#1
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Bog Oak Lowden
I am considering a Lowden 2017 Special Lutz Spruce and Bog Oak. At$7600.00 it is a real decision. It sounds terrific but would future buyers consider this a viable instrument or merely a novelty? Thanks for you Point of View
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#2
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I would think that if your intent is to sell it, you will have a very limited market for that particular wood combination at that price range, but this is a market I am completely unfamiliar with. I’ve never even held a guitar half as expensive as that.
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Too many guitars and a couple of banjos |
#3
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AN oak back and sides guitar is an acquired taste. I'm sure it would have the Lowden sound but it would be flavored. I would try it out before I would spring that much expense.
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#4
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Is it the Wee model? F? The F model is Lowden' s most versatile, which might make the bog oak version less of a novelty.
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Current: Lowden F35, Sitka / Cocobolo. Maestro Victoria, Sitka / EIR. Maestro Singa, Adirondak / EIR. Maestro Singa, Sinker Redwood / Wenge (incoming) Gone but not forgotten: Martins, Gibsons, Taylors, sundry others. |
#5
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Good thought. At that price, I'd try the sinker RW / BW, which is one of Lowden's best combos, if not their best.
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Current: Lowden F35, Sitka / Cocobolo. Maestro Victoria, Sitka / EIR. Maestro Singa, Adirondak / EIR. Maestro Singa, Sinker Redwood / Wenge (incoming) Gone but not forgotten: Martins, Gibsons, Taylors, sundry others. |
#6
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With a "unique" wood like that, I think your "market" is going to be just the more adventurous buyers, who are usually tighter with their $$$. My guess is it will retain a lower % of new price than a more mainstream wood and would take longer to sell.
Two cents supplied. |
#7
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Follow your ear. I imagine bog oak (morta) would sound similar to Rosewood considering it is essentially petrified wood. I have a Halcyon baritone with a lutz top and it's very warm and rich. I imagine bog oak and lutz together would have sustain and overtones for days... I would love to see a picture of the guitar in question!
EDIT: Just looked it up. Wow, I think I have a new dream guitar!
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SoundCloud |
#8
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Buying as an investment versus buying to play is risky imho. If you like it and will play it, you’ll get your money’s worth out of it; if resale is a serious concern, better to invest in a more salable wood combo.
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#9
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IMHO if it is a commissioned instrument by you, I think the risk would be that you might not like the sound. If the guitar is somewhere ready you should play it first. Resale value will drop also, but you never know who might like to buy the instrument.
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SCGC Custom OM Mars spruce/cocobolo |
#10
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Quote:
Have you played any Lowdens? If not, perhaps start with a more modest model, used if you don’t want to lose too much on it, maybe an F25 or similar..... BluesKing777. |
#11
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I Googled the bog oak Lowden guitars and I liked what I saw. Never having played one, I'm not sure if I'd like what I hear though.
It wasn't a Lowden, but I do have some limited experience with a guitar made with unusual wood. Larrivee made a limited batch of guitars in 2008 from a special cache of Australian silver oak (grevillea robusta) that Jean Larrivee found on a trip to India. They were sweet sounding guitars and the wood had a spectacular appearance. I bought mine brand new in 2012. It had hung in a shop for four years without selling. Needless to say, the shop owner gave me a substantial discount. A year later, I decided to sell it. Most guitar buyers seem to want traditional tonewoods. It took a long time to sell and when I did finally sell it, it sold cheap. Lesson learned. I'm glad it was a $1,200 Larrivee and not a $7,600 Lowden.
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Goodbye. Last edited by Big*Al; 12-16-2017 at 03:02 PM. |
#12
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Maybe just me, but if you're thinking resale value before buying it, at that price, I'd rethink your purchase.
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#13
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Lowden buyers are unique. Among them this wood combination is quite desirable. Let’s also remember, George Lowden and his staff provide all CITES documentation for all the guitars they ship to the US. This adds costs to the guitars, as well as the costs to dealers for shipping and import duties.
I too thought Lowden’s pricing ridicules, but after playing quite a few had to reassess my opinion on their pricing. You don’t see too many used Lowdens, and when you do, they are still relatively expensive. |
#14
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At that price point you really need to play it first. For me that would make a travel day (or even 2) a reasonable part of the price.
Part of the decision would be how much I loved the guitar. I recently paid considerably more for a Lowden - but I had to have it. How often do you sell yours? If you're going to play it for years that would make it less of a gamble for me.
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Keith Martin 000-42 Marquis Taylor Classical Alvarez 12 String Gibson ES345s Fender P-Bass Gibson tenor banjo |
#15
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I recently played an F Lowden in Bog Oak and was pleasantly surprised with what I heard as a “rosewood sound”. As for resale, it’s anyone's guess.
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John Petros, Paragon, National, Martin, Rainsong, and Santa Cruz |