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Add to Compare1994 Bown Parlor, All-Koa
Koa, Koa, Koa! This beautiful 1994 Ralph Bown Parlor guitar features a Koa back, sides, and top and an incredibly punchy, balanced, singing tone. Mahogany neck and Ebony fretboard deliver the standard in superb action all the way up the neck. Originally owned by Martin Simpson, and his then wife, Jessica Simpson. Ralph Bown builds for Clive Carroll, John Renbourn, Martin Simpson and many other UK greats. This guitar is a treat to look at (and play) and is very hard to put down. Sweet in every way.
Check out this additional video featuring Al Petteway on this Bown parlor: https://youtu.be/JKbr5WAsUNw
Check out this video of Clive Carroll performing an Elizabethan lute tune, “Preludium” here: www.youtube.com/watch
Add to Compare1995 Bown Baritone, Brazilian Rosewood/European Spruce
Here we’ve landed a true gem! What better way to explore a whole new kind of flattop experience than a Baritone, especially one built by the one and only Ralph Bown? This beauty comes to us from 1995, so has had a few decades of music under its belt and it’s wide awake. 28.5” scale means massive power, yet the setup remains easy on the hands. Richly colored Brazilian Rosewood back and sides pairs up with European Spruce on top, plus MOP diamond position markers for a touch of classic class. A Highlander IP-1 pickup carries all this powerhouse tone faithfully onto the stage, and a strap button at the center of the heel means you can strap in and save your back a bit to boot.
Ready for this Bown Baritone to take you to new heights (lengths)?Other keywords: clive carroll, fingerstyle, modern guitar, brazilain, ip1, barytone, fingerpicking, 135, calton
SOLD Sale! Read moreScale Length 28.5 in Nut Width 1.813 in String Spacing 2.375 in Woods Spruce - European, Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare2005 Bown OM Cuban Mahogany/Spruce
When we tell you an instrument is just about perfect, you know we’re not kidding. This 2005 Bown OM? In order to be more dynamic, it’d have to two guitars. For the singer-songwriter looking for an OM-size guitar that accompanies their voice with a strong, vigorous tone that doesn’t upstage their own pyrotechnics, this Bown fits the bill. For the accomplished fingerstylist who needs pianistic articulation and crisp resonsiveness, look no further. For the session player at the local Jazz or Blues jam, this Bown’s got room for smoking solos on the trebles, and a meaty low-end for vamping and steady basslines.
One of England’s finest luthiers, Ralph Bown’s work is always welcome here–but the problem is they keep running back out the door! If you’re even remotely interested in this Cuban Mahogany-and-Spruce OM, strike while the iron’s hot (if you’re thinking about taking it home, chances are someone else is, too).
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce, Mahogany - Cuban 
Add to Compare2000 Bown Stella 12-string Koa/Spruce
We’ve got another Stella-inspired twelve string that we have in the shop! Ralph Bown, while better known for his smaller fingerstyle guitars like the OM that Clive Carrol plays, has proven himself an exceptionally dynamic luthier, building everything from Baritones and Harp Guitars to this Stella 12-string. Bown’s given us an extended scale length to allow for heavier gauge strings to be used in lowered tunings. We find that standard C or D works beautifully on this guitar; the voice is huge, lush, and projects outward with a cataclismic force. Moreover, at the reduced string tension of lowered tunings (which we recommend keeping this guitar in) fretting notes becomes fretless, so smooth is the action.
Decked out with a Sitka Spruce top and some seriously gorgeous Koa for the back and sides, the octave strings pairs exude rich tone like chocolate mousse. Designed for the Leadbelly approach to Country Blues, all thumbpicks and crackling treble strings, this guitar also behaves famously for flatpicked solos a la Jimi Hendrix (there’s a great clip of Jimi playing a 12-string on Youtube, if you haven’t seen it yet). If you’re looking for a 12-string with more snap, crackle, and pop than a bag full of flatpicks, this is the guitar for you.
Add to CompareNew Bown OM Custom Macassar Ebony/Sitka
This gorgeous Bown OM was custom built for a customer of ours. Inspired by Clive Carrol’s OM, this is a monster. This guitar vibrates as if it’s 100 years old and the notes swell as they fill the room. Simply one of the very finest OM guitars you will ever play. Contact us to get your own Bown guitar.
SOLD Read moreScale Length 24.88 in Nut Width 1.78 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Sitka, Ebony - Macassar 
Add to CompareRalph Bown J Indian Rosewood/European Played By Renbourn, Carroll
Ralph Bown is one of the top builders in the U.K. who’s instruments are played by the likes of John Renbourn, Clive Carroll and Martin Simpson. Bown Guitars have long been a favorite of ours here at Dream Guitars since Martin Simpson showed us his years ago. We are proud to be the exclusive U.S. dealer for Bown Guitars but we don’t get very many at all and most of those presell so we are thrilled to have a rare preowned Bown guitar for you and this one has some voice. It has Ralph’s distinct treble strings that are full and vibrant and clear as a bell. This being a J size it has beautiful bass response that is not overpowering but is indeed powerful. The understated beauty is elegant and refined and the playability and condition are superb. These are very rare and very special, if you are after a unique voice that’s inspiring and ear-catching.
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.81 in String Spacing 2.38 in Woods Spruce - European, Rosewood - Indian 
Add to Compare1987 Bown Custom OM Ziricote/Sitka
Ralph Bown is an English builder with clients such as John Renbourn, Martin Simpson and Clive Carroll. This beautiful instrument is Ziricote and Spruce for amazing drive and power. It’s always amazing to us just how much tone Ralph can coax from mere wood. In addition to the tone this one is beautiful ornate with 45 style abalone, inlaid headstock, fingerboard, bridge and pickguard. A rare gem, at once inspirational, playable and collectible.
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.88 in String Spacing 2.31 in Woods Spruce - Sitka, Ziricote
Ralph Bown has made guitars for John Renbourn, Clive Carroll, Martin Simpson and many other premiere players. I first learned about him from Martin Simpson and was amazed by the full tone of his instruments, his attention to detail and their understated beauty. We feel very proud to be offering Ralph’s instrument here in the U.S. They are very special indeed.