Review: 25th Anniversary Lowden O

[Marc Durso]

Let me first pat ourselves on the collective back. Folks who love hand made guitars are on the whole a fine band of people. Sensitive to the poetic aspects of acoustic music and the natural beauty of wood. We appreciate beauty in its most sublime expressions. At least, that's what I think.

When my friend Bart picked up his new 25th Anniversary Lowden O at a local high end shop, he called all his fellow guitar-ded friends and threw a party with pizza and drinks and hand made guitars all around. Bart just kept passing that Lowden to folks so they could experience this very special guitar. There we were in a room full of Bourgeois, Breedloves, Collings, Froggy Bottoms and Taylors, and at the center was a shining example of the luthier's craft, a beautiful Braz/cedar O. And as a public compliment to Bart and his generosity, he suggested he and I drive from Ft. Lauderdale to south Miami to visit fellow RMMGAer Steve who was in the hospital and unable to attend the party, just so he could see and play the Lowden. And what an inspiring site to see; Steve, with tubes and I.V.s dangling from him like a Borg, playing such beautiful, joyous fingerstyle on the Lowden.

Bart, you made a lot of people's day.

This #29/101 (to go alongside his #100/100 Taylor Blue GSLJ Dreadnought Guitar and his Lowden D32 and his Goodall RSC) is the definition of excellence in tone and visual design. I find it hard to remain objective when it so connects to one's visceral self. Though I don't believe in the existence of a "Holy Grail", which I find to be such a limiting concept, I can say this is an absolutely exquisite, inspiring instrument. And that is paramount. It is a music making device and it serves that a prioi function completely. If it gets hung on a wall for the invited to ogle, or kept in a case for future investment return, it would be a shame.

I will include comments made by others who played this guitar, folks who own Bourgeois, Breedlove, Collings, Goodall and Lowden guitars, in an attempt at some kind of base line comparison of experience, rather than a zealous listing of adjectives. But, in the end, I know that I can't communicate the ephemeral with any clarity. I don't have that linguistic ability.

For information regarding the specific wood details and configuration of this guitar line, here is the link to a Guitarist Magazine article: http://www.guitarist.co.uk/gear/gear_page.asp?ID=494

My personal reaction to the visual aspects of this instrument is that it reminds me of the superb details in a Laskin or Somogyi hand made guitar, which for me is truly the highest of compliments, for these independent master luthiers make a handful of exquisite and creative guitars each year while George Lowden some how makes 101 of these Anniversary guitars as well as the approx. 1200 other guitars to the highest of construction standards. George and his staff have found some way to continually raise the bar in this industry.

Mitered multi-layer purfling corners, beveled tail wedge obelisk, chamomile tea mahogany neck, St. Patty's snake-Celtic MOP/Abalone inlays appear just twice on the fingerboard and once on the headstock, the fine grain of the cedar top, and most of all the caramel Braz back&sides and the front and back headstock overlays which hold the last secret of this guitar's visual beauty: when you hold it in sun light it explodes with neon green coursing it way through the Braz. The 1/4 sawn back swirls with a myriad of emerald hurricanes and is dotted with book matched knots. Except for the rosette and the subtle and thematic inlays, it is thankfully bereft of the excessiveness of abalone & pearl that so often gaudily clutters these milestone tribute guitars. George Lowden, a magical artisan, paid greatest tribute to his own craftsmanship and the raw source of his work, wood, by letting the complimentary colors and grains of Nature to speak for him in this statement of his place in the world of hand made guitars.

The distinctive Lowden sound, very present, very alive, a big sound, but as all agreed, balance, equal authority in every string, separation, the notes spoke independently, no mush here, with crispness in the treble, solidity to the mids and power and warmth to the bass.

Now, admittedly, I am not the one to review the tone of this guitar considering how I play; perhaps that's why I don't own a Lowden but have just helped sell four of them in the last year. I am very heavy handed and the exactness of this guitar's construction and voicing requires a skilled touch. Thank heavens for Steve, because he could coax such full, robust, multi-directional volume as well as sweet, delicate clarity from this guitar. Steve plays with power, style, and touch, influenced by his jazz studies and his admiration for Alex de Grassi and Robben Ford. So, there is a complete control of the fingerboard, theory, and fingerstyle in the search for tone and the creation of melody to qualify his observations.

Steve said, "I'll keep my comments on the 25th anniv. Lowden to the playability and overall tonal gravity and let someone else rave about the flawless appointments of wood and the superb craftsmanship. This guitar has a neck that reminds me of the big archtop jazz boxes in that it is very playable with just the right amount of profile for comfort. Typical of Lowden, the note is wonderfully layered with a broad spectrum of tone; it's not too deep or bassy even when played with the finger. The mid-range is what I think gives it such broad balance even in the upper partials there is a sweet "midrange" temperance happing. This guitar has Howitzer potential when strummed and yet the notes all seem to know where to go without running into each other. I can't wait to play this one after it's had a chance to open up a bit. It would be nice to send it into open C and shake things up a little. WOW. I bet the sound would just DRIP with sweetness."

Considering the amount of discussion on other boards about the value of reviews, the impossibility of any kind of useful, practical, verifiable information from the attempt of describing an instrument's tone, it seems a futile act.

I said that I would try to avoid a zealous listing of adjectives. I can control the biased slant which clouds the issue; but the adjectives just keep coming. Of all the Lowdens I've played, it is as pleasing (as defined by a visceral/aural experience that inspires me to hear more and more in each note as it changes through its overtones) as some top of the line Lowden models I've played at Mandolin Bro., as a Braz/Cedar Bourgeois JOMC, as a Goodall rosewood Jumbo, as a Santa Cruz Koa 12fret slope shouldered D, a Bourgeois Braz OM and as a '41 OOO45, and even more so than anything else I've played or owned. Now, granted, all different guitars and all different woods. But, I am discussing the personal experience, the instruments' in-common gift to me, the player: my enjoyment. There is something about all these guitars that when I first strummed them I looked around to see if others were hearing/feeling it too, and then they made me close my eyes and just experience.

Bart has given himself a life long joy. George Lowden has given the hand made guitar world a new standard of excellence.

Marc Durso


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