Gary Southwell (born 1962) is an English guitar maker and expert in 19th-century guitars, best known for the copies of the 1940 Hermann Hauser I he developed with Julian Bream.
Gary Southwell at a Glance
- Born: 1962
- Trained: London College of Furniture, early 1980s – historical (pre-Torres) instruments
- Workshop: Nottingham, England, from 1983
- Known for: copies of Bream’s 1940 Hauser; historical copies; his own “A-Series”
- Played by: Julian Bream, John Williams, Paul Simon, Sting, David Starobin, David Tanenbaum, Scott Tennant
- In print: Orfeo Magazine No. 11 (England)
From Furniture to 19th-Century Guitars
Southwell trained at the London College of Furniture in the early 1980s, where his interest in historical guitars set him apart, and in 1983 set up his own workshop in Nottingham. He reasoned that the best way to learn the old masters’ art was to copy their instruments, and for the first ten years of his career he built replicas and restored Lacote, Stauffer, Pagés and Panormo guitars for the early-music players of the day. He still builds copies as faithful to the originals as he possibly can – of Torres, Panormo, Stauffer, Lacote and Scherzer. He is especially fond of maple, and in recent years has also built with 5,000-year-old Fenland black oak.
Julian Bream and the 1940 Hauser
In 1995 Bream came to Gary looking for a good copy of his 1940 Hauser, and for some fifteen years they worked closely on the design, tuning the front, back and body chamber in relation to each other to capture the sound of the original. During those years he also maintained and restored Rose Augustine’s 1940 Hauser – on loan to Bream and his main guitar at the end of his career, now in New York’s Metropolitan Museum – which allowed him to develop an exact and detailed copy. Bream even gave him a spruce top, used for a maple version of the Hauser in 2021.
The A-Series
Gary returned to the modern classical guitar in 1992, when David Starobin – who loved one of his Stauffer copies – asked for a modern guitar with more power but the Stauffer’s fast response, clarity and adjustable neck. The result, his “A-Series”, is strikingly modern, with a cutaway and sleek architectural curves, yet rooted in the Viennese tradition: the angle of the whole neck adjusts with a key, the neck does not touch the soundboard, curved bars after Stauffer’s pupil Scherzer brace the top, and the back is arched in both directions. Tom Kerstens, David Starobin and Scott Tennant have concertized and recorded on it – Scott’s A-Series was heard on the LAGQ’s Grammy-winning “Guitar Heroes”.
Gary Southwell in Orfeo Magazine
Southwell is one of the English makers featured in Orfeo Magazine No. 11 – England, which you can read online; the issue is also available in print in the collected edition Orfeo Magazine 11–15:
Gary Southwell Guitars at GSI
Many Gary Southwell guitars have passed through our doors over the years. You’ll find guitars currently in stock by clicking the “Guitars In Stock” button in the header of this page as well as earlier examples in our Museum by clicking the “Guitars In Museum” button.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Gary Southwell?
An English guitar maker, born in 1962 and trained at the London College of Furniture, known for his copies of Julian Bream’s 1940 Hauser and his expertise in 19th-century guitars.
What is a Southwell “1940 Augustine Hauser” guitar?
His copy of the 1940 Hermann Hauser I, ex Rose Augustine, that Julian Bream played at the end of his career.
What is the Southwell A-Series?
His own modern design inspired by Stauffer, with an action adjustable by clock key and a floating fingerboard.
Who plays Gary Southwell guitars?
Julian Bream, John Williams, Paul Simon, Sting, David Starobin, David Tanenbaum and Scott Tennant, among others.
