Lowden O-10c Guitar (1996)
A good friend of mine bought a new Lowden guitar from a shop in Blackburn in mid-October 2018 - almost on a whim - and emailed me several photos of it out of the blue. I've always desired a Lowden. In our correspondence, I said in passing that, if ever I bought a Lowden, I'd look for an old, s/h one. Having made that comment, I decided out of curiosity to see what s/h Lowdens were available, and Googling brought up this beauty in a guitar shop in Slough - the Langley Guitar Centre (thanks guys!). I played two chords on it and knew I had to have it, so traded in my Martin OM for it in PX. No contest - the Lowden wins hands down.
Made in Northern Ireland in 1996, with the mahogany back and sides and western red cedar combination, it's typical of that period of production. It's a big guitar, the biggest I have, with correspondingly rich tone, volume and bags of projection. There's a huge bass sound to it, but it doesn't overshadow the trebles in any way. The overall sound production is superb. Lowdens I've tried in stores can vary from one to another - which is what you expect from handmade guitars - and the action can sometimes be a little fierce. This one - strung with Elixir Nanoweb .012-.053 phosphor bronze strings - plays beautifully without having to be forced.
Click the picture to see it large scale in a separate browser window.
Made in Northern Ireland in 1996, with the mahogany back and sides and western red cedar combination, it's typical of that period of production. It's a big guitar, the biggest I have, with correspondingly rich tone, volume and bags of projection. There's a huge bass sound to it, but it doesn't overshadow the trebles in any way. The overall sound production is superb. Lowdens I've tried in stores can vary from one to another - which is what you expect from handmade guitars - and the action can sometimes be a little fierce. This one - strung with Elixir Nanoweb .012-.053 phosphor bronze strings - plays beautifully without having to be forced.
Click the picture to see it large scale in a separate browser window.