Atkin Guitars

Handcrafted acoustic guitars made in England. After leaving the London School of Furniture in 1995 Alister Atkin headed back to Canterbury to start building acoustic guitars full time. With an invitation from Canterbury based Arch top maker Andy Crockett, Alister moved into his workshop. During the following years Alister worked hard on producing a range of acoustic guitars and searched for players to indorse the Atkin brand. In 1998 whilst visiting Shamus Brady at the Acoustic Centre in Wapping, Alister came across his first Collings Guitar. " At that point I saw a build quality I thought wasn't possible. I had to go home and rethink the direction I was heading in." After a period of re-design, research and development, Alister launched a range of six acoustic guitars, influenced by classic vintage styles and incorporating contemporary construction techniques. Throughout this time Atkin Guitars continued to receive top reviews in the music press, including a 5 star buyers Choice award from Guitarist Magazine and a Guitar Magazine award in 2003. In 2005 the 'Lakesview' workshop was purchased, and by late 2006 Atkin Guitars had moved into the new 2000 square foot facility.