Northern Light

A new guitar-making venture in the North East of England promises some boutique-like style at everyday prices

- Dave Burrluck

We have a rich industry of guitar makers here in the UK, but not all of their fabulous instruments can be classed as affordable. Well, affordability is the premise behind C9 Custom Guitars: a partnership between experienced production guitar specialist Mark Lamaq and high-end machine head-maker Keith Robson, who has turned his attention to guitar making in the past few years. The duo only formed the company in 2022 (though Mark had previously been helping Keith to create instruments under the Robson brand), but they’ve already attracted the attention of Northern heroes such as Tim Burgess, Mani and Paul Arthurs.