any Lowden players out there?

[riffmeister]

I tried a new one, from George's own hand, a sitka/maple F35. It sounded Incredible for fingerstyle work! Very responsive, strong smooth sounding fundamental, balanced across frequencies. Very tempting.........

 

[Ogre]

I have an O25 that I bought new in 1998. It is by far my favorite acoustic guitar. It has a full rich tone that I just love.

 

[riffmeister]

ogre, how do you use your Lowden.......flatpick, fingerstyle, other?

 

[B Vance]

Originally posted by riffmeister
I tried a new one, from George's own hand, a sitka/maple F35. It sounded Incredible for fingerstyle work! Very responsive, strong smooth sounding fundamental, balanced across frequencies. Very tempting.........

There is a store about three hours from me called Wild Wood Music. It is entirely dedicated to hand made acoustic guitars, mandos, lab steels and banjos. The last time I was there I got the chance to play several of over 20 different Lowdens they had there.

You are right, for fingerstyle playing the Lowdens were by far the most responsive guitars I played. In comparison to several Larrivees I was also looking at, the Lowdens seemed to be more conducive to my finger attack. Great for acoustic blues playing in my opinion. My favorite of the bunch was an o-12 with sitka spruce and mahagany.

Although I do not own one, Marty, the woman who co-owns the shop, says that aside from the out-of-this-world, one-of-a-kind Martins, Lowdens would be her next choice. She knows what she is talking about too.

Give their website a look. Great selection.

www.wildwoodmusic.com

 

[riffmeister]

BV.......thanks for topping off my GAS tank!

 

[Dave Orban]

I had an 0-32 for a while. Guitar sounded like a cross between a cannon and a piano! LOL!

Unfortunately, I could never get comfortable with its considerable size...

Great instruments, though!

 

[riffmeister]

Originally posted by Dave Orban
I had an 0-32 for a while. Guitar sounded like a cross between a cannon and a piano! LOL!

Unfortunately, I could never get comfortable with its considerable size...

Great instruments, though!

I've got my sights set on a smaller F model. A little mo comfy and a little mo focused sound.

 

[Ogre]

I mostly play fingerstyle with it. I can use a pick as well, and it's best not to dig in too much, as the cedar top will compress sonicly. I have played many Lowdens, and I believe the O series are special. My O25 is an absolute joy to play and hear. Highly recommended!

 

[riffmeister]

I hope to get back to the music store soon to test drive the sitka/maple F again! Last time I was there I played it for about 20 min, fingerstyle most of the time and was really impressed. I was then somewhat surprised and elated to hear that it sounded equally good with a flatpick! Next test drive I'll dig in a little more with the flatpick to see what the headroom is like.

 

[Ogre]

With a spruce top, headroom will not be a problem. It's the cedar tops that require a lighter touch. Don't leave the store without trying a O series with a cedar top! I have never(in 40 years) heard anything else like it.

 

[riffmeister]

Originally posted by Ogre
With a spruce top, headroom will not be a problem. It's the cedar tops that require a lighter touch. Don't leave the store without trying a O series with a cedar top! I have never(in 40 years) heard anything else like it.

There's only one Lowden in the store, unfortunately. Have you played an F before?

Several years ago, I A/B/C'd an O, F, and S. I forget the woods, but I do remember liking the F the most......it had a bit more 'character' than the other two.

 

[royd]

I'm a longtime Lowden player (got my first one in '86) and one of the moderators of the Lowden user group.
I play a cedar topped O and beat it pretty hard sometimes and haven't had any issues with lack of headroom. You can hear both my original L25C (stolen in '99) on the pieces from "d" and the replacement O25C Custom on the pieces from "Big Job" at http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=106838
I haven't played one of the new ones yet but everything I've heard about them is that they are amazing.
roy

 

[riffmeister]

Originally posted by royd
.......I haven't played one of the new ones yet but everything I've heard about them is that they are amazing.
roy

The one I played (a 2005 from George's new shop) sounded fantastic!

 

[B Vance]

One of the best selling points for me about the cedar...the smell. There is nothing like opening that case and smelling that cedar. I loved all of the ones that I got to play. Spruce, cedar, it didn't matter. All wonderful instruments. I was partial to the O series though.

 

[AnthonyL]

I've got an O-23 - Cedar/Walnut - purchased from Wildwood Music by the way, and after a long day at the office there's nothing like sitting on my deck and playing for a while. There's no better stress relief.

I've tried most of the high end acoustic stuff out there and besides some of the recent Bourgeois stuff I've played, nothing speaks to me like a Lowden...

 

[fatback]

I've had an F-32 (Sitka/Rosewood) for 7 years now. I love it. For it's size it has a nice deep tone and is very rich in harmonics.

Sylvian music in Santa Cruz had 7 different Lowdens when I bought mine. The F just fit me best and had the most amazing upper frequencies. It has great dynamics but can't hold up to power strumming like the O model. For fingerpicking and relaxed strumming my F-32 is just stunning.

 

[ROKY]

I miss the hell outta my F-32; sold last year during an amp
buying frenzy .. awesome guitar, that Lowden F-- awesome !!

 

[rhys]

i've had an o-10 (jumbo cedar on mahog) for about 6 years now. wonderful woody, natural, rich tone. great for alt tunings. i find the cedar does lose clarity with very hard strumming, and the guitar always seems to have intonation issues. still working through that. any other guitar would've been out the door but with that tone you just can't let it go.

 

[bigredhaus]

I have an 035x that I've been using for the last year or two ... spruce top with rosewood back and sides. I heard the fingerstyle comments about Lowdens before getting this guitar and almost hesitated to get it ... but man am I glad I didn't. I have a Taylor 912c that I use for fingerstyle and wanted a "bigger" guitar that had a fuller sound with a deeper low end than the Taylor. My wife used to laugh at me when I said guitars sound different. The first time I had both of them at home she stopped ... listened for a moment ... then said, "Wow, they really do sound different!"

Anyway, I love the Lowden. It really sounds huge.

Scott

 

[Claytone]

I've been Lowdens for a number of years after discovering them through following Richard Thompson's music. First I found a Japanese-licensed Lowden made I think in the 80's, an excellent playing and sounding guitar. My current is an O-12 with a Highlander pickup installed. Great for all kinds of music, picks and fingerstyle, a great live guitar with projection and clarity.