it used, and was able to try it against others (in fact I had expected to buy a Ramirez 1A instead)

so I have always been wary of commissioning guitars from newer builders, I prefer to buy one that I can try first

crunchman

ToneControl said:

I'd advise that some newer smaller makers are not as consistent as those who have been making more guitars for longer:
i.e. their guitars vary significantly from one guitar to the next. I don't mean quality, I mean the sound.

I know a good luthier who made a few, I can remember trying 2, one I loved, one did nothing for me. If you go to try Lowdens or Avalons, you will get the odd one that sounds a little better, but they are all basically predictable in terms of how they  sound

I have a classical from a one-man workshop, I have learned it sounds a lot better than most he makes, I bought it used, and was able to try it against others (in fact I had expected to buy a Ramirez 1A instead)

so I have always been wary of commissioning guitars from newer builders, I prefer to buy one that I can try first

Very true.  I think it's true of any builder to some extent.  Even the good builders will have some magical ones and some that are just good.  This is what puts me off custom orders.