School Me - On Lowden Acoustics....

Wazmeister · May 2023

Fresh and exciting rabbit hole... replace whatever the last one was...

I've played a few Lowdens previously, and really like them.

I'm not sure of the line-up of the models though

I do fancy a nice one, and the Richard Thompson model seems great.

Appreciate all your input

Waz

danishbacon · May 2023

Wazmeister said:

Fresh and exciting rabbit hole... replace whatever the last one was...

I've played a few Lowdens previously, and really like them.

I'm not sure of the line-up of the models though

I do fancy a nice one, and the Richard Thompson model seems great.

Appreciate all your input

Waz

The 10/23/32 series are excellent. Above that and you are paying for specialty timbers and trim. Tonally, it’s all there in the ‘lower’ range, that is, if you can call a £3k guitar lower range.

bertie · May 2023

aesthetically not my cup of char, only ever played 1 and that wasnt my cup of char either, I prefer the more classic "american" OM type (says he with a Brook !! but that's on its way out the door TBH)

digitalkettle · May 2023

For the 'classic' Lowden experience, I think you need an 'O' model...it's a large beast, so consider a b£vel.

I bought a snazzy F50 once (saw it pass through the forum last year) but always had some remorse about not getting a slightly plainer walnut/cedar 'O' instead.

I'm not a big fan of extras like cutaways and electronics but I guess that depends on your budget and what you want out of the instrument.

earwighoney · May 2023

Wazmeister said:

I do fancy a nice one, and the Richard Thompson model seems great.

I played a few Lowdens over the years and they are sublime guitars but do not suit my way of playing. The Richard Thompson was the only I didn't like, the combination of woods wasn't a great one IMO for my playing anyway, but it could work better for someone else.

IMO, for a cedar soundboard, I find walnut to be one of the best back and side sets but YMMV.

bertie · May 2023

earwighoney said:
>IMO, for a cedar soundboard, I find walnut to be one of the best back and side sets but YMMV.

Cedar on Hog works well, Im wondering then, is Walnut very "mahogany like"

Wazmeister · May 2023

bertie said:

earwighoney said:
>IMO, for a cedar soundboard, I find walnut to be one of the best back and side sets but YMMV.

Cedar on Hog works well, Im wondering then, is Walnut very "mahogany like"

I had a Taylor W65 12 string, which was English walnut, and warm and glorious.

I do know I like Adirondack (spelling ?) for some reason.

I have been impressed with the Martin re imagined too

thomasross20 · May 2023

Walnut has a thundering bass but I felt it missed the mahogany "sparkle." But that bass...

earwighoney · May 2023

bertie said:

earwighoney said:
>IMO, for a cedar soundboard, I find walnut to be one of the best back and side sets but YMMV.

Cedar on Hog works well, Im wondering then, is Walnut very "mahogany like"

***

Walnut is kind of like Mahogany, quite crisp sounding like mahogany but walnut has a touch more bass and treble. I find rosewood backs can get a bit dark with a cedar soundboard, but walnut works beautifully with cedar.

For Irish voiced guitars like Lowden, the ones I like the most are often the Cedar/Walnut ones. Not entirely sure but those woods and their bracing work beautifully.

I'm not the biggest fan of bigger bodied acoustics but for Lowdens, the O size is my favourite

A lovely warm and balanced sound.

digitalkettle · May 2023

There you go: instant Carl Miner!

Soupman · May 2023

I have a Lowden O25, cedar top rosewood back & sides. As has been stated above it's not a parlour sized guitar.....

I tried a few different models over a few weeks but when I got my grubby mitts on this O25 I knew after a couple of minutes that it was going home with me. That was over 20 years ago.
It sounds amazing every time I pick it up and I have never suffered from GAS since. I know there are other good guitars out there and that different instruments suit different people/styles and each to their own.

45mm nut, 645mm scale length, probably better suited to finger style rather than heavy strumming.
Good hunting & hope you get whatever you're looking for!

Benm39 · May 2023

Although it doesn't get played nearly enough (and definitely not well enough) I'm very taken with the F35 Lutz Spruce and Bog Oak I acquired from this parish courtesy of @brucegill ... must play it some more. The Ameritage case is built like a fortress and weighs about the same as an ocean liner mind you (which is one of the reasons I don't travel with it!).

Mellish · May 2023

Tried.Lowdens in GG when I bought my Martin OM28 Re-imagined.

Not for me. Good guitars no doubt but not the sound I want.

brucegill · May 2023

Benm39 said:

Although it doesn't get played nearly enough (and definitely not well enough) I'm very taken with the F35 Lutz Spruce and Bog Oak I acquired from this parish courtesy of @brucegill ... must play it some more. The Ameritage case is built like a fortress and weighs about the same as an ocean liner mind you (which is one of the reasons I don't travel with it!).

It’s still missed very much….

woody · May 2023

I prefer the 0 size lowdens,never played an f that really hit the mark for me.If the f is size you want,id consider a mcilroy a series.For me they have that something that lowden lacks, they are cheaper,and they are a true small scale builder,i think they build 12 a month,but dont hold me to that..Lowden seem to be churning them out at a massive rate at mo..Dermot plays a part in every mcilroy that is produced i believe.

Wazmeister · May 2023

Thanks for all the input guys.... I'm going to be trying and playing some hopefully very soon.
This could provoke a bit of a sale !

malcolmkindness · May 2023

I think the higher end models are overpriced.

Wazmeister · May 2023

malcolmkindness said:

I think the higher end models are overpriced.

I think all high end stuff is overpriced now !

TheMadMick · May 2023

Have you seen the Avalon L32 in Acoustics£. Big guitar and should be the usual Avalon quality but the neck is quite chunky - I like it but I've big hands.

Would solve the price problem - really good value.

robmac5150 · May 2023

I have an O25 FS ;-)

Wazmeister · May 2023

robmac5150 said:

I have an O25 FS ;-)

Whats your thoughts on your Lowden Rob ?

Wazmeister · May 2023

TheMadMick said:

Have you seen the Avalon L32 in Acoustics£. Big guitar and should be the usual Avalon quality but the neck is quite chunky - I like it but I've big hands.

Would solve the price problem - really good value.

How do people rate Avalon vs Lowden ?

woody · May 2023

I prefer lowden over avalon,there isnt much in it tbh, and here in ireland s/h Avalons regularly come up.for about 50% of the price of the equivalent lowdens

TheMadMick · May 2023

I've only tried Lowdens in shops and I found they had a "gossamer" like sheen to the tone. However that may have been the environment or strings.

I love Avalons. I have 2 auditorium models each with walnut B&S. One spruce top and the other cedar topped. They both have a strong focused tone that is very even across the strings. Good for strumming or single note work. I'd assume they'd also be good finger style but I haven't tested that as my finger nails are appallingly thin.

£ for £ Avalons are better value in my view but that's a matter of taste. I don't think you can go wrong with an Avalon but then I'm biased.

Vinny · May 2023

I have a Lowden O32c and three Avalons. Nothing between them tone wise - different, but neither better than the other. Both have rich overtones.I find the Avalon neck profile is more playable for me. Much better value in Avalon, but Lowden better resale value.

Vinny · May 2023

TheMadMick said:

I've only tried Lowdens in shops and I found they had a "gossamer" like sheen to the tone. However that may have been the environment or stings.

I love Avalons. I have 2 auditorium models each with walnut B&S. One spruce to and the other cedar tops. They both have a strong focused tome that is very even across the strings. Good for strumming or single note work. I'd assume they'd also be good finger style but I haven't tested that as my finger nails are appallingly thin.

£ for £ Avalons are better value in my view but that's a matter of taste. I don't think you can go wrong with an Avalon but then I'm biased.

Hi @TheMadMick . I’ve a walnut shaped hole in my Avalon stable. How would you compare the cedar vs spruce? And have you tried the McIlroy a25 for comparison?

malcolmkindness · May 2023

Wazmeister said:

TheMadMick said:

Have you seen the Avalon L32 in Acoustics£. Big guitar and should be the usual Avalon quality but the neck is quite chunky - I like it but I've big hands.

Would solve the price problem - really good value.

How do people rate Avalon vs Lowden ?

Honestly, there's very little difference between the modern Avalons and Lowdens. I don't know about the older models but if you were in a shop with several new models of each brand, I doubt if you could tell them apart.

Strangefan · May 2023

As someone who couldnt spend 3k on a guitar these days I thought I'd try the sheeran, had 2 and both went back.
Looked great but honestly the worst playing acoustics I have ever played.

Never again

TheMadMick · May 2023

Vinny

If you can find a good recording of Lulo Reinhardt and Yuilia Lanskyana and hear the differences between the guitars then:

Spruce gives a more focused bright tone (Lulo) whereas the cedar gives a warmer tone with more overtones (Yuilia). Personally, I prefer cedar but I wouldn't die in the ditch over it.

malcolmkindness · May 2023

Strangefan said:

As someone who couldnt spend 3k on a guitar these days I thought I'd try the sheeran, had 2 and both went back.
Looked great but honestly the worst playing acoustics I have ever played.

Never again

I agree completely, I don't know how anyone ever thought they were a good idea.

Tannin · May 2023

Strangefan said:

As someone who couldnt spend 3k on a guitar these days I thought I'd try the sheeran, had 2 and both went back.
Looked great but honestly the worst playing acoustics I have ever played.

Never again

I tried just one, a while back now when they first came out, and while I wouldn't have used the phrase "worst playing" it was memorably unmemorable. At half the grossly inflated price I would have said "Yeah naah. Reasonably OK but let's look for something better." At the actual asking price I thought they were insane.

And I was right. Various shops all over the country got them in, and they sat there and sat there and sat there, the last of them eventually being heavily discounted a year or more later to get rid of the damn things. Someone in my village had one listed on Facebook for sale second-hand a while back, and was very sensibly asking not much for it. I was a little tempted to go and see her just to sample one again but the reality was that was never going to buy it so I didn't.

(Hmmm ... come to think of it, another chap nearby recently had a Maton 808 with a cedar top advertised at a decent price and I didn't go and see him just to have a look sat it because the reality was that I was always going to buy it so I didn't. Makes sense to me.)

Actual Lowdens are of course a different thing. They are rare here in Oz and very expensive. The Acoustic Centre in Melbourne (700 kilometres north of here) always has a few in stock alongside their many, many other guitars. One of these days I'll pop over and try a couple out. They usually sound good on You-tube though possibly a little lush for my playing style. But an iconic brand, I must go there one day.

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School Me - On Lowden Acoustics....

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