Sound - Well, we're certainly fond of Dermot Mcilroy's guitars--that's why we carry them--but both Tom and I had one word when we first played this AJ: "Wow". This truly is a fantastic guitar. As we've said before, the Lowden pedigree in Dermot's guitars is obvious both tonally and visually. But we find Dermot's tone much more open, inviting, and versatile, and the AJ drives this point home with gusto.

This guitar certainly doesn't let you forget that it's a jumbo--it has a rich low end that resonates in your gut. But as with the best jumbos and mini-jumbos we've reviewed here before, this resonance doesn't suffer from the boominess that can haunt larger guitars. It just leaps off the guitar, clean and full. It has all the volume you could hope for from a guitar of this size, but also a remarkable balance and sensitivity you don't typically find on factory jumbos.

Dermot's own guitar is a spruce and walnut combo, and this guitar makes it clear why he chose those tonewoods. In recent months, I, too, have found myself drawn more and more to walnut guitars: The walnut tames the wash of overtone that rosewood can often bring to guitars this big, but at the same time gives each note a chunkiness that is rarely heard with other tonewoods. The spruce top of this AJ definitely gives the guitar a direct, airy tone, which complements the walnut nicely.

Playability - This guitar plays wonderfully, and it came with a perfect setup. As with the Fylde Magician, even though this thing is a jumbo, it plays like a much smaller guitar, with a comfortable feel and the responsiveness of a guitar half its size. This is not to say, of course, that this is a small guitar--its lower bout is nearly 16 1/2". But if you're not feeling like waking up the room by playing at full volume, the walnut will nevertheless respond nicely to a light touch.

Finish - Dermot leaves no stone unturned when it comes to the finish on his guitars. In addition to the Brazilian rosewood bridge and the pearwood/sycamore/rosewood body bindings, you can see in the picture to the right an attractive pau abalone rosette, and even better, you can get a hint of the gorgeous walnut and sycamore fingerboard bindings.

Summary - The guitar I've reviewed here adds the exclamation point to something we've believed all along: Dermot Mcilroy is for real. This AJ20 is only serial number 068, and yet it already blows away similar guitars that cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars more. The Mcilroy--to borrow a phrase from one of our customers--is the kind of guitar that your friends fight to get a chance to play.

Given how rich and full this guitar is, with its uniquely inviting tone and loving attention to detail, it's hard to believe that it's only $2500. A world-class, handmade guitar for $2500. Even if you were in the market for a $3000 guitar, I'd recommend this guitar without reservation. Dermot's remarkably accessible pricing just sweetens the deal.