{"product_id":"richard-howell-2002-no-368","title":"Richard Howell - 2002 No. 368","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout the luthier\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eRichard Howell is an Australian luthier whose relationship with music began long before his work at the bench. Born in Surrey, England, he grew up surrounded by orchestral music through his father, a musical director in London. Howell made his first guitar in 1966, but it was after moving to Australia in 1972 that instrument making became a serious pursuit. Through his early work he was able to study guitars by some of the defining makers of the twentieth century, including Hermann Hauser, Hernández y Aguado and, most importantly for his own development, Ignacio Fleta. Howell spent several years studying Fleta’s work, and although his later instruments developed into an individual approach rather than direct copies, the influence remained an important part of his understanding of classical guitar construction. Working alone in his workshop in Mornington, Victoria, Howell builds his guitars largely by hand, approaching each instrument through careful selection of wood and a long-established concern for separation, balance, clarity and richness of sound.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the guitar\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003eQuick response and remarkable tonal flexibility define this 2002 Richard Howell. Despite its traditional construction, the guitar releases the sound immediately and requires little effort to bring the notes fully to life. The bass register is particularly compelling: deep and clear, with a long, lingering sustain that gives musical lines both weight and continuity. At the same time, the voices remain distinctly separated, so that chords retain their inner structure and individual lines can be followed with ease. Perhaps the most engaging quality is the guitar’s sensitivity to the right hand. Even small changes in playing position or attack reshape the colour noticeably, moving through different shades without losing the core of the sound. This elastic response gives the player considerable freedom with dynamics and timbre, while the sustained basses provide a resonant foundation beneath the upper voices. Built with a spruce soundboard and Indian rosewood back and sides, the guitar follows a strongly Fleta-influenced concept with seven-fan bracing and an under-bridge plate. The result is an instrument in which immediacy, separation and long sustain are joined by an unusually responsive range of colour.\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, with light wear marks consistent with careful use. There is no damage and there have been no repairs.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Siccas Guitars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54469522489677,"sku":"KS17968","price":4490.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0765\/4011\/7325\/files\/richard-howell-2002-no-368-02.jpg?v=1786009568","url":"https:\/\/www.siccasguitars.com\/products\/richard-howell-2002-no-368","provider":"Siccas Guitars","version":"1.0","type":"link"}