Lowden Guitars - S25

[BluesKing777]

Originally Posted by Grantgreen42

I ended up buying an 025...it's a huge guitar but I play big archtops like a Guild X-500 and a D'angelico. I got it used and based on the serial number 16339 it's from 1989-2003. Question how do I figure put the exact year?

Anyway, I haven't had it set up yet...I think it has D'addario 13s but the strings are old and it definitely needs to be tweaked but it still sounds awesome and should complement by other smaller Martin's.

Here are 2 raw videos of the sound:

Finger picking


https://youtu.be/iROLJjhD4SU

Pic/Jazz

https://youtu.be/l-2AE6liqKw

Thank you all for your help and input...now to learn how to play this beast.

Congratulations! Enjoy!

Will play my O22 in an hour from now!


BluesKing777.

[Stevien]

I'm curious as to what swayed you to the "O" model over the "S" model? I assume volume & bass? The intimacy of the "S" model had to have some sway? You make both sound like a million bucks!
Steve

[Grantgreen42]

Originally Posted by Stevien

I'm curious as to what swayed you to the "O" model over the "S" model? I assume volume & bass? The intimacy of the "S" model had to have some sway? You make both sound like a million bucks!
Steve

I would have gotten the S model but I went with the O because first, I already have a small bodied CEO-7 that puts out similar volume. The woods are different in that the Martin has a mahogany back and sides and Adirondack top. The Lowden S had a rosewood back and sides and spruce top. The S25 was slightly louder and did have a different tonal character than the CEO-7 not better but different. Both are nicer small "intimate" guitars but I decided I did not want to part with the Martin but having tried several Lowdens at the Music.Emporium I was gravitated towards the O.

The O is a huge guitar and to your point has an increased bass and does put out more volume. Also, the cedar top has a slightly warmer tone than either the S25 or.my CEO-7. I play large archtops so I should be fine with the O. Another thing I noticed when I ab'd all of the different Lowdens was that the 0 had the biggest bass, low ends but the Hugh's and trebles were ridiculously pianoistic...kind of the best of all worlds.

Lastly, at some point I.may end up getting an S25 so it wasn't an easy decision but the 0 complements what I have an adds to the tonal variety of my playing style.

[Suilven]

Hi Grant - congratulations on a lovely looking and sounding guitar. You can't work out the date of manufacture from the serial number alone as they're simply sequential, but the Lowden website has a great chat feature and they're really responsive and helpful: https://lowdenguitars.com/

I have an F23c (cedar/walnut, one of my favourite guitars of all time and one I will almost certainly never part with) serial #159XXX, and they were able to tell me it was built in the Downpatrick workshop in either late '04 or early '05, so yours will clearly be later than than that.

Good luck, enjoy the guitar and look forward to hearing what you're able to find out out it.

Angus

[Grantgreen42]

Originally Posted by Suilven

Hi Grant - congratulations on a lovely looking and sounding guitar. You can't work out the date of manufacture from the serial number alone as they're simply sequential, but the Lowden website has a great chat feature and they're really responsive and helpful: https://lowdenguitars.com/

I have an F23c (cedar/walnut, one of my favourite guitars of all time and one I will almost certainly never part with) serial #159XXX, and they were able to tell me it was built in the Downpatrick workshop in either late '04 or early '05, so yours will clearly be later than than that.

Good luck, enjoy the guitar and look forward to hearing what you're able to find out out it.

Angus

Thank you...I just used the chat feature and they said "It would have been made in the workshop in Downpatrick and mid/late 2000s". I still wish they could give you a more specific answer but the guitar was clearly well maintained and that is really all that matters.

Total different question...what do you have your Lowden strung with...not sure what is on it now...but I am planning on putting 13-56 set .

[Suilven]

That's interesting - I know Lowden's records from the early days can be a bit sketchy, but I would have expected them to be a bit more specific with a much more recent guitar which yours clearly is.

As for strings, I think Lowden recommend light gauge (12-53) - I'm a creature of habit and have strung my steel strings with D'Addario phosphor bronze lights for as long as I can remember. I have a set of Lowden lights on the F23 at the moment - they're pretty pricey but about once a year they have a buy one, get one free offer and I think they sound pretty good (see separate Lowden strings thread from a few days ago).

I think 13-56 might be a bit on the heavy side, but it really is a matter of personal preference.

Good luck, and enjoy

Angus

[Malcolm Kindnes]

Perhaps you don't want any more "help" from me, but 13 - 56 are very heavy strings for a cedar topped Lowden. You'd be much safer with 12 - 54.

[Stevien]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Kindnes

Perhaps you don't want any more "help" from me, but 13 - 56 are very heavy strings for a cedar topped Lowden. You'd be much safer with 12 - 54.

On the other hand, it IS a jumbo. I don't think 13-56s are out of line. Jumbos are built for light or mediums.
Steve

[JayBee1404]

I spoke to the Lowden mothership today about putting 13-56 strings on my F-23 (cedar top), and they told me it’s OK to use 13s on their guitars, but to observe and revert to 12s if I see anything going amiss.

I have a couple of sets of 13s coming, I might try a set on the F-23…

[Rosette]

I currently have a DADGAD set on my O-25 because it’s typically tuned in C tunings or DADGAD.

The set-up I had done for mine was for DADGAD with light strings, so it still does ok with lights in the C tunings without getting too floppy, just a little better with mediums on the bass.

And congrats on the new guitar OP!

[Jimi2]

Congratulations- sounds sweet! I was interested in a used O25 at Guitar Center, and Lowden was able to give me the precise year (2004 I think) when I emailed them with the serial number.

[Grantgreen42]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Kindnes

Perhaps you don't want any more "help" from me, but 13 - 56 are very heavy strings for a cedar topped Lowden. You'd be much safer with 12 - 54.

Malcolm I apologize if I may have snapped at you...I need all the help I can get. On another topic it did not come with a truss rod wrench...how to I get this? Is this something that I need to get from Lowden or will Stew Mac have it?

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by Grantgreen42

On another topic it did not come with a truss rod wrench...how to I get this? Is this something that I need to get from Lowden or will Stew Mac have it?

Lowden don’t supply a truss-rod wrench, either with their guitars or separately, neither does any manufacturer or retailer, including Stew-Mac, appear to supply a 5mm three-bend wrench (there’s no hole in the first top-brace, you have to get behind the brace and a three-bend wrench would make this easier).

However, it’s easy enough to use a standard 5mm Allen wrench. You’ll need to loosen the strings, reach in the soundhole, feel up behind the brace, locate the adjuster high up in the neck-block, and insert the short end of the Allen wrench. On the extremely rare occasion my Lowdens have needed a truss-rod adjustment, I’ve found it easiest to do this operation seated, with the guitar in the playing position on my right leg. It also helps if you’re reasonably spatially aware!

I have recently made my own three-bend wrench by heating and bending a long-reach (4-1/2” I think) 5mm truss-rod wrench, which works fine. Do not be tempted to use the ‘old’ Larrivée three-bend wrench which is often touted as ‘suitable for a Lowden’ - it’s not 5mm, it’s 3/16” and it can slip and damage the adjuster. I know this to be a fact from bitter experience.

Hope this helps…

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by Grantgreen42

I ended up buying an 025...I got it used and based on the serial number 16339 it's from 1989-2003. Question how do I figure put the exact year?

S/Ns from 15001 upwards indicate Downpatrick-built guitars, dated from 2004 onwards. It has a rectangular white interior label like the one in my pic, yes? That is another indicator of a Downpatrick guitar…

20240503_074213.jpg

Another giveaway of a Downpatrick guitar is the ebony buttons on the Gotoh tuners, pre-Downpatrick instruments had gold buttons. If you haven’t done so already, check out the ‘model history’ section of the Lowden website… https://lowdenguitars.com/model-history/

My current Lowden is a 2017 and is numbered 21*84. I would estimate that, assuming level annual production numbers (unlikely, but the actual data aren’t readily available), your guitar was built c2009. That may not be totally accurate, but I can categorically state that your guitar was built much later than the 1989-2003 window you quoted.

Hopefully, AGF member PierreM will see this and chime in- he’s also involved in the Facebook ‘Lowden Owners Group’, and is a real expert on all things Lowden-related. You could also try joining the FB group and asking your questions there…

Hope this helps

[Grantgreen42]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

S/Ns from 15001 upwards indicate Downpatrick-built guitars, dated from 2004 onwards. It has a rectangular white interior label like the one in my pic, yes? That is another indicator of a Downpatrick guitar…

Attachment 107427

Another giveaway of a Downpatrick guitar is the ebony buttons on the Gotoh tuners, pre-Downpatrick instruments had gold buttons. If you haven’t done so already, check out the ‘model history’ section of the Lowden website… https://lowdenguitars.com/model-history/

My current Lowden is a 2017 and is numbered 21*84. I would estimate that, assuming level annual production numbers (unlikely, but the actual data aren’t readily available), your guitar was built c2009. That may not be totally accurate, but I can categorically state that your guitar was built much later than the 1989-2003 window you quoted.

Hopefully, AGF member PierreM will see this and chime in- he’s also involved in the Facebook ‘Lowden Owners Group’, and is a real expert on all things Lowden-related. You could also try joining the FB group and asking your questions there…

Hope this helps

Thank you so.much for the info. The Lowden chat bot stated that the guitar was built in the mid to late 2005 - 2010. I gave them the exact serial number. This is like a history listen (in a nerdy nice.way) uncovering the history of the guitar etc...