Specifications:

        Timbers:    

      Scale length:
      650 mm

        Sound board:
        Cedar / Spruce

      Neck width at the nut:
      54 mm

        Back and sides:
        Indian Rosewood /South American

      Overall length:
      1005 mm
      Body length:
      498 mm

        Finger board:
        African Ebony

      Body width:
      upper bout 290 mm
      waist          242 mm
      lower bout 362 mm

        Bridge:
        Indian/South American rosewood

      Body depth:
      increasing from 95 mm to 100 mm

        Bracing:
        9 fan struts on Cedar, 7 fan struts on spruce

.

        Finish:
        French polish/Lacquer

Richard Howell grew up in south London coming from quite a musical background, his father being an accomplished violinist and concert master. He began playing guitar at an early age and made his first guitar at age seventeen. Richard emigrated to Australia in 1972.

His first workshop was in Adelaide. During this period he met Jason Waldron who owns both of John Williams old Ignatio Fleta guitars. These instruments were a great inspiration to Richard. At this time he made a few exact Fleta copies but since then his guitars have evolved into his own unique variation. In 1981 he moved to his present location in Mornington Victoria.

Richard uses no mass production machinery only hand tools and feels that the quality of the wood is very important, playing a significant role in the sound and tone of the guitar.

His guitars are well balanced traditional sounding instruments known for their elusive quality of string separation, where every note can be heard distinctively when a chord is played.

Some famous guitarists who have purchased Howell guitars are: Elliott Fisk (America) Hubert Kappel, Norbert Kraft
( Germany) Pepe Romero (America) and Ricardo Iznaola.