Lowden and Sheeran by Lowden
 

I think it’s incredible the vision that Ed Sheeran and George Lowden have - to put high quality instruments in the hands of the youth. They created a new brand to foster a new generation of guitar players. Here are some highlights*

• same body dimensions as a Wee (W model) and the S (S model)
• made in Northern Ireland, not offshore!
• training the art of building guitars in Northern Ireland!
• W and S models get LR Baggs picks, an arm bevel and a cutaway (S model)

Ive noticed a lot of confusion. These are not Lowdens, nor do they pretend to be. Sheeran can’t make guitars, but he does inspire people to play and sing. Enjoy this collaboration for what it is, a movement to encourage the love of an acoustic guitar!

I’ll just get the popcorn....:ha:

i think everyone over thinks it. you know who doesn’t over think it? my 7 year old daughter who can actually hold the sheeran W03 i bought and play it.

:)

It seemed clear to me at the time who the target for those guitars was. But most of their moms and dads don't have that kind of money. And the parents that do, especially the parents that know anything about guitars, are buying GS Minis for two or three hundred less. Only downside is that everyone in the house wants to play it.

i bought a gs mini for my kids, was a tad too large for them. the sheeran W is the perfect size, and has an arm bevel to boot.

honestly, a lot of people understood the target audience, but a lot didn’t. i think this video does a good job trying to educate those who haven’t got the message. a lot of people still think the sheeran are trying to be a “money grab” by producing a “cheaper lowden”, those are the people who are missing the point

I don’t doubt that at all, Zeeb. My ‘popcorn’ comment was made because there have been a number of threads about the ‘Sheeran by Lowden’ guitars already, which have ended up with more than their fair share of doom-sayers, sooth-sayers, Jeremiahs, and straight-up sneerers, as well as a few optimists and well-wishers like yourself. All seemed to evoke strong opinions (both ways) and some, shall we say, ‘interesting’ debate.

Let’s hope this one remains positive.

The usual disclaimers apply......IMHO, YMMV etc.

Very similar to the Bourgeois/Eastman debate. There are clearly two sides to the coin. Don't place your bet till the coin stops spinning.
Steve

gotcha. i love how casino guitars gives their perspectives here, ultimately - the goal is to inspire future guitar players. the video really resonated with me.

i’m an engineer by trade. it’s very difficult to start things in production. nothing ever goes smooth. but we must stay focused on the objective and push forward. i hope the best for this initiative!

Save me a seat :)

Maybe I should just let this slide off the front page but..
 

Is this video intended to be a response to Richard (of Richard's Guitars) recent post? Anyone who subscribes to Richard's channel knows he is passionate about the guitars he sells. He gets the Sheeran "mission" but was clearly underwhelmed by the instruments he received. Richard has built his personal brand on passion, integrity and value. He does not sell guitars based on brand recognition alone. From that perspective, it's easy to understand why he would not want to stock a line of guitars if a) he found them to be of inferior quality and b) their main selling point was the name of the headstock. That's just how he runs his business.

The presenter here has clearly developed a very close connection with Lowden guitars. He seems to acknowledge that the first run of guitars did not meet expectations, but he is confident that they will improve. He thinks that the Sheeran name will attract young fans to the instrument. From the perspective of a guy whose business is selling guitars, it might be a wise investment in the future.

Personally, I don't see a lot of popcorn-worthy drama here. It does seem that Lowden has some quality issues to address with the Sheeran line. I hope that they sort those problems out and wish them every success. Sheerans may never appeal to the collectors and connoisseurs of the AGF, but well-heeled retirees buying high-end instruments are not going to secure the future of guitar-playing (and the myriad businesses that support it). Lowden and Sheeran are to be applauded for what they are attempting to do. However, they still need to be offering quality instruments that are competitive at the price-point they are sold at.

I'd say so. And he can't say "they're great guitars," not yet anyway, so he's going with "they're great people." Kinda the same way that they can't say Budweiser's great beer, but who doesn't love the American flag and really big horses? Difference being that the Lowden folks at least appear to have the best of intentions.

...and then there's this, the other side of the coin:

Third side, actually. Same as the first. :-)

At the 5:22 point of the video, Richard states that, because of what he claims is unsatisfactory quality of the Sheeran model, he will stop selling any Lowden guitar. That seems like throwing the baby out with the bath water.

I have never played a Sheeran guitar, so cannot comment on their quality. However, Lowden's hand-made guitars are designed and built of the finest quality and materials and are some of the nicest instruments you can buy. For Richard to claim he is no longer going to sell any of them because of issues with this particular product doesn't sit right. Either he has some other gripe with the company and is using this as his public reason for ending his relationship with them, or he is just climbing on some ridiculously high horse. All he would have to do is just not carry the Sheeran and, if his customers asked, could explain his reasoning. But he chose a public forum-- his YouTube channel-- to make this announcement.

But that's the beauty of the internet, which allows people like me to speculate on things without any firsthand knowledge whatsoever. :halo:

Or maybe Lowden has told him he won't get high-end guitars if he doesn't stock Sheerans. In which case he's taking the high road.