Blog
Welcome to the Workshop
Introducing the New Ancoats Bass Range
Dave
- January 3, 2026
A long time coming - worth the wait (I hope) For years, people have asked when Ancoats Guitars would finally release basses. And for years, my answer was always the same: “When they’re ready.” I didn’t want to rush the process, and I wasn’t interested in simply scaling up the guitar designs into four-string versions. If we were going to build basses, they needed to sit naturally within the Ancoats range - recognisable, coherent, and true to the brand - while still standing on their own as...
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An Important Update: Custom Guitar Prices & Lead Times From 1st February
Dave
- January 3, 2026
For the past few years, I’ve kept my pricing as steady as possible, even as the cost of running a small independent workshop has continued to rise. I’ve always wanted Ancoats Guitars to stay accessible, fair, and transparent. But after reviewing the numbers, my workflow, and the realities of building high-end instruments, it’s time for a necessary adjustment. From 1st February, the price of all custom guitar builds will increase by 20%. Just to confirm - this change applies only to custom...
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The Future
Dave
- November 13, 2025
Ancoats Guitars: Five Years In March 2026 marks the fifth birthday of Ancoats Guitars - and it’s amazing to look back and see how far we’ve come. It’s been a long, often difficult journey, and there have been moments when I almost gave up. But I’m so glad I didn’t, because this past year has been our best on record. A huge part of that success has come from the introduction of our Stage guitars and the launch of our brand-new website with the online builder. These have both made it easier...
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How Long Does a Custom Guitar Really Take to Build?
Dave
- October 13, 2025
One of the most common questions I get is: “How long does it take to build a guitar?” The short answer is about four months - but the long answer is much more interesting. A handmade guitar isn’t just assembled from parts; it’s the result of planning, sourcing, and hands-on work spread over many weeks, with care given to every stage of the process. Why It Takes Around Four Months Each Ancoats Guitar build starts long before the first piece of wood is cut. I have to order in materials and...
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Birmingham Guitar Show Prep
Dave
- February 2, 2025
Preparing for the Birmingham Guitar Show: Behind the Scenes at Ancoats Guitars As February approaches, the excitement and anticipation...
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Introducing The Granada - A New Twist on the Telecaster
Dave
- January 15, 2025
First, A Bit of History The Fender Telecaster is one of the most iconic and influential electric guitars in music history. Introduced in...
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From Obeche to Korina
Dave
- December 15, 2024
Why I’m Using Korina for Guitar Bodies Instead of Obeche As a guitar maker, I’ve always been particular about the materials I use for my...
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Gen 2 "STAGE" guitars - what are they all about?
Dave
- August 3, 2024
From £899 - “For every stage of your playing and every stage you play on” that's my slogan and i'm sticking with it! So how can I make...
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The Impact of 'The New Islington' Guitar: Sam Shjipstone's Key Role in Yard Act's Sound
Dave
- September 25, 2025
I first approached Sam about building a guitar for him just after the release of their first album. I loved the sound, his playing and...
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The All new New Islington
Dave
- March 23, 2024
You've probably seen this guitar already through the website and on the socials but thought I'd go into a little more detail about the...
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Guitar Show 2024
Dave
- March 22, 2024
I've just got back from a 2 week break following the big guitar show of the year. While away I've been contemplating on the business and...
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