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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Just so we Ovation Lovers don't feel like we are the only ones who get abused...
From another Guitar Club Site:
"My name is ---, and I too (gulp.) once fell prey to the mass-media
mainstream factory endorsed propaganda machine that told me the only *real*
guitar in the world was a Martin. After all, every "real" music store had
them hanging by the dozens, all pretty, big and overbuilt - and all
presumably exactly alike in their big boom-y dead "American" sound, and
every "real" guitarist played one.
Then one day, I saw a picture of a strange shaped guitar called a
"Breedlove" in the pages of a magazine for people who played guitar with
their fingers (silly people, guess they couldn't afford a pick). So I
loaded up the family minivan and made the couple hour trek to the closest
place that carried these strange instruments.
The woman who ran the store told me the only way to really pick out a guitar
is with a blindfold (now these "finger-people" were getting really weird!).
I said "no thank you ma'am", but agreed to keep my eyes closed as she
proceeded to hand me one after another of these strange things with 6 steel
strings that weren't Martins.
And then it happened. I was holding the most magically instrument I had
every played. I just had to open my eyes and see what it was. "Holy crap!"
I thought. It's *maple*! (No real guitar is maple, right?). And it was a
Lowden."
So there you go... buck up you littlle Ovationistas.... Even the Martians get abuse... |
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Location: Cicero, NY | No questions here, Jeff - that Lowden of yours is the real deal. Just a great sounding gitbox. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Wease, you simlpy must visit the website posted in another thread. You will appreciate it on a spiritual level. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | How convienent that your story ended with a Lowden. That's about as self-serving as it gets! :cool: |
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Location: Chehalis, Washington | So we gotta get the lowdown on Lowden...got it! ;) |
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Location: GA USA | I've had a Lowden for over 25 years. Unfortunately it's just a Lowden case that holds my Yahama FG 200. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | In my opinion ... With the single exception of #54, Jeff's Lowden was THE BEST sounding guitar in the hotel at the tour last May.
Jeff let me borrow it for the clinic and WOW. I sat in the front row and a few times Matt looked up at me and winked. Was it the guitar? My playing? My cologne?
Seriously, I've been watching ebay for one ever since. A few of that model have come up but never at a time when I had the coin in my pocket to do anything about it. But some day ...
Dave
Hey Jeff, now you've got that swanky red cutaway adamas ... well ... maybe ??? |
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Location: Cicero, NY | I think I can speak for everyone there, Dave - it wasn't your cologne. ;) |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | He was looking up your grass skirt. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | My purpose wasn't to tout my guitar or even Lowden, or to bash Martin guitars... it was simply to show, every maker of guitars, even recognized standards, get shit for how they sound, play or how they are made.
I was very happy to lend Dave the Lowden during the tour workshops and tickled he enjoyed playing it... and as has been said by me and others, it is a truely remarkable instrument, but I can HONESTLY say I prefer to play my Ovation's for comfort and I don't feel like I'm missing out on sound quality when I do. I'm very lucky to have the new Custom Adamas, the FD14 and the Lowden. All three will be with me for a very long time. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | .... and I wouldn't mind owning a martin or two.... |
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Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Dave, I see used Lowdens fairly regularly and the prices over here are reasonable compared to the US (for a change) Let me know which models you fancy and I'll track one down. I can bring it over in Jan or whenever I'm over next. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Spuce Top F-32c Rosewood back/sides... |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Jeff, is that what you have or what is next on your wish list? |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | wish list...
I have an O25 cedar top with rosewood b/s |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | sigh..Are n`t LOWDEN `s super expensive.. :(
at least C F M have budget models , will have a " hard " look at a J-15 myself , that 1 has some realism about it ,..where as a LOWDEN is made out of the same stuff that DREAMS are made off ...sigh...oh ,and congratulations JEFF W , seems as if U got an Angel on Your shoulder. :)
Vic |
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Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | They can be expensive, but still can be found at reasonable used prices...
I'm of the school that, by in large, when compared ANY other guitar in any price range, Lowdens are a great value and could command thousands more than they currently do...
sound sample F35c |
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Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Now that George Lowden has the rights to his own name back, and is making guitars himself again, they are indeed super expensive. Used examples from the old Lowden guitar company are still quite pricey but perfectly acceptable for what they are. The ones to watch out for are the Japanese production Lowdens from the mid 80's They look superficially like the real thing but are vastly inferior. I've seen a couple go on ebay for way more than they were worth, mostly because the seller didn't disclose, or didn't know they were Jap. |
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Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | There should be a distinction made; there is "Lowden" which are guitars built under the supervision of George...
and "George Lowden" guitars which he himself builds...
GL guitars go upwards of $10,000 and more
Lowdens can be had new starting around $3500+
used lowden (not japanese) can still be found for between $1500-$2000 and up... |
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Location: Chehalis, Washington | Jeff, you mean something like this one? |
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Location: ranson,wva | that shure is a beauty,is that a concert type thin waist body?? jason |
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