Golden Brown

Last year we were mightily impressed when we looked at builder Rich Jones' Parlour and Orchestra acoustics. This time it's the turn of his entry-level, all-mahogany dreadnought

- David Mead

We first heard about Shropshire-based luthier Rich Jones in early 2023 when he visited our studios bearing two of his recent builds, an OM and parlour. The subsequent review was enthusiastic, to say the least, as we were extremely impressed by both the craftsmanship and the sheer musicality - not to mention the value for money - of both instruments. Back in issue 499 our verdict read: "We like both of these guitars a lot. Each has its own particular charm - the Parlour is slight in body and big in voice, it looks great, the build quality is very good and that aged cedar top sets the guitar off well. The OM is more the all-rounder with plenty of volume and a good dynamic range."

The Orchestra model went on to win itself a place in our Gear Of The Year issue and so when Rich told us that he was introducing an entry-level model into his catalogue, we couldn't resist the opportunity to take a look. Enter 'The Hog', an all-mahogany, slope-shouldered dreadnought, with the type of spec we rarely see on guitars in this price range.

Rich’s mission statement is clear: “The aim for JWJ Guitars is simply to produce professional hand‑built guitars at a great price. By keeping the standard range simple, with options for body wood and neck profile, I can focus my efforts on getting the best possible tone and feel from each instrument.” Let’s zoom in on The Hog and see what makes it tick…