Testimonials

John Thomas

Drop dead gorgeous.

Mr. Adrian Lucas, your guitars are not only works of aural art, they are works of exquisite sculpture.

Del Palmer

This wonderful short scale electric upright, which has acquired the name of Egly-bass is just a pleasure to play!... Adrian was recommended to me by my old pal Chris Larkin as someone who could deliver a fine instrument in my rather short timescale... And he did with amazing results.... Thanks so much Adrian!!...

Simon Marsden

This mandolin has very quickly become one of my favourite instruments. It's a delight to play. It has a sweet tone, but with enough power and clarity to cut through in a loud mix when I need it to. It's a beautiful instrument.

Keith Archer

Thoughtfully and carefully crafted, designed to fit me, with a wonderful sound I can't hear enough of. I could go on but further superlatives are superfluous.

Erich Solomon, luthier

You build some of the most soulful and exceptional flat tops out there. Since I actually know you and how you are, your personality is really reflected in your work more so than many other builders. To me, your work has a dignity and presence that mirrors you. Understated exuberance, you have a hidden sparkle in your smile and dry humour that comes out in your guitars too.

Cams Campbell

The Pavilion 12 Sweep didn't appeal to me at first in terms of aesthetics, but looks are subjective — it's personality that counts! As soon as I tried this guitar, I was smitten. I certainly didn't need another guitar, but it's rarely about need, and the tone is hauntingly beautiful. The guitar is incredibly comfortable too, more playable than any guitar I've owned, and has perfect intonation right up to the dusty end, which the sweep cutaway makes easily accessible. Music simply falls out of this guitar and I'm still enjoying learning what it can teach me. It now hangs above my desk and is played daily, charming me with its coquettish looks, which naturally I've grown to love as the guitar has helped me to find new music.

Andy Howell

I received my Lucas fan fret Pavilion four years ago and it has opened up superbly. I became interested in Adrian when I read that his guitars did not sound American but rather European — I was looking for that. When I met Adrian and played his own guitar I knew I was playing a top quality instrument. We talked a long time about string spacing, neck profile and so on and I was stunned when I picked up the finished guitar; it seemed exactly tailored to my expressed need! After commissioning the guitar, top American Luthier Kathy Wingert sent me an email which said “You are in good hands — nobody makes a better guitar than Adrian”. I have found this to be right on the money. I have played a lot of high end, luthier built, instruments and have yet to find one that I would prefer to live with.

Noel Clancey

Following a year-long search, I chose Adrian to create my bespoke guitar because we share an admiration for functional beauty, and simply stated, Adrian knows what he is doing. Adrian has a wealth of knowledge regarding wood tonal qualities, build design, ergonomics and sound, all of which he eagerly and openly shares. Adrian’s standard array of guitars are mindfully crafted with impressive sound qualities in their own right. However, within these models, the custom tweaks Adrian is able to provide are magical. Regarding my own Pavilion Sweep, I am most pleased with how well it projects, its fullness, its tone and its levelness across the sound range. No single frequency overshadows another. Yet, it has thumping bass, radiant mids and crisp, ringing trebles. The sustain is impressive as well. Visually, I may be a bit biased, but feel the esthetics are reservedly stunning – no glam, just pure wood beauty. As thoroughly pleased as I am with my completed guitar, the serpiginous, meandering design and build process was a delight. Adrian was pleasantly receptive and happily provided thoughtful options and solutions to any and all queries, concerns and requests I had from our first meeting to handing over the finished guitar. To quote Adrian, “There isn’t anything we cannot do, Noel. We just have to do the maths.” If you are able to effectively communicate what you are looking for in a guitar, I have every confidence that Adrian can produce a beautiful piece of art that you can enjoy for decades.