{"product_id":"gary-southwell-2008-a-series-no-242","title":"Gary Southwell - 2008 A-Series No. 242","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout the luthier\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eGary Southwell is an English guitar maker whose work brings historical research into close dialogue with contemporary concert-guitar making. After studying guitar making at the London College of Furniture, he established his workshop in Nottingham in 1983. Alongside his work with historical instruments, particularly guitars of the early nineteenth century, Southwell has developed original designs of his own, including the A Series and Temperate guitars. These instruments reveal another side of his work: an exploratory approach in which established ideas of the classical guitar are reconsidered through contemporary construction and close dialogue with professional musicians.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the guitar\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eThe A Series represents Gary Southwell’s own design exploration rather than an interpretation of a historical model, and No. 242 from 2008 expresses that idea with unusual clarity. Its spruce soundboard and flamed maple back and sides are joined by distinctly contemporary features, including an armrest and elevated fingerboard, yet the instrument retains a visual and musical connection to the familiar nylon-string guitar rather than feeling deliberately radical.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eIts voice is elegant and exceptionally clean, with notes emerging in a polished, clearly defined manner and sustaining for a remarkably long time. There is also an elastic quality to the response: melodic lines feel easy to shape, while the sound adapts naturally to different kinds of repertoire. Lyrical contemporary passages can unfold with a smooth, singing nylon-string character, while classical material retains definition and poise. This flexibility is one of the guitar’s most convincing qualities; rather than imposing a single tonal profile, it gives the player room to move between styles, colours and articulations while preserving a coherent voice.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eThe physical experience is equally inviting. The modern construction feels comfortable and immediately accessible, complementing the guitar’s supple response and long sustain. In No. 242, Southwell’s A Series concept comes across as a thoughtful expansion of the classical guitar: contemporary in design, but still closely connected to the musical qualities and tactile familiarity players expect from a fine nylon-string instrument.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eThe guitar is in very good original condition, with normal signs of wear consistent with regular use. The French polish on the back and sides shows some wear, but remains generally well preserved. There are no cracks or repairs.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Siccas Guitars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54642894864717,"sku":"KS17966","price":8490.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0765\/4011\/7325\/files\/gary-southwell-2008-a-series-11.jpg?v=1788425600","url":"https:\/\/www.siccasguitars.com\/products\/gary-southwell-2008-a-series-no-242","provider":"Siccas Guitars","version":"1.0","type":"link"}