I just adopted S/N 277. It is a wonderful guitar. I just don't want to put it down. I enjoy my other guitars but there is something special about the Howell. Thanks for making such a remarkable instrument!

I am currently selling my 1973 Jose Ramirez 1a and have heard great things about your guitars.

Hi Richard: Still playing number 238 and 240. After 18 years they sound better than ever as I expected given they high quality of your craftsmanship. The introduction of an electric cutaway in your range is fantastic news and with your high standards many professional guitarist wil no doubt appreciate what could possibly be the best in the entire market while being suitable for classical and semi classical/latin american and jazz music trends. Thank you for making guitars that are to treasure for ever and to create instruments that allow the musician to perform at any level. You have made through the years my many hours of practice a real pleasure and could have not reached the standard I have without my Richard Howell's guitars. God bless you and your family for beeing such a dedicated man to your craft and to my opinion the greatest luthier in Australia.

Hey Richard,

As the proud owner of the very guitar on your homepage, No.405, I just want to say how happy I am that I am once again playing, and once again playing a 'Richard Howell' ( I also had No.150 as a young and rather naive high school student ).

Thanks again Richard, I have alot to be grateful to you for.

Daniel

You are so much cooler of a Richard Howell than I. The day is yours my friend...for now.

hello Richard, i have a Howell Tores Ornate guitar and have had it for probably 10 years. the number on the guitar is 245 and made in 1992. my dad picked it up at an auction when i was very little. i don't know why someone would have wanted to give this guitar away!! i love it. the sound, its quite pure.

please continue making these guitars, even if mine is quite old. thanks again.

Lee Sloan

The guitars look great , look foward to hearing from you on price cheers Rick

Beautiful Guitars !!

Thanks Richard! Have been playing No.355 since 2001 and couldn't ask for more! Keep up the good work!

Thank you Richard! I've been the owner/player of your #63, (built in 1981, Adelaide) for about 20 years now....20 years of pure joy.The sound it produces is totally awesome!Excellence that never ceases to amaze me every day. Thank you!

(Question: When did you stop making your guitars in Adelaide before moving to Victoria?)

i have just spent the first week with my new howell torres. while i have never played a torres, this guitar is fantastic!...and it is only a few weeks old, although the timbers are 50 to 80 years old. the guitar has wonderful balance, great separation, a very wide tonal range, incredible warmth, a broad dynamic range, remaining penetrating and dense at piano or less and capable of being pushed quite loudly even with the low tension strings currently on the guitar. i have had the opportunity to spend extended periods of time with hauser II, fleta, friederich, and blochinger guitars, and believe the howell torres to be better than many of these great guitars. if i had to spend the rest of my life with one of these, it would be the howell torres. the workmanship of the ornate model is gorgeous. if you have any reservations about acquiring a howell torres, i would say that if i had not acquired this guitar, i would have missed out on one of the most beautiful classical guitars in my life. i think richard should keep making the torres even when the old timbers are gone. richard you are a genius and i thank you for your commitment to the art and tradition and for making such a wonderful guitar. don't miss it. richard may never make these again.

I feel I have really nothing else to say about your artwork #396,in virtue of a couple of the "big names" I've ever owned up for ten grands USD,I think I can and I must to say,the #396 is undoubted the best one in almost every point,thanks a lot for your hand works Richard,I think I will definitely order the second one from you in this year... Jonathan Gogh

Hi Richard and Kate.I know,I know,I'm late in posting this,but at 68 "the mills grind slowly" as the saying goes.Richard,I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for the "process and procedures"undergone,since my initial conversation with you in August of 2005.Having been fortunate enough to meet with you and Kate and inundate you with a thousand and one questions,all of which you patiently answered,I found the acquisition of my guitar a journey of great expectation,and an experience and reward far beyond my expectations.From the hours we spent selecting woods, to the discussions of action preferences;to the updates of construction photographs and final delivery....all contributed to the experience of now owning a most wonderful instrument. Having now,played my cedar top,daily for 9 months I am still in awe of its ability to improve,(particularly after the first month).As with many a fine instrument the initial settling period was on occasions,a little frustrating.You warned me of this and following your advice to be patient,I am now rewarded with an ongoing maturity in all facets of our most loved instrument.It just seems to go on improving.Quite extraordinary really.I had initially thought that a cedar guitar would mature completely in 6 months.Wrong again.It just keeps getting clearer,louder,sweeter in every way. I thank you for your patience,advice and the friendly manner in which my guitar was created.It has been a privilege to meet up with you and Kate,and to own one of your instruments.I wish I had the ability to extract its true potential. Please provide anyone who would like to discuss your guitar ,my email.I would gladly tell them of my experience.Fond regards to yourself,Kate and Ben,(who so patiently created some excellent photos of construction stages....Rob H.

truely a master luthier& an extraordinarly perfect gentleman-very humble despite his status-i have sound clips of at least 50 guitars with me some of them well known names,but i have yet to find such a sound even in the "Enquire" range in fancy hi-end guitar salons. i would unhesitatingly buy one from him-which i would do after i reject all the"Nice" guitars i would be seeing in europe shortly-NOV/DEC

I have recently ordered Richard's Ornate Torres model. After months of exhaustive research of luthiers, I happily decided on the Torres homage. I fully expect the Torres model to transport me back in time to a more romantic period, the era of Tarrega. I am positive the beauty of the sound will match or exceed the tremedously beautiful look of the guitar. Like I said it's more than a guitar, it's a time machine. I can't wait!!

Richard,

It has been a long time. Your site looks great! Your instruments look fantastic; I could almost smell your shop. I often think of the time we went to Guitar Week together. I do hope you are well.

Your friend, Tom

Great site, great pictures and great guitars...what more could you want?

Hi Richard! I am the owner of #122, and have enjoyed its beautiful sounds for the 10 years or so I have owned it. My son has taken up guitar and covets it greatly. It is used constantly and always delivers a beautiful result.

Exquisite