BEAUTIFULLY HAND-CRAFTED GUITARS BY
JAMIE SWANNELL IN ELY, UK
GET IN TOUCH TODAY TO DISCUSS YOUR DREAM PROJECT
“Beautiful instrument. A lively instrument with a great bass response.
And really does excel at fingerstyle, folk and blues approaches.”
— Michael Watts
“A stunning guitar from a small luthier destined for great things. Overall 5*”
— Stephen Bennett , Acoustic Magazine
“Jamie’s work is really special. You’ll be hearing a lot more from him in the not too distant future.”
— Adrian Lucas, Luthier & Mentor
AVAILABLE NOW
About Jamie
Swannell Guitars are designed, built and finished in Ely (UK) by me, Jamie Swannell. Working alone allows me complete freedom in decision making, from wood choices to string lengths. I focus on making great sounding instruments combining a clean, modern design aesthetic with the finest personally selected materials.
Typically, players remark that Swannell Guitars are well balanced and responsive across the entire range. Built with the belief that the guitar is at its best when it goes unnoticed by the musician after the point of first contact, I achieve this through meticulous attention to the setup and playability.
Each element of the guitar is carefully considered from the wood choice, structural and aesthetic design. All executed with high quality craftsmanship and painstaking attention to detail.
The onus is on makers to promote the use of sustainable and ethically sourced materials. I am proud to have been actively engaged in the Leonardo Guitar Research Project which brought to light the plain fact that great guitars can be made with non-tropical timbers. Understanding the history and provenance of the timbers we use adds to the story of a custom made guitar, and while some tropical species can be intensely beautiful, there's beauty too in the humility and modesty of most non-tropical wood.
In June 2015 I graduated at the Newark College of Guitar Making. In addition to graduating with a Distinction, I also received the 'Outstanding Guitar Making Student of the Year' Award and was invited to join the teaching staff immediately after graduating. I worked at Newark for 2 years before leaving to focus on my own building.
Frequently Asked Questions
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My Base price for an acoustic guitar starts at £8000. The IA model starts at £3500.
Payments are split into 4 distinct stages: deposit, after the box is closed, ready for finish & completion - with 25% of the total cost due after each stage.
The price does not include shipping or import duty (if you live outside the UK)
There is no VAT payable.
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It varies, depending on a number of things, but it usually takes around 150 hours for me to make an acoustic guitar. This is usually spread out over the course of 3-4 months.
The IA model is a fair bit quicker at 2-3 months.
I tend to build in small batches of 3 at a time.
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Typically, I have a rolling 12-18 month wait before I can start your guitar.
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Great! I know it’s hard to wait, so I try to always have some stock instruments for demos and exhibitions. Details about these guitars can be found on the “Available” section of the website.
Be sure to follow me on Instagram or Facebook and sign up to my Newsletter to receive updates when guitars become available.
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I started playing as a 7 year old. Immediately disassembled and reassembled my Squier Tele at 12 and built my first guitar as a Design & Technology project at school. It worked, but it could be improved upon, so I built another, and another, and then people started asking me to build one for them.
The guitar has been a life-long obsession.
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Absolutely! I’m very happy to discuss any project. If we both consider it practical and viable, then why not? Some of the most exciting builds have come from interesting, unique and fresh ideas from my clients.
Did somebody say multiscale, cutaway baritone with an arm bevel? Left handed guitar bouzouki? Fretless ukelele bass?
I’m all ears.
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I’ve made a little guide here to help you plan your custom guitar
OK, I’M READY. LET’S TALK