Avalon / Lowden Comparison

brucegill · April 2019

ToneControl said:

I've just been looking at photos of some of the custom-made Avalons:
Fanned frets, sound ports, you name it. Very nice.
and English bog oak, that's 5000 years old I think

They sound nice. Where was that?

Ive got Bog Oak on my Lowden. Looks stunning and love the fact it’s so old, they carbon dated it to 5300 years old. Crazy! It’s wasn’t something I’d gone to look at either, but it was the one that spoke to me so to speak, so the back story was something I found out after the purchase. First time I’ve not had a normal combination of wood (RW/spruce or hog/spruce), and it’s nice to not have an expected tone in my mind when I’m playing it if that makes sense.

ToneControl · April 2019

brucegill said:

ToneControl said:

I've just been looking at photos of some of the custom-made Avalons:
Fanned frets, sound ports, you name it. Very nice.
and English bog oak, that's 5000 years old I think

They sound nice. Where was that?

Ive got Bog Oak on my Lowden. Looks stunning and love the fact it’s so old, they carbon dated it to 5300 years old. Crazy! It’s wasn’t something I’d gone to look at either, but it was the one that spoke to me so to speak, so the back story was something I found out after the purchase. First time I’ve not had a normal combination of wood (RW/spruce or hog/spruce), and it’s nice to not have an expected tone in my mind when I’m playing it if that makes sense.

call or email Avalon, Steve emailed them to me

soundout · May 2019

It’s always hard to comment on the intangible qualities any high end acoustic guitars as they can be so individual in sound. So an Avalon vs Lowden comparison of the actual sound of the guitars is almost pointless. So we need to look at these prestigious small companies from a business point of view.

As a pro performer who has owned both brands, and also as an ex-colleague in a business which sold high-end guitars, I have taken an interest in both of these brands right from the start. (I am old, lol). Both of these small companies have made business mistakes over the years, but my view is that Lowden deserve their relative superiority purely on the consistency and excellence of their instruments.. Avalon have had more ‘ups and downs’ regarding quality, consistency and design. Currently their instruments are excellent and consistent.

It is a matter of opinion whether Avalon have ever managed to improve on the original Lowden designs, which they legally inherited and made under the name ‘Legacy Series’. There is no doubt that the real design genius and innovation of both brands is down to George Lowden himself. In recent years I have owned, coincidentally, first an Avalon and now a Lowden in the exact same design and materials. The Lowden cost more and it is clearly better to my ears. I have kept it but sold the Avalon. But we all have different ears and playing styles!

soundout · May 2019

It’s always hard to comment on the intangible qualities any high end acoustic guitars as they can be so individual in sound. So an Avalon vs Lowden comparison of the actual sound of the guitars is almost pointless. So we need to look at these prestigious small companies from a business point of view.

As a pro performer who has owned both brands, and also as an ex-colleague in a business which sold high-end guitars, I have taken an interest in both of these brands right from the start. (I am old, lol). Both of these small companies have made business mistakes over the years, but my view is that Lowden deserve their relative superiority purely on the consistency and excellence of their instruments.. Avalon have had more ‘ups and downs’ regarding quality, consistency and design. Currently their instruments are excellent and consistent.

It is a matter of opinion whether Avalon have ever managed to improve on the original Lowden designs, which they legally inherited and made under the name ‘Legacy Series’. There is no doubt that the real design genius and innovation of both brands is down to George Lowden himself. In recent years I have owned, coincidentally, first an Avalon and now a Lowden in the exact same design and materials. The Lowden cost more and it is clearly better to my ears. I have kept it but sold the Avalon. But we all have different ears and playing styles!

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Avalon / Lowden Comparison

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