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Post by chad on Jun 1, 2013 22:48:09 GMT
i'm looking for a Lowden at the moment and have seen one on ebay, the problem is the the seller is saying he used to work for Lowden in 2006 and as an employee he was allowed to make this guitar and so it doe's not have a serial number. Has any one on here ever heard of this before? there are some dodgy ads out there at the moment!
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Jun 1, 2013 23:26:03 GMT
chad - it is certainly true that many Lowden employees have made their own "Lowdens" as private projects whilst in the employ of the company - it's quite a frequent occurence. Many of these have appeared on ebay from time to time. Doesn't guarantee that your particular seller is on the level, but he probably is. The guitars made this way tend to look very like Lowdens but with detail differences eg to the bridge and/or headstock shape. Your best bet is to ask as many detailed questions of the seller as you can as to how faithful to the Lowden construction methods the particular instrument is etc. You might even be able to confirm with the Lowden workshop whether or not your seller was employed there, and in what capacity.
If you are referring to the F25c currently on ebay then I'm surprised that the bass action is referred to by the seller as base - though it may just be an honest typo.....
Keith
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Post by chad on Jun 2, 2013 6:08:17 GMT
Thanks’ for that Keith, it is the F25c on ebay I don't think I’ll bother with it may well have been made by an employee but if Lowden don't make it legit by giving it a number then I don't see how it can be a official Lowden and, of course any future sell on problems just makes it not worth the hassle. Never noticed the base/bass error either
Chad
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Post by Banadog on Jun 2, 2013 21:38:57 GMT
It certainly looks as though it must have been made at the Lowden factory, and the seller is from Newtonards, but it is quite expensive, and the fingerboard inllay is an acquired taste.
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Post by chad on Jun 3, 2013 17:55:14 GMT
As you say the inlay is an acquired taste, I don't doubt the fact the fella worked for Lowden and made it while working there but, how can you explain this if you need to sell on at some time. Far less hassle to just find a factory isssue with credentials
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Post by Banadog on Jun 3, 2013 22:34:25 GMT
Chad Coda Music have a Lowden F12.........selling for under 1700.Looks in excellent condition, mahogany back and sides, could be a great guitar.
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Post by chad on Jun 4, 2013 4:59:14 GMT
Thanks for that I have seen the one in coda and plan to get down there as soon as I can to try it out which may not be too long as there seems to be a lot of interest in my gibson so maybe this weekend. Is there any lowdown players on here who knows a thing or two about lowdens
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Post by ocarolan on Jun 4, 2013 8:02:49 GMT
Chad, I have played my O25 since 1997, using it extensively in a variety of playing situations, and my S10 since 2003, and have something of an interest in Lowdens altogether. I'm hardly the world's leading authority though, just a fan of their sound, feel and looks. If you are seriously interested in obtaining one, the first thing to do is to decide on the body size/shape you're after - the large O size is the "classic" Lowden, but is a bit of a handful physically and sonically for some; the F size (which changed shape when the current workshop opened) has a lot going for it (but check the fingerboard width on used ones if it's critical to you - 43mm was the standard for many years, though 45 is the norm now) with a more focussed sound, and the small bodied S is very much like a scaled down O in terms of sound character. Current S models have a shorter scale than those made pre the current workshop. (And, if you go back far enough, S was the original designation for the large O models.) Neck profiles vary considerably from guitar to guitar and need to be assessed individually. Cedar/ rosewood ( - 25) is the classic Lowden sound, especially in the O size, though cedar/mahogany (-10 and -22) is a great combo too. Other woods abound in the more expensive models, but the best value is in the standard series IMHO. Most have a Lowden family sound, it just comes in slightly different flavours. The history of Lowden is complicated, and a lot of b*ll*cks floats around the internet about "golden periods" in production (and on ebay, where sellers usually seem to have an inflated idea of the value of their instrument)and whether or not George Lowden laid hands on a particular instrument. Ignore the lot. Judge each guitar on how it sounds to you when you play it. And, if you haven't done , check out the Lowden website (which has a useful summary of the history and labelling etc) www.georgelowden.com/the Lowden L forum launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Lowden-L/and the Lowden ning forum (though this has just about been spammed into uselessness) cultoflowden.ning.com/Best advice is what it always is - play lots; buy one you've actually played; judge for yourself in the light of what you'll be using the guitar for; don't listen to sellers hype or pay the inflated prices that come with it. If you have more specific queries then I can't promise to have the answers, but I'll try to help if poss. Good luck with your search. Keith
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Post by chad on Jun 4, 2013 11:47:38 GMT
Thank's Ocarolan your a star, that's exactly what I needed to know,especialy about the history and golden period's as I was wandering what that was all about. The one mentioned above at Coda the F12 looks to be exactly what i'm after I shall of course go down and try it first, maybe this weekend the Gibson has to sell first but that's looking good at the moment so fingers crossed. Thank's again for taking the trouble to post this for me Chad
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Post by ocarolan on Jun 4, 2013 12:12:56 GMT
You're welcome, chad - the F12 at Coda does look nice, and I like the shape of these pre 2004 Newtonards made Fs better than the 2004 and on Downpatrick ones - the latter are stunning sounding guitars, but the shape looks unbalanced to me ( ). I was after an F10 (like the Coda one but cedar top) a few years ago but never found the right one. Enjoy your trip to Coda, and let us know how you get on! And, with no p/ex. don't forget to haggle! Their asking price isn't unreasonable if it's in really good nick, but anything less would be even better! Keith
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Post by chad on Jun 4, 2013 12:31:37 GMT
I will of course let you know, and haggle's my middle name, in fact i'll bring my mate barter with me then they wont have a chance! thank's again Keith Chad
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