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UNPLANNED DOWNTIME: 12th Oct 23:45
NGD: Sheeran By Lowden W-03
In my return to things acoustic, I went out today to my fairly local Reidys, to check out some low, low-mid priced,
small bodied, electro acoustic guitars.
The 3 I'd chosen to try out were a YAMAHA FS-TA TransAcoustic, in Vintage Tint, a TAYLOR GS Mini-e Walnut and a
Sheeran By Lowden W-03.
I started with the Yamaha and have to say that the "Transacoustic" built in effects of reverb and chorus, in this
guitar, really work.
Fortunately the chorus is subtle and gives a thickness and lushness to the natural acoustic tone.
And the reverb (room or hall) is even better.
The natural tone of the guitar is very decent, especially as this is a fairly low cost instrument.
Put through an amp, I thought the Yamaha was the weakest of the 3 though.
The SRT piezo pickup is average, at best.
I owned a Taylor GS Mini-e, a few years ago, the all Koa model but let it go.
Not sure why it was a terrific, small guitar.
This one was the spruce/walnut version and it had a lot of tone and volume.
These GS Minis are fantastic guitars, I'd recommend to anyone and they sound good amped up, too.
But acoustically and amped up, my favouite of the 3, was the Sheeran By Lowden W-03.
The W stands for Wee, as in small, not smelling of urine, thank goodness.
It is based I think, on the Wee Lowden, made for Mr. Sheeran himself.
I owned a full on Irish Lowden, donkeys years ago.
I have very fond memories of it but it was not the best guitar I have owned but that's just personal taste.
When I first spotted these Sheerans on line, I wasn't that interested.
A poor man's Lowden, named after an artist I didn't rate.
But I'm glad to have been converted to the guitar, not the man.
This Wee guitar is made in Ireland, having a Solid cedar top, with a bevel and Lowden A-Frame, sitka spruce bracing.
It has a five piece Santos rosewood back & sides and an ebony bridge.
Also Ebony is the fingerboard, which 1 3/4" at the tusq nut and 2 1/4" at the 14th Fret, with 11mm string spacing.
Comes with an LR Baggs Element VTC pickup system and a hard foam based gigbag.
This guitar is seriously vibrant, with loads of punchy, ringing tone.
It's size and woods help with the middly, focused tone but it's much more than you get with say a small, 15 series Martin.
And I'm very fond of them.
This just gives so much more in tone and feel.
And the 24" scale keeps the string tension down, making it a doddle to play.
Also like the Martin 15 series, you get the simplistic finishing, with no binding, flashy abalone, glossy finish or
arty rosette.
You do get a nice headstock that matches the woods of the back & sides.
Another boon is the neck, it reminds me of an old, chunky '57 Les Paul.
Glorious.
If you've been thinking of getting a small bodied acoustic, for not too much cash, I'd recommend at least trying one of these.
They also come in cedar/walnut, spruce/walnut and spruce/rosewood.
small bodied, electro acoustic guitars.
The 3 I'd chosen to try out were a YAMAHA FS-TA TransAcoustic, in Vintage Tint, a TAYLOR GS Mini-e Walnut and a
Sheeran By Lowden W-03.
I started with the Yamaha and have to say that the "Transacoustic" built in effects of reverb and chorus, in this
guitar, really work.
Fortunately the chorus is subtle and gives a thickness and lushness to the natural acoustic tone.
And the reverb (room or hall) is even better.
The natural tone of the guitar is very decent, especially as this is a fairly low cost instrument.
Put through an amp, I thought the Yamaha was the weakest of the 3 though.
The SRT piezo pickup is average, at best.
I owned a Taylor GS Mini-e, a few years ago, the all Koa model but let it go.
Not sure why it was a terrific, small guitar.
This one was the spruce/walnut version and it had a lot of tone and volume.
These GS Minis are fantastic guitars, I'd recommend to anyone and they sound good amped up, too.
But acoustically and amped up, my favouite of the 3, was the Sheeran By Lowden W-03.
The W stands for Wee, as in small, not smelling of urine, thank goodness.
It is based I think, on the Wee Lowden, made for Mr. Sheeran himself.
I owned a full on Irish Lowden, donkeys years ago.
I have very fond memories of it but it was not the best guitar I have owned but that's just personal taste.
When I first spotted these Sheerans on line, I wasn't that interested.
A poor man's Lowden, named after an artist I didn't rate.
But I'm glad to have been converted to the guitar, not the man.
This Wee guitar is made in Ireland, having a Solid cedar top, with a bevel and Lowden A-Frame, sitka spruce bracing.
It has a five piece Santos rosewood back & sides and an ebony bridge.
Also Ebony is the fingerboard, which 1 3/4" at the tusq nut and 2 1/4" at the 14th Fret, with 11mm string spacing.
Comes with an LR Baggs Element VTC pickup system and a hard foam based gigbag.
This guitar is seriously vibrant, with loads of punchy, ringing tone.
It's size and woods help with the middly, focused tone but it's much more than you get with say a small, 15 series Martin.
And I'm very fond of them.
This just gives so much more in tone and feel.
And the 24" scale keeps the string tension down, making it a doddle to play.
Also like the Martin 15 series, you get the simplistic finishing, with no binding, flashy abalone, glossy finish or
arty rosette.
You do get a nice headstock that matches the woods of the back & sides.
Another boon is the neck, it reminds me of an old, chunky '57 Les Paul.
Glorious.
If you've been thinking of getting a small bodied acoustic, for not too much cash, I'd recommend at least trying one of these.
They also come in cedar/walnut, spruce/walnut and spruce/rosewood.
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Comments
These are great little guitars and fantastic value. I bought a W01 in December. However, despite the official spec saying the nut is 1 3/4" wide it is, in fact, only 43.5mm - with a string spacing E to e about 3mm less than a standard Lowden (see my previous posting). Lowden have since confirmed that their published spec is wrong in showing the nut width as 1 3/4" - as it should be 43.5mm. They have yet to change it though.
To many, this won't matter a bit and to some it will even be an advantage - which makes it a fantastic guitar for the money. If you got on with a GS-Mini then you should have no problems.
For me, playing felt too cramped a the lower frets so I will reluctantly be selling it on as a professionally converted left-hander. Having said that, I was so impressed by it I've just bought a one-year old Wee Lowden lefty (which has the wider nut). I have to say though, for tone the Sheeran gives it a good run for its money.