{"product_id":"gary-southwell-2009-no-258","title":"Gary Southwell - 2009 No. 258","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout the luthier\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eGary Southwell is an English guitar maker whose work has long brought historical research into dialogue with contemporary concert-guitar making. His early interest in the instrument was shaped by the music of artists including Paul Simon, Julian Bream and John Williams, eventually leading him to study guitar making at the London College of Furniture. In 1983 he established his workshop in Nottingham. Alongside modern concert instruments, Southwell became particularly known for his study and reconstruction of historical guitars, especially instruments from the early nineteenth century, helping to reintroduce construction methods and sound concepts that had largely disappeared from modern practice. He has also developed original designs including his A Series and Temperate guitars. Throughout his career, close dialogue with professional musicians has remained an important part of his work, complementing a historically informed approach with a strong awareness of the practical and musical demands placed on a concert instrument.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the guitar\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eThis 2009 guitar, No. 258, has a particularly compelling relationship between clarity, sustain and ease of response. Its sound is bright and clearly articulated, yet every note retains a firm tonal core, preventing the upper frequencies from becoming thin or brittle. The registers remain remarkably well balanced, and sustained notes continue with a calm, coherent presence after the initial attack. This gives melodic lines time to unfold while allowing chords and polyphonic textures to remain clearly organised.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eEspecially striking for a traditionally constructed guitar is the softness and speed with which the sound is released. Notes emerge easily and almost immediately from the touch, with little sense of resistance, yet this quick response is not accompanied by a short or superficial decay. Instead, the initial clarity passes naturally into a long, stable sustain. The result is a guitar that can feel unusually supple under the right hand: subtle articulations appear quickly, while longer tones retain enough substance to carry lyrical phrases with continuity.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eThe spruce soundboard and cocobolo back and sides give the instrument a strong visual identity, with the dark, dramatically figured wood of the body contrasting elegantly with the lighter top. The spruce itself shows distinctive natural figuring that adds character without disturbing the restrained appearance of the instrument. Musically, however, the central impression remains the integration of qualities that do not always appear together in a traditional guitar: immediate response without abruptness, brightness supported by a solid core, and long sustain combined with an even, composed balance across the instrument.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eThe guitar is in excellent condition, showing only minimal wear consistent with careful use. It has no cracks or repairs and remains in original condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Siccas Guitars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54494771839309,"sku":"KS17961","price":9190.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0765\/4011\/7325\/files\/gary-southwell-2009-no-258-14.jpg?v=1786452223","url":"https:\/\/www.siccasguitars.com\/products\/gary-southwell-2009-no-258","provider":"Siccas Guitars","version":"1.0","type":"link"}