The History Of Lowden Guitars
Here at Rimmers we are very proud to sell Lowden Acoustic Guitars, one of the world’s finest acoustic guitar makers. Lowden and his team of skilled luthiers have built a reputation for hand-crafting beautiful instruments known for their tone, playability and design. Exceptional workmanship and assembly techniques combine to produce guitars like no other.
Since its beginnings, Lowden Guitars have been adopted by a stream of acclaimed artists, including Eric Clapton, Richard Thompson and Kaki King. But where does this famed brand have its roots? This blog will take you through the story of George Lowden and his collection, before delving into exactly what makes Lowden Guitars so unique. We’ll finish with a run-down of the Lowdens we have in our collection at Rimmers, offering our recommendations for which instrument will be best-suited for you.
Looking Into The History
Lowden guitars are now based in County Down in Northern Ireland, but this was not always the case and they have an intricate history. Here is the complete story of this luthier and the path he followed to develop now world-acclaimed instruments.
Our journey through the history of Lowden Guitars begins as far back as the 1970s. George made his first guitar at the age of 10 with the help of his dad. It had a fishing line for strings and bent over nails for frets. He made a further attempt at age 18, making an electric guitar this time round. George describes how he fancied himself as “Ireland’s answer to Jimi Hendrix” at this time of his life.
It wasn’t until four years later that he made the decision to make guitars professionally. When speaking about this period, he calls it “the hard school of self taught guitar making” in which he taught himself to use woodworking tools and began thinking about bracing patterns and design options. It was a process of trial and error for him; he says he “learned everything the hard way. I had no one to teach me how to avoid the obvious pitfalls”.
During these years of experimentation, George became increasingly aware of the physics involved in how a guitar produces sound. This led to his innovative soundboard bracing design, and the first guitars with A-frame bracing and dolphin voicing profiles were then formed in 1976.
The O models arrived the next year, and shortly, his sales began to rocket, leading him to hire his first 4 employees to his first workshop in Bangor.
Then began a period in which George sourced a small workshop in Nagoya, Japan, to make his guitars under license, so they could be more widely available. George frequently visited and learned from this workshop, observing a new type of workmanship.
However, the fashion for all things electronic in the 80s then brought a decline for sales of acoustic instruments worldwide. The owners of the Japanese factory decided to consolidate by closing their workshops, but George remained resolute, opting to set up a new facility in Ireland where he trained new craftsmen from scratch.
Throughout the next couple of decades, George continued designing new models, including ‘the jazz’, ‘the millennium twins’ and ‘the 25th anniversary limited edition model’. At the end of the century he also trained his eldest son in classical guitar making.
Highlights in the following years included: introduction of the 50 series Custom shop in 2006 to meet the demand for customisation, and the introduction of the Pierre Bensusan Signature model in 2009. This was designed to commemorate the longstanding relationship between Lowden and Fingerstyle artist Pierre Bensusan.
In 2014, Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol requested that George build a guitar for him to give to Ed Sheeran. This was a completely new, and smallest ever, model which was then added to the Lowden Range. It is named The Wee Lowden and is included in the range of Lowden guitars stocked by Spears. Then, in 2019, Lowden announced a collaboration with Ed Sheeran – a range designed by George to meet the needs of young aspiring guitarists.
While early Lowden models are still held in high esteem, the company has consistently refined its collection through the decades. Lowden Guitars are now widely considered to be one of the top ranges of handcrafted acoustic guitars available internationally.
What makes a Lowden Guitar unique?
Lowden have built a reputation for producing exceptional guitars. This is owing to their fusion of unique design, exceptional workmanship and long-founded techniques.
The distinctive design of the instrument involves smooth sound box shapes combined with carefully voiced internal bracing and soundbox profiles. The dolphin bracing technique involves carving each bracing to suit each guitar body shape, and this gives each instrument its own character.
The O model is Lowden’s original body shape and is likeable to a jumbo, but with a Lowden twist. The distinct Lowden look is the result of natural wood decorations combined with their unique hand rubbed satin finish. It involves a four-stage process, with finer and finer abrasives, to get their bespoke feel.
The Lowden workmanship is not mitigated by any tendency for shortcuts. Their assembly techniques involve use of hand tools and a rigorous attention to detail which enlivens the tonal quality. 40 hours of work by hand goes into each guitar as George believes automated processes deaden the instrument’s personality.
When you choose a Lowden Guitar, you are choosing to invest in the best tonewoods, chiselled by hand using Japanese tools. Lowden craftsmen have the finely tuned skills and deep understanding of their woods to yield true ‘work of art’ instruments.
Which Lowden in our range is best for you?
George has said that he aims for his guitars to inspire a musician to make better music, and develop new ways of playing. But which of his collection should you choose to play?
The O is the largest body Lowden produces and has the grandest voice. This would suit the strummers amongst us, looking to fill the room with a rich sound.
The F is Lowden’s most popular model and one we’d recommend you try first. It suits both finger pickers and strummers and is medium in size.
The S was developed to be the perfect fingerpicker’s guitar. It’s for the performers – the folk players, or blues guitarists, looking to bring an extra spark to their concert.
The W, commissioned initially as a gift to Ed Sheeran, is the brand’s equivalent to a modern parlour, or travel guitar.
No matter the style of music you play, you will find the perfect acoustic guitar for you with a Lowden from Rimmers Music.
Lowden Guitars at Rimmers
At Rimmers Music we offer a wide range of Lowden guitars that offer an unmatched unique tone, and we will endeavour to always carry a fantastic selection in stock for you.
We are delighted to be associated with George and welcome any questions you may have regarding our range of Lowden instruments.
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