Sheeran by Lowden - Coming soon??!!

[Dr Tone Control]

Originally Posted by wattsy

I might be wrong but I think George Lowden already has experience of having products manufactured overseas and running into problems to do with loss of control, etc.

AFAIK he offshored building to Japan from 1980-85, then decided to bring it back, and set up a UK workshop, which went bankrupt after 3 years, resulting in the 1989 loss of control of the trademark and the business for the next 15 years, so clearly setting up production in the UK carries its own risk

[Malcolm Kindnes]

Originally Posted by Dr Tone Control

AFAIK he offshored building to Japan from 1980-85, then decided to bring it back, and set up a UK workshop, which went bankrupt after 3 years, resulting in the 1989 loss of control of the trademark and the business for the next 15 years, so clearly setting up production in the UK carries its own risk

This is all correct, that is why I'm intrigued that he is going down this route again.

[vindibona1]

Do you guys think there will be a market for these guitars? I think Martin found their Sheeran X guitars a very tough sell and they were short lived. Martin also produced a similarly sized guitar similar to the Sheeran for a lot less and I haven't seen those around later either. What do you think the price point for the Lowden Sheeran is going to be?

[dmcginnis]

I did hear from one dealer that they expect the initial pre-orders to be shipped in late September of early October. I had heard mid-August earlier in the year, so it seems they are working toward their release date(s).

[GCWaters]

Originally Posted by vindibona1

Do you guys think there will be a market for these guitars? I think Martin found their Sheeran X guitars a very tough sell and they were short lived. Martin also produced a similarly sized guitar similar to the Sheeran for a lot less and I haven't seen those around later either. What do you think the price point for the Lowden Sheeran is going to be?

Pre-order prices on Reverb range from $825 to $1345, depending on model...

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by vindibona1

Do you guys think there will be a market for these guitars?

I think there is, but how does Lowden reach them? How do you make 14-year-old girls aware that the thing even exists? Especially in time to sell Mom and Dad on the $800+ idea in time for Christmas?

[Akousticplyr]

Originally Posted by vindibona1

Do you guys think there will be a market for these guitars? I think Martin found their Sheeran X guitars a very tough sell and they were short lived. Martin also produced a similarly sized guitar similar to the Sheeran for a lot less and I haven't seen those around later either. What do you think the price point for the Lowden Sheeran is going to be?

I'm not sure about this conclusion. Martin ended up releasing Sheeran signature versions for three of his last albums - "Plus" "Multiply" and "Divide." I think they sold enough to keep coming back and releasing follow on versions, that's for sure.

[Dr Tone Control]

Originally Posted by vindibona1

Do you guys think there will be a market for these guitars? I think Martin found their Sheeran X guitars a very tough sell and they were short lived. Martin also produced a similarly sized guitar similar to the Sheeran for a lot less and I haven't seen those around later either. What do you think the price point for the Lowden Sheeran is going to be?

I think Lowden are taking a massive risk here

[Dr Tone Control]

Originally Posted by Akousticplyr

I'm not sure about this conclusion. Martin ended up releasing Sheeran signature versions for three of his last albums - "Plus" "Multiply" and "Divide." I think they sold enough to keep coming back and releasing follow on versions, that's for sure.

did they build a factory from scratch to manufacture them?
It's a massive commitment

[Dr Tone Control]

Originally Posted by dmcginnis

I did hear from one dealer that they expect the initial pre-orders to be shipped in late September of early October. I had heard mid-August earlier in the year, so it seems they are working toward their release date(s).

I find the date slipping worrying
It means the plans were wrong: either it's taking longer to get the production line working, or the output is not meeting the required standard

[Dr Tone Control]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Kindnes

This is all correct, that is why I'm intrigued that he is going down this route again.

same with me, why risk it all again at this stage? The 2004 Lowden company succeeded, why take a gamble?

[JayBee1404]

Don’t forget that it’s not just George Lowden that’s involved - he’s in partnership with Ed Sheeran. I strongly suspect that, having put his name to the range, and being involved in the design, Ed will have a major financial stake in the enterprise. And he’s not short of money...

https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/a...-a4139391.html

But, as ever with this kind of thing, time will tell...

[Dr Tone Control]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

Don’t forget that it’s not just George Lowden that’s involved - he’s in partnership with Ed Sheeran. I strongly suspect that, having put his name to the range, and being involved in the design, Ed will have a major financial stake in the enterprise. And he’s not short of money...

https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/a...-a4139391.html

But, as ever with this kind of thing, time will tell...

George would always have needed financial backers to finance setting up a massively automated plant like this. If Ed Sheeran's lawyers are competent, then the risk will not be borne by Ed Sheeran alone

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by Dr Tone Control

George would always have needed financial backers to finance setting up a massively automated plant like this. If Ed Sheeran's lawyers are competent, then the risk will not be borne by Ed Sheeran alone

I’m sure you’re right, and I’m sure that both Ed and George will have the best legal and business advice available.

I don’t imagine either of them are risking any more than their shareholding in this venture. Lowden are a Limited Company, and I’d expect that the new venture would also be a Limited Company separate from GLG Co. Ltd., so if one went belly-up, the other would be unaffected, and none of the shareholders (there could be other investors, not just Ed and George) would be personally financially hit by any debts the company may be liable for, other than the loss of their shareholding. Of course, I’m trying to second-guess the actual situation, so I could have it completely wrong...

Maybe it’s my imagination, but there seems to be a substantial amount of negativity here on this thread, which really does surprise me. I would have expected that the guitar-lovers who inhabit a forum like this would be up-beat about a new, affordable range of decent-quality instruments coming on to the market, but there seem to be at least as many Cassandras as there are well-wishers. I don’t imagine Ed, George, and any other investors in the ‘Sheeran by Lowden’ venture have gone into it without doing the research and taking appropriate advice and I, for one, wish them every success (even though I don’t see a ‘Sheeran’ guitar on my horizon).

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

[Dr Tone Control]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

I’m sure you’re right, and I’m sure that both Ed and George will have the best legal and business advice available.

I don’t imagine either of them are risking any more than their shareholding in this venture. Lowden are a Limited Company, and I’d expect that the new venture would also be a Limited Company separate from GLG Co. Ltd., so if one went belly-up, the other would be unaffected, and none of the shareholders (there could be other investors, not just Ed and George) would be personally financially hit by any debts the company may be liable for, other than the loss of their shareholding. Of course, I’m trying to second-guess the actual situation, so I could have it completely wrong...

Maybe it’s my imagination, but there seems to be a substantial amount of negativity here on this thread, which really does surprise me. I would have expected that the guitar-lovers who inhabit a forum like this would be up-beat about a new, affordable range of decent-quality instruments coming on to the market, but there seem to be at least as many Cassandras as there are well-wishers. I don’t imagine Ed, George, and any other investors in the ‘Sheeran by Lowden’ venture have gone into it without doing the research and taking appropriate advice and I, for one, wish them every success (even though I don’t see a ‘Sheeran’ guitar on my horizon).

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

You have a point, I'm probably being too inquisitive

It will be great if this all works as planned, and ultimately other manufacturers could bring production back to their home countries, presumably for a variety of price points.

My curiosity began when I read that shipments were late, and wondered what had gone wrong.
My thoughts are, that after losing his tradename and brand for 15 years in the past, and now having a successful factory, supply chain and sales, I'm surprised that in his late 60s George would want to start a new venture, I know I wouldn't.

Looking on UK companies house, I can't see any trace of Ed or George being directors in a shared company, George is director of the 3 Lowden Guitar companies. Of course, I have no idea who has invested in the companies though.
I don't know what the arrangement is that Ed has with George