Sound - Well, since this is our first Mcilroy review, I might as well get this out of the way right away: The Mcilroy A30 looks and sounds quite a bit like a Lowden. There. I said it. Now we can move on.

One of the reasons I love UK guitars is for their relaxed, earthy tone. But in some cases, this tone can be so unlike any other guitar that it's more of an acquired taste than a natural, inviting sound. Roger Bucknall's Fylde Guitars do an outstanding job of bridging that gap between the unique and the accessible, so it was a pleasure to find that Dermot's guitars have done this, too.

This A30 has a rich, quasi-fat tone, with hints of that roundness you get in a good cedar/mahogany guitar. But that is only a piece of the aural puzzle. Dermot has taken this UK earthiness and opened it up significantly. A strummed chord with open strings is airy, clear, and rich. The rosewood does give it a fair bit of sparkle in the higher registers, but not so much that it sticks out uncomfortably. This all combines to produce a very clean, inviting sound, with just enough of that UK richness thrown in to remind you that you're not playing an American guitar.

Finish - The construction and finish work on Dermot's guitars are impeccable. Like other UK builders, he uses a laminate neck, with a center strip that matches the back and side wood. The body is bound in layered wood (pearwood, sycamore, and rosewood on this model), and finished with a satin/nitrocellulose lacquer, applied in very light coats. The ringed abalone rosette is understated and attractive. Dermot also uses a pinless bridge, a clear reminder of that other Irish guitar builder, but he forgoes the compensated saddle in favor of a traditional one.

This particular guitar has some light bearclaw in the Sitka top, running down the outer edges of the lower bout, as well as around the bridge. It definitely adds some visual character to this already gorgeous instrument. As you can see in the picture on the right, the pearwood bindings provide an attractive contrast. Notice also the attractive graining in the rosewood fingerboard bindings.

Summary - One of our UK customers turned us on to Dermot's guitars, and we can't thank him enough (thanks, Paul!). Not only is this A30 impeccably crafted and a pleasure to look at and hold, but it has a unique tone that mixes the open airiness of North American guitars with the earthy richness of many UK guitars.

Our first A30 customer called back after playing his guitar for several days to remark that it just felt right, with a tone that was both inviting and comfortable. We couldn't agree more. Dermot's guitars are already a big hit in Ireland. If he continues to make $2300 guitars that sound this good, he'll have no choice but to be a big hit here. I recommend this guitar to anyone looking for rich, inviting tone, or anyone looking to get in early on the next great Irish builder.