Amen to what Mike of Northumbria and Michaelr had to say. I started with a Lowden O10 (Mahogany/Cedar) and soundwise it was a monster in both tone and volume. Moved on to an O25 now (Rosewood/Cedar) for the tighter sound. They are second to none in build quality - all are truly hand-built (about 20 a week, not 20 an hour as seems to be the case with some other more expensive and better-known guitars) and they look wonderful. They sound fantastic whether strummed (which I hardly ever do) or finger-picked (which I do most of the time) and are great plugged or or unplugged.

Cheap they ain't. Wonderful they are.

SJ