Lowden guitars

mellowsun

btw Steve I see you are in Watford, not too far from me. You're welcome to give my Lowden a try if you're in the EN2 area.

ToneControl

steveh said:

I play 90% acoustic these days and have had a lot of experience with Lowdens.

I fingerpick and am partial to slow airs etc. IMHO they are hands down the best "factory" guitar out there. For my purposes they knock the sh*t out of Collings, Martin etc. Why? Because they're voiced completely differently. As others have said, not an American sound at all - far less fundamental and more overtone; that's why they don't strum great.

My personal fave is the F25. The "25" is the archetypal Lowden wood combo and the F size gives it a bit more focus without losing too much bottom end (aka S). The 0 is a BIG guitar.

I only got rid of mine because I went the sole luthier route (Sobell, Bown, Kostal, Traugott etc.). Therein lies madness and poverty.

Try some other, smaller, USA makers. Some are stunning, e.g. Goodall,  Bourgeois 

the bigger makers find it very hard to match these guys

CHRISB50

I recently bought an O22C.

As has been said the O is a big guitar but the size doesn't take much getting used to.

I spent a couple of hours A B ing it with an F25.

Both are superb guitars but the 22 had more going on with the tone. The F25 sounded more focused, punchy and clinical but I really liked the depth and airiness of the 22.

The neck is wide but not too chunky. I find it very comfortable and I don't have massive hands.

The build quality is the best I have seen on any guitar. It's flawless.

I don't think you could really go wrong with a Lowden. The tone, attention to detail etc. is out of this world. For the money though you definitely need to get out and try some.

AuldReekie

Try a MciLroy, made in Co Antrim and an ex Lowden luthier. If you like Lowdens, you'll love his guitars. I have an A30 model. Not Lowden like but even better IMHO are Nigel Forsters guitars, absolutely superb and best acoustic I have ever played or owned. Also top bloke to deal with

mitch

I played some superb Lowdens yesterday at my local shop. I am lucky to live near Project Music in Exeter and they have a superb O35 in stock at the moment with stunning Koa back and sides. I have been a big fan of the Lowden sound and the Lowden build for many years and to me they just seam to keep getting better. they must of had around 10 in stock so I was a bit spoilt for choice.

Check this selection out

http://www.projectmusic.net/lowden-1197-c.asp

These guys offered me a great deal so I am sure they are worth having a chat to if you are looking to save a few pounds. Every one I picked up was superb but I really did like the Koa back and sides O35

CHRISB50

mitch;376578" said:

I played some superb Lowdens yesterday at my local shop. I am lucky to live near Project Music in Exeter and they have a superb O35 in stock at the moment with stunning Koa back and sides. I have been a big fan of the Lowden sound and the Lowden build for many years and to me they just seam to keep getting better. they must of had around 10 in stock so I was a bit spoilt for choice.Check this selection outhttp://www.projectmusic.net/lowden-1197-c.aspThese guys offered me a great deal so I am sure they are worth having a chat to if you are looking to save a few pounds. Every one I picked up was superb but I really did like the Koa back and sides O35

Koa is lovely. Did you buy it?

VimFuego

FFS, will you lot please stop talking about lowden guitars? There's only so much temptation a man can take!!!

Octahedron

Bucket said:

This guy makes some very pretty noises with a Lowden baritone.

What I wanna know is whether the camera inside the guitar had a notable impact on the tone. 

mitch

Hi chris.

I want it. Have been thinking about that O35 all weekend. Its also a great price. I have taken a look at other similar Lowdens and this one at Project Music is a very Good deal. Prob is I just cant afford it right now. My heart tells me I need that Lowden in my life but my head keeps reminding me I need a new car maybe a bit more. If its still around in a month or two I am going to try and pull the trigger on it but I suspect it may go fast at that price. Sounds amazing.

CHRISB50

Hello Mitch, Koa is such a nice wood. Very pretty too. With regards to Lowden Guitars, they are pretty special. As I've said above I've got an O22C and it's really really good. At the end of the day money for living comes before money for guitars! But I hope you find the cash, and manage to pick up the O35. It looks lovely.

TheOtherDennis

streethawk said:

There's one around the corner from me for a grand.

http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/lowden-guitar/1075588430

Also, Avalon guitars (ex Lowden luthiers) is close by and rumour has it they discount for local buyers. 

http://www.avalonguitars.com/

I've got an Avalon CE200 Gold and it's a thing of real beauty. I love it. Not sure if you can get them in England now or not. I know where I bought mine (Sheehans in Leicester) no longer do them, they went back to Lowdens.

Richard Thompson plays one (he also has a signature model) and to back up what others have said, he seems to only play it when he's on his own, not with the band.

paulmapp8306

Tried some at Sheehans yesterday.  Didnt like the Os - TOO big.  The Fs were good, but again a little big for me (want a OOO, or OM size as I have a dread already - which is an Avalon CE200 Silver).  The S50 they had in stock is stunning.  Next to a OOO18, there wasnt a whole lot of difference in the core tone, but the Lowden was more balanced in the mids (the Martin had a little less sparkle in the presence and a little missing form the 2-3K region) and much more complexity in the overtones and resonance.

That said, the ooo18 is £1800 (circa) while the S50 was £5200.  If I went Lowden it would need to be an S28 at aound £3200, but I want to try a Martin ooo28 first as well -see if thats a little better int he mids.   If you have the money - I think the Lowden is beautiful and better tonally than anything else Ive tried, but they are pricey.  I cant justify £5k on an acoustic.

mitch

Hi.

Interesting as I have a Martin 00028 at home. Its a lovely guitar and has been played lots over the last few years. Its very different however to the Lowden sound. The 00028 is very sweet and gentle and has a lovely whisper to it and plenty of balance, but its straight braced and it does have a smaller voice. It can over drive a bit and in my mind doesn't work too well with a pick or hard playing. As I say I have one and I really recommend it to anyone wanting a classic straight braced Martin style of tone. But its not a big sound.

If its a Lowden that you have the need for a 00028 will not do it for you. In my view every Lowden has that signature Celtic overtone thing going for it without any compromise to the balance and warmth, and not too many guitar can do that. The F size is actually not far off a dread size if you measure it so its not really a very compact guitar at all. The S size is a oo/om ish size with a shorter scale. Its a lovely guitar and still has that classic Lowden feel and sound.

I played a S25 and a S32 at the weekend. they were very very nice. I really want the O35 but would be happy with any of the ones I played as they were miles away from the 00028.

They don't have to cost that much. The S23 I played was an offer at around £ 2200 and it was superb.

I know you said you played a Martin 00018. And I know you talked about the 00028. The 00018 has been recently significantly upgraded and is mahogany back and sides. The 00028 remains unchanged and has a rosewood back and sides. They now feel very different and sound very different to each other.

Have you played a new version OM Martin at all ? The OM21 and the new OM28 are real nice. very different from the 00028 due to the scale and the bracing.

paulmapp8306

I have tried both the mahogony OOO18 (at Sheehams) and the rosewood version (WS - in Nottingham).  I also tried an OM in Nottingham (not sure if it was the 21 or 28).  I thought the OOO18 was nicer ..... just.  Not much in it - the OM had more bass/definition in the lower register, but the mid peak was lower giving it a different core tone.  The area that was missing was the vocal mid range area (trying to describe it).  The result was the OOO18 was sweeter sounding, with a better balance in the midrange, but lacking the very top and bottom, and being softer sounding than the OM.

Might have to investigate other places for the Lowden S range.  Sheehams only had the S50, and said they could get a lower ranged S series - and would be £3200-£3400.  With the OOO18 at £1800 ish, a OOO28 at £2k ish and the OM at £2.5k - it seemed a little much for a guitar that I wouldnt know how it sounded (the cheaper range is basically less pretty woods - however it would make a tonal difference as well to some extent). 

The S50 had a fuller voice than the OOO18 - but while being a similar size, it does have a deeper body.  If I could find an "off the peg" S series for under £2.5k Id probably go for that.  If not its would be a OOO - either 18 or 28.

mellowsun

I have an S23 that I am planning on selling now that I have an S32J. PM me if interested.

tonyrath

A pupil came in with one recently very good player To me not as good as my Martin D15

andyoz

Lowden W23 Serial No. 001 has appeared on Gumtree.  It's been well played.  Nice piece of Irish guitar building history there.

http://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/lowden-w23-serial-no-001/1120408738

Aidanspaghetti

I had the pleasure of hearingPaul Brady do his thing in a theatre two wends ago and then post gig in the Local until the wee hours... He was playing a Lowden and it sounded amazing.... Truly head turning and even to the point that non musicians in the crowd were commenting on it.... I've played a few that were always fantastic, and as I'm now getting interested in acoustics again, one is on my shortlist....

Buxtonmick

I bought a Lowden some years ago, being a fan of Paul Brady.  After being offered a large sum of money for it, I let it go, an act of foolhardiness for which my wife still chastises me.  I've tried all manner of acoustics but for me Lowdens seem to have a weird magic about them.

Evilmags

I had my Lowden in for its second ever service in 23 years of ownership. Its the little stage model type, Mahogony and Cedar and looks fairly plain. All of the guys in the workshop were absolutely astounded by its sound, saying they could not believe such a small guitar could sound so big. After having one for that long, if you like the sound just shell out and get one. They really are built for life and seem to get better sounding as they age. The quality of build and materials is absolutely top notch and they are not copies of someone elses style.