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18 Sep 06 - 07:52 AM (#1837272) Subject: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: Scrump I wonder if anyone here has played an Atkin guitar, and if they have any comments on it? How do they compare with other makes, such as Fylde, Taylor, Lowden, Martin, etc.? I'm saving up for a new guitar (and I want a good quality one this time, that will last me for the rest of my life, hopefully!) and the above are some that spring to mind. Are there any others people recommend (for a UK buyer)? I'm sure many of these have been covered in previous threads, but I didn't find many mentions of Atkin (I believe they come from Canterbury). |
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18 Sep 06 - 08:53 AM (#1837326) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: breezy sorry no gary hearn guitar, yes |
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18 Sep 06 - 09:01 AM (#1837335) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: Pete_Standing Scrump Where are you based? What is your budget? If it is a guitar for life, there might be a luthier within reach who could build something just for you. When I was approaching 50 I decided I would like something to keep until my decline. I tried some Fyldes, Martins and Taylors and didn't think the money was worth spending, they didn't seem to give a £1000-£1500 worth of extra value to what I already had. In the end I took a gamble with a luthier I had no experience or knowledge of but now have something that is quite special. It looks good, sounds gorgeous and plays beautifully and the money was worth spending. |
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18 Sep 06 - 11:00 AM (#1837423) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: Scrump Breezy: Gary Hearn - that's one I didn't know. Just looked them up. How do they compare with the others I mentioned? Peter: yes, I have that problem of not being sure whether it's worth spending that much for a guitar, unless I can be convinced it's worth the extra money. Are there any cheaper makes I should be looking at first? |
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18 Sep 06 - 12:04 PM (#1837472) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: Richard Bridge I played one briefly at Rochester Sweeps Fest probably 2002. It might have been 2001. My late wife (she was alive then, Jacqui Walker) was trying to find someone to trust to do some refurbishment work on her Hagstrom J-45 (we eventually decided to trust a man with a good reputation on banjos who actually seemed to know something about Hagstroms, which was nearly a first by itself. Unfortunately he was a real used car salesman and he nearly wrecked the guitar, including doing irrepairable harm to the original machine heads in direct contradiction to his instructions. Step forward Andy Perkins and take a bow.) Anyway, she wanted something acceptable to play while hers was inside. I tried the Atkin and looked at the price which was quite low for a second-hand luthier built rarity, and liked it. It was about OM sized, in dark wood, including the top, and it had, I thought, a dark and moody sound, not too twangy or zingy, with good sustain, good bottom for an OM size and a mellowness about the sound quite beyond its youth. I rushed off to find my wife and dragged her complaining out of a singaround, to get her to try it. She hated it, and said it was dead and thin. So we didn't buy it. In the end, while Perkins was wrecking the Hagstrom, he lent her a sequence of guitars none of which she liked at all but they must have sounded all right to others because people kept going and buying them from him (and so we moved on to the next one). The first was a Tanglewood Earth-200 Martin Copy dreadnought and the second was a Tanglewood jumbo that looked a bit like the big Takemine jumbo that "Travelling Charles" Fyson played, and sounded a bit like it too - too my mind too much "banjo effect" for a guitar. But I disgress. I have seen reviews in guitar mags of the Atkins that were quite favourable. However it might be a good plan if you are looking for something a bit special to have a look at Rob Armstrong's stuff. |
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18 Sep 06 - 01:57 PM (#1837571) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: Strollin' Johnny I know a guy in Spalding who has one I believe. Small Jumbo-size and shape. Looks, sounds and plays nice. If you're looking to have a guitar made, you could do worse than check out Oakwood Guitars in Leeds (just google Oakwood Guitars). Run by a guy called Martyn Banks, who also is involved with The Music Room in Cleckheaton. Very tasty instruments. 'Catter 'Hipflask Andy' has a couple. S:0) |
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18 Sep 06 - 03:09 PM (#1837626) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: GUEST,Jim Moray Yes. The best acoustic guitars you'll ever play. Alister Atkin is also one of the nicest men you could hope to meet. To my mind my Atkin guitars are better than anything else thats freely available (Taylor, Martin, Lowden etc) - they're most similar to Collings guitars from the US in the attention to detail and tone, and they are comparible with Sobell guitars from the UK in build quality and detail. I have two - my original OM and a showy pearl-inlayed J45 that was made as a showroom piece and then sold to me to go on tour with Richard Thompson a couple of years back. I'm also contemplating asking him to build me a baritone guitar. I've never had any trouble with my guitars and when they've been dropped out of aeroplanes or dragged across campsites in a thunderstorm Alister has always re-setup and looked after them without complaint. I certainly don't expect to play any other acoustic guitars in the next 30-odd years. Alister is in a little village just outside Canterbury. Give him a call and I'm sure you won't be dissapointed. |
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18 Sep 06 - 03:26 PM (#1837644) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: GUEST,Sarah in San Diego Haven't heard fo Atkin. I have a McIlroy guitar, made in Ireland, which is probably the finest guitar I've ever played. I was leaning toward something else until I tried this, which eclipsed everything else I'd ever touched in my life. You should be able to get hold of one more easily than I was able to--check out his Web site. (I have the A25--cedar top, walnut back and sides.) A friend who's a professional musician played it and used the term "phenomenal" to describe it. So have several others, including someone who had a Lowden he dearly loved. And the price, even factoring in the crummy exchange rate for the dollar, is still a bargain for the extraordinary quality. So many wonderful instruments to choose from! Good luck! Sarah |
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21 Sep 06 - 10:05 AM (#1839989) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: GUEST,Paul Lewis Isn't the internet great - I saw Jim at a gig last night (which was really good) and asked him about the Atkins guitars. Then I looked up Atkins on google and found this thread, with Jim on it tlaking about Atkins guitars again. So circular. I know a couple of busy UK session guitarists and they swear by these guitars. I am interested in an OM shape but I want a good earthy sound - woody - nothing too clean. So I want to go visit and check them out. Trouble is.. I couldnt find any links on Google or elswhere - so Jim, if you have contact details could you pass them on. Many thanks Paul. |
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21 Sep 06 - 10:34 AM (#1840015) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: Richard Bridge Google Atkin, not Atkins. THey used to be there. Back soon |
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21 Sep 06 - 10:36 AM (#1840018) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: Richard Bridge http://www.atkinguitars.com/ |
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22 Sep 06 - 05:58 AM (#1840652) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: Scrump So many wonderful instruments to choose from! Good luck! That's just the problem - too many! Thanks for all the feedback. My next move will be to raid all the guitar shops I know and try as many as I can, to get a better idea of what I want, and take it from there... |
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22 Sep 06 - 06:44 AM (#1840676) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: Grab McIlroy was trained by George Lowden, so they're apparently fairly similar. I was tempted to go look at his stuff, but I found a nice Lowden instead. :-) I'd second Oakwood as being good instruments - played a few of theirs at Whitby last year. Graham. |
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25 Nov 11 - 04:16 PM (#3263485) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: GUEST,John G essex Iam looking now in 2011 and like the collings,which i saw at Olympia nut it was very noisy there nut hadna little time with an OM nut guitar huy from the shop owned by Mann in Notts said that buy a collingsmwoth an adarondack top amd rosewood back and sides with a dreadnaught depth and ebony bridge and pins and fretboard, bwing honest i think for mamy it would be the ultimate sound and tone, though if Atkin are that good amd less money i would lkke to hear one from Alastair.. Any thoughts, as i want a strummer that can do more if required? |
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26 Nov 11 - 03:00 PM (#3263851) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: Brian May Err . . . have you been drinking ? ;o) |
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04 Dec 11 - 11:01 PM (#3268603) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: GUEST,Johng No but i understand the reply, cant get used to typing on an IPad..sorry. |
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05 Dec 11 - 08:11 AM (#3268709) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: alex s heard Anna Masssey play one last week - nice (both guitar and her) |
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05 Dec 11 - 10:13 AM (#3268756) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: alex s Sorry - Anna Massie |
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06 Dec 11 - 03:44 AM (#3269123) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: GUEST Take a look at this link. http://mickjohnsonguitars.com/ Mick is a graet guy, who makes fantastic guitars. The 000 belongs to my son, fantastic sound. |
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06 Dec 11 - 07:07 AM (#3269197) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: Richard Bridge Interesting. I'd be a bit wary of anyone who described the sound of a dreadnought as "strident", though. |
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07 Jun 15 - 09:13 PM (#3715133) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: GUEST,Slim Jim The J45 is to die for, such good quality and playability. If you have the money invest in an Atkin, You wont regret it as the sound seems to get better with age! |
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04 Dec 17 - 01:58 PM (#3892220) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: GUEST,Geoff Walsh I was in the Scottish Borders for a few days and purchased a 12 year old Atkin guitar ...much travelled and worn . I was so taken by this Indian Rosewood instrument , it sounded glorious . Struggled with the action a little , and living in Canterbury myself , took it to Alister Atkin ( Canterbury ) who set it up for me .....a really nice unassuming guy . and the maker of really fine guitars . If you can afford one , buy one ....you won't regret it . |
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07 Dec 17 - 03:35 AM (#3892547) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: Rusty Dobro Ross Burkitt, a first-class singer-songwriter, plays one out here in deepest Suffolk. He usually chooses it over his Lowden, which must tell us something. |
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07 Dec 17 - 12:38 PM (#3892667) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: GUEST,cardboard cutout Yes still great, just like guest Jim Moray said in 2006. Guest Geoff Walsh you are a lucky man! |
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10 Dec 17 - 09:22 AM (#3893175) Subject: RE: Atkin guitars - anyone played one? From: GUEST,Warwick Slade Sorry no but every guitar is different and sometimes one will just talk to you. Then the make is immaterial. I have an Avalon and I love it compared to my others, including Martin, Gibson etc. My recording guy reckoned it was the most balanced guitar he has recorded.. incidentally I have on old Harmony bought for £10. Dreadful action but great sound. |