We have a rich industry of guitar makers here in the UK, but not all of their fabulous instruments can be classed as affordable. Well, affordability is the premise behind C9 Custom Guitars: a partnership between experienced production guitar specialist Mark Lamaq and high-end machinehead-maker Keith Robson, who has turned his attention to guitar making in the past few years. The duo only formed the company in 2022 (though Mark had previously been helping Keith to create instruments under the Robson brand), but they’ve already attracted the attention of Northern heroes such as Tim Burgess, Mani and Paul Arthurs.
Our review guitar, the Ventura, is effectively a production prototype and is one of three models in the range. So while it’s early days for C9, this guitar illustrates the intended style and vibe, which is perhaps best described as ‘affordable boutique’. But what does that actually mean? First of all, 90 per cent
