Brook Guitars Bovey

The Bovey is a lovely travel size guitar. Mine was made in 2004 (custom ordered in March and the guitar was ready in October). Back and sides are made of a beautiful Tasmanian Blackwood, which looks fairly similar to Koa (also similar acoustic properties according to the luthiers at Brook). The top is made of Cedar. Rosewood binding. The head is also covered with the same Tasmanian Blackwood, very classy. Ebony bridge and fingerboard. Immaculate Gloss finish. Scale is 21.5'' (Brook also propose a 20.25'' version).
It would not be fair to complain about the features, as this is a custom made guitar and the guys at Brook are ready to accommodate anything you want.
Comes with an adapted size gig bag, which I would have liked to be a bit more "protective" (i.e. more padding) and have a small pocket where you can fit a capo and a few picks. However, as I rate the instrument here and not the gig bag, I still give it a ten.

Let's make it clear, it's a travel guitar (i.e. small body), so I am not expecting it to sound like my Martin D-35... Actually it does not sound too bright or even too "boxy"... Which was what I could hear when I tried some other travel guitars from Taylor, Martin or Takamine (OK, the Brook costs 3 times more, so the comparison maybe unfair). Actually, the projection is quite impressive for such a small body. The guys at Brook have apparently worked hard on the bracing and also, they told me that the Cedar top plays a big role here. I was originally going for a Sitka top, purely for cosmetics, but the luthier recommended Cedar for projection.
Sounds actually reminds of what you hear on old acoustic blues records (e.g. Son House), so pretty warm and crisp. Sustain is moderate, but that is what you expect given the size.

Looks immaculate. Impressive craftsmanship, not a spot of glue in sight. Top quality woods & bookmatching is fine. Nice round neck, very comfortable to play. Action low and results in a slight buzz when you hit the high e-strings too hard towards the 12th fret. Nothing too dramatic though.
Brook guitars propose a free set-up after 1 year.

I see nothing that should prevent this guitar to last forever... The finish seems very sturdy, which is good for a travel guitar, as the whole point is to take it with you wherever you go. Ok, it is an acoustic guitar and not a baseball bat, so you may want to treat it accordingly.

I dealt with the company when I ordered the guitar (both phonecalls and e-mails - always promptly responded). The guys are really friendly and clearly willing to help and advise. They proposed me to visit them for selecting the woods, but I had to turn that offer down, as I do not live exctly next door... Brook Guitar is a small outfit (4 people, I think), which helps for a personalised service. They kept me posted on the progress when they were building the guitar, which was nice.

Lovely little guitar, great fun to play. It clearly fits its purpose as a travel guitar (no problems as a hand luggage in planes) and also offer a very pleasant experience for "recreative" playing and offering something different. On the acoustic front, I also own a Martin D-35, a Santa Cruz 00, a Gibson J-45 and even a US made Ovation LX. This little Bovey clearly offers a different experience a has a clear niche in my collection. Having dealt with the guys at Brook Guitars and seen the quality of my Bovey, I am quite tempted to go back to them one to purchase something else... (they seem to have some beautiful parlor guitars).

My Brook Bovey was made in February 1999; I bought mine privately second-hand but it is in as new condition, I couldn?t believe I managed to find someone selling one, fantastic luck on my part. It has a stained cedar top with a figured book matched walnut back and sides. The style is what Brook designate a 010, this basically translates to a plain but tasteful affair with simple inlay work and solid wood bindings. They of course do make a style with lots of inlay work but I prefer the plain styling, it?s a little more understated. It has quite a wide neck for such a small guitar, 1 ? ? at the nut but for me that?s perfect as it matches the Martin OM28V I have which has the same width neck. It comes with a soft case, which for my use is not really adequate; I will be looking to have a hard case made in the future.

Well it?s a small guitar so of course it does not have the power of a full size instrument but I think it sounds incredible for its size. The most interesting point is the amount of depth it has, it really does have bass. It is strung with medium strings, which combined to the short scale produce a string tension, which feels similar to a well set up guitar using light gauge. Some people do string them with very light strings and then tune them higher but I prefer the mediums in a standard tuning.

The guitar is beautifully made and finished, there was a slight residue around the bridge, possibly buffing compound but it came straight off with Naphia fluid. The action on the guitar is perfect, the neck is one of the easiest to play of any guitar I have come across before, plenty of room on the neck but slim at the same time, it just disappears in your hand.

Well I?ve not had it so long yet, but I cannot see any reason why it won?t last a lifetime with an ordinary level of care.The finish is first class and it is built to the same standard as Brooks full size instruments, to good in some ways for a travel guitar.

Brook are a small concern who are extremely helpful and approachable. On the occasions I have contacted them they couldn?t have been friendlier, I can?t imagine you would ever have any problems with them, they are totally committed to what they do. As an example the guitar had never had a strap button fitted, Brook sent me a Rosewood pin with abalone inlay to match the bridge pins, they refused any payment despite the fact that I hadn?t even bought it from them.

I have been playing guitar for many years and own several high-end instruments, the Brook Bovey I have is equal in workmanship and quality to guitars I own which cost much more. I definitely intend to look at some of their full size instruments in the future; if the Bovey is anything to go by I?ll probably end up owning one. I would strongly recommend Brook instruments to anybody looking for a hand built guitar whether it?s a travel guitar or a full size instrument.

Made in Devon U.K. (in a beautiful far away rural location) 2001.
The Bovey is a travel guitar with a difference: it is simply a beautifully proportioned small guitar with a short scale neck of 20 frets(it looks like a guitar, not a modified plank!).
My Bovey has a solid cedar top with solid walnut back and sides and a mohogany neck with Gotoh machine heads. Came with a fitted Fishman Matrix active pickup.

This guitar has its own unique sound. It has a lovely tone when finger-picked: not as full as a larger guitar but suprisingly close. When strummed hard it can get seriously raunchy. It has impressed some of my friends no end. When plugged in to a decent acoustic amp or DI'd through a p.a. it sounds anything but small, with unbelieveable bass response.

Totally and utterly addictive to play. I have a number of decent guitars (Takamine, Taylor, Yamaha) but none of them come close to being so easy, or so much fun, to play.
The action was near perfect with the 13 guage strings and tuned to normal pitch (apparantly you can use lighter guage string and tune it higher - I haven't tried it yet).
The Bovey has real quality look about it: bookmatched with a gloss finish.

I've taken in holiday twice (camping and as hand luggage on a trip abroad) it seems more than capable of withstanding the trials of travel. I think it will last me many, many years.
I have played it live and used it in the studio. So far no problems.

I bought the guitar direct from the makers. They are really nice guys and I am absolutely sure that I would have no problems whatsoever with after sales support.

I have been playing acoutic guitars for 30 years and I tried all sorts. I am happy with my current main six string, a Takamine EN10 Santa Fe and my Taylor 455 12 string but increasingly I find myself picking up the Bovey - as I said, it's just so much fun to play. It's not a cheap travel guitar, but it is hand made with loving care and considerable skill. My one and only gripe is that it comes in a second-rate gig bag. I think such a quality instrument deserves something better.

A miniature 'travel' guitar. Beautifully made - solid walnut back and sides, bookmatched with a neat cedar top. Sealed Gotoh minis with ivoroid buttons. Wooden bridge pins . Rosewood bridge and headstock facing. Think the fingerboard is ebony. Fretwork is outstanding, well-finished. All gloss finish, near-flawless. Proper set neck, unlike bolt-on Taylor for example. Brand new, made 1999.

Pretty-sounding, especially when tuned up to A. Not very loud, but rings out clearly. I fingerpick it folk, blues etc. - it is really easy to play with a nice action. The short scale is great for practising hard passages - once you get it, move to a full-size (a tip - try a capo for the same effect!).

Near-flawless finish. The back is bookmatched and really beautiful. The whole guitar is gloss finish. The only shortcoming is right close to the bridge itself which was presumably difficult to polish. There are a couple of very small flaws in the fingerboard but these do not affect the playing action. The Action was fine when tuned up to A - the relief was a bit too little down at E. The saddle, which is compensated and nut seem absolutely fine.

Well, it's more of a personal instrument or one for recording. I suppose you could put a pickup in it and gig it, but I wouldn't see it as such. There are no strap buttons at all. Having said that, the construcion and materials are such that I would expect no problems. It only came with a gig bag and I will be on the lookout for a suitable hard case. But wait till you see the price.....

I have never dealt with them. It came from Hanks, a well-established, knowledgeable shop in the heart of London. They say it has a lifetime warranty from them and from Brook. I don't expect I'll ever need it. Hanks were OK, one of the staff says he owns a similar guitar (funny how that is always the case - maybe I just share a taste with guitar salesmen!). They sell all the top UK and US hand-made stuff as well as budget instruments, they know what they're talking about.

I have played for 20 years, as a personal interest really. I have been known to do a turn at folk clubs, occasional blasts with a few mates and I play christian worship music regularly. I have several UK made handmade acoustics and various electrics. I first played a miniature guitar of Rob Armstrong's a few years ago but there was a waiting list, I was broke and never got round to getting one. Obviously, I never had the chance of a head to head comparison, but the Brook guitar is more conventional looking whilst I remember the Armstrong guitar was more bright-sounding (it can be heard on Gordon Giltrap albums)and I recall it being much louder. However, I believe this was a bargain, equivalent quality full-size guitars go for #1500 plus. I am delighted with it. It is a frivolous purchase, but I believe I will have a lot of fun with it for years and would always keep it.