Jon’s Guitars

Most of Jon’s playing is fingerpicking, so feel matters more than looks. A guitar needs to respond well at low volume, stay clear when played harder, and be comfortable to live with for long stretches. If it does that, it’s useful. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t hang around.

The guitars that stay are easy to live with. They don’t fight back, they don’t wear him out, and the sound makes sense to him straight away.

Jon is drawn to the simple beauty of a guitar: clean lines, rounded edges, and a sense that nothing has been added without reason.

The guitars listed here are the ones in regular use. Some turn up on records, some on stage, some mostly at home. None are kept for display. They are here because they get played.

Turnstone Select Series TG

Jon first played this guitar while recording an After Hours Session at the Turnstone workshop in East Sussex in December 2025. Although he only knew Rosie, Turnstone’s luthier-in-chief, through a handful of social media exchanges, he was invited down to record with the team alongside videographer and all-round top-guitar-bloke, Michael Watts. The guitar immediately felt right. It was love at first sight, and Jon became an instant Turnstone guitarist.

This Turnstone Select Series TG was built in September 2025 and is guitar number 0925. It comes from Turnstone Guitar Company’s inaugural Select Series, a small run intended to make their guitars more accessible without changing how they are built or finished.

Although essentially an OM-sized instrument, the sound is unusually rich and full. Jon often plays song melodies on the guitar alongside the vocal line, which requires an instrument that can fill out the space without becoming heavy. This one does. The bass is rounded and supportive, the midrange crisp and clear, and the balance holds whether played quietly or pushed harder. It required very little adjustment and quickly became a mainstay.

The TG shape is understated and practical, which suits Jon’s preferences. There is no excess decoration, just clean lines and a sense that everything has been added for a reason. It is a guitar that encourages playing rather than inspection.

Key details

  • Model: Turnstone TG (Select Series)

  • Build number: 0925 (September 2025)

  • Soundboard: Swiss ‘Moon’ spruce

  • Back and sides: Katalox

  • Neck: Mahogany

  • Fretboard and bridge: Ebony

  • Pickup: K&K Pure Mini

More info: turnstoneguitar.co.uk

Fylde Custom Falstaff (“Gwendolyn”)

This is a Fylde Custom Falstaff, build number 9480. It is the only guitar Jon owns that has a name. He calls it Gwendolyn.

Gwendolyn is special because it was the first guitar Jon ever owned that was made specifically for him. It remains unique within his current collection for that reason. Jon has owned other high-end instruments over the years, but they have always been part of a wider series. This one was built with his playing in mind, and that difference still matters.

The guitar is a shallow Falstaff, developed through conversations with Martin Simpson, who helped Jon think through what would actually suit him rather than what looked good on paper. After an afternoon spent playing Martin’s guitars in Sheffield, Martin pointed Jon in the right direction and introduced him to legendary luthier, Roger Bucknall MBE of Fylde Guitars. From there, the specification came together naturally.

Built with Indian rosewood back and sides and an Adirondack spruce soundboard, the guitar has depth without heaviness and a clarity that rewards a lighter touch. The shallow body makes it comfortable to play for long periods, and it responds quickly under the fingers, which suits Jon’s fingerpicking style. It remains one of the most intuitive instruments he owns.

Key details

  • Model: Fylde Custom Falstaff (shallow body)

  • Name: Gwendolyn

  • Build number: 9480

  • Soundboard: Adirondack spruce

  • Back and sides: Indian rosewood

  • Pickup: K&K Pure Mini

More info: fyldeguitars.com

1961 Martin 000-18

Jon’s 1961 Martin 000-18 came from Replay Acoustics, via its owner, Tony Werneke. Tony has a remarkable collection of vintage Martins, an instinct for the right guitar, and makes an excellent cup of tea. Jon dropped in while touring with Martin Carthy in 2024.

Many of the guitars there were pristine and classically beautiful. This one wasn’t. It was battered, worn, and clearly had a long life before arriving in Kent. That was the appeal. It felt like a guitar that had been places and done things. If guitars could talk, this one would have stories.

Tony believed it may once have belonged to a significant guitarist from the 1960s. Jon has since spoken to people who think it could have been owned by Davy Graham, though there’s no proof either way. What matters more is how it feels now: loose, alive, and full of character. It’s rough around the edges, unapologetically so, and completely compelling to play.

Atkin OM-28

Jon’s Atkin OM-28, build number 625/0215, was the first high-end guitar he bought for himself, and the starting point of his current collection. He bought it second-hand and knows very little about its earlier life.

It is the sound of Before I Knew What Had Begun I Had Already Lost, and as a result it spends most of its time living in CGCGCD tuning. The guitar feels settled there, open and resonant, and it has become a reference point for much of Jon’s later playing.

This is his road guitar. It is dependable, comfortable, and easy to amplify. Fitted with a Fishman pickup, it sounds consistently good through most PA systems without much persuasion, which makes it a reliable choice for touring and live work.

The OM-28 also fits Jon’s aesthetic preferences. The finish is minimal and understated, letting the shape and materials do the talking. It is a guitar that has earned its place through use rather than history, and continues to do exactly what he asks of it.