About Britannia Guitars

Britannia Guitars is a small, personal firm in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our limited edition guitars are not an assembly line or factory product but instruments. They are individualized, custom guitars with a voice, character and personality of their own. We believe that musical instruments should be optimized to the player's requirements, style and preferences. A factory can't do that, but it's what a small shop does best. And that's what we do and why we do it. Why does a USA-based firm call itself Britannia? Simply put, we are London expatriates, now naturalized. Besides, there is a long and honorable tradition of British music, musicians and musical instruments cross-pollinating the American music scene, just as British popular music has been deeply enriched by the American blues, Country and rock. Based in Northern California, Britannia Guitars handmade, limited edition guitars are usually offered in runs of 50-75 solid body instruments made of alder, ash, linden, flamed maple, mahogany, and clear Lucite. Fitted with pickups by Fender, DiMarzio, Lace and alnico lipstick tube pickups, our guitars feature traditional ceramic capacitors, USA Switchcraft jacks, Fender slide switches, and Alpha or CTS pots to provide clean, clear but powerful tones with warmth, definition and tons of character. Our vibratos are Floyd Rose or Wilkinson and Fender units. We fit our guitars with Ernie Ball or Fender stainless steel strings for brightness, tonal separation and clarity. We will custom craft the guitar of your choosing to meet your playing requirements, needs and style. Most of all, we approach the craft of lutherie with originality, flair and respect for an age old tradition. We don't make many guitars - no basses, hollow bodies or acoustics. What we make we make by hand with pride, passion and patience. We love what we do. We are here for the serious musician. We are here for you.

Imitation is not the greatest source of flattery, it's a rip-off. Since starting up in 2010, guitar firms in North America and Asia have purloined some of my favorite designs, then reproduced and rebranded those instruments. In this, Britannia Guitars is not unique. EBay warns that dozens of factories in China are selling fake Gibson Les Pauls and Fenders. You can read about it detail by doing a Google search using the words EBAY GUIDES - CHINESE FAKE GUITARS SCAMS ON EBAY. This is not to say that business ethics are in shortly supply in the Far East. Men of integrity exist everywhere and in every ethnic group. I speak from experience gained by living on three continents. But as the saying goes, it only takes a few rotten apples to soil the barrel. Buying a guitar can be an adventure. Naturally, I'd like you to buy a Britannia, but stay away from non-USA vendors offering Britannia look-alikes.

Limited editions, endless possibilities