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Post by malcolm on Aug 14, 2024 18:47:30 GMT
delb0y yup, I am the part of the equation that holds back my bike, guitar and just about everything else in my life. I have got used to, and I'm happy with average or mediocre with these things. I have my limits. Dreaming is fine and the fact I can actually play is a miracle in my book but I don't think I could justify the expense of a £3K plus guitar to myself. I admire those who can push their limits and exploit the benefits of such instruments but that is not me. To play my road series Martin is a bonus to me, however I play. I understand where your coming from. I had picked up a cheap used guitar again after 15 years of not having one (a Stagg), and got back into playing. Then, after about 4 years I saw a Tanglewood which was very inexpensive at about £200 an ex-display on ebay, bought it and the enjoyment from it's better tone was increased, making me more enthusiastic about learning more. After a handful of years playing that I saw lots of Lowden youtube videos and thought 'I really like that sound', so bought a £4k 32se, and immediately after it arrived I loved it. The sound was so much better to my ears than anything before I had owned (previously I had Ovations, Takamines, Epiphones, Fenders, any anything else I had previously owned. Now, sound and tone is a purely personal thing, and subjective to the listener. There is no better or worse sounding guitar, only one which YOU prefer the sound of. Now I am 15 years back into playing again, I am seriously considering an almost £11k Lowden F50c. I am not a rich man, I had to buy my current Lowden on credit, paid over 3 years. It was a massive outlay for me, but looking back it has been worth every penny, because I could not have had the same passion for learning as I have now, with any of my old guitars. So will an £11k guitar sound any better ? To others probably not, but to me, I just yearn for the sound of a sinker redwood top, with african blackwood back and sides, in a guitar with a super rigid 5 piece neck (one of the things I love about my 32se, I can use many different tunings and it always sounds fantastic to my ears, and the playing action never changes no matter what tuning. If you can afford to, then why not get something YOU really want. Personally, £11k is a hell of a lot of money, but considering what I would spend on alcohol if I did drink over the years (I don't drink), what I would spend on cigarettes (I don't smoke), and what I would spend on holidays abroad (I don't go on expensive holidays), then value for money it is well worth it. Spread £11k over 20 years and it's nothing, but all the drink, fags, and holidays would cost me much more, and would I get the same long lasting enjoyment ? Have you actually played the F50c that you are considering? I have played and owned many Lowdens over the years and honestly feel that their higher range models are not worth the upcharge.
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Post by bellyshere on Aug 14, 2024 19:25:03 GMT
I can’t decide. Don’t make me do it.
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Post by NikGnashers on Aug 15, 2024 15:06:26 GMT
I understand where your coming from. I had picked up a cheap used guitar again after 15 years of not having one (a Stagg), and got back into playing. Then, after about 4 years I saw a Tanglewood which was very inexpensive at about £200 an ex-display on ebay, bought it and the enjoyment from it's better tone was increased, making me more enthusiastic about learning more. After a handful of years playing that I saw lots of Lowden youtube videos and thought 'I really like that sound', so bought a £4k 32se, and immediately after it arrived I loved it. The sound was so much better to my ears than anything before I had owned (previously I had Ovations, Takamines, Epiphones, Fenders, any anything else I had previously owned. Now, sound and tone is a purely personal thing, and subjective to the listener. There is no better or worse sounding guitar, only one which YOU prefer the sound of. Now I am 15 years back into playing again, I am seriously considering an almost £11k Lowden F50c. I am not a rich man, I had to buy my current Lowden on credit, paid over 3 years. It was a massive outlay for me, but looking back it has been worth every penny, because I could not have had the same passion for learning as I have now, with any of my old guitars. So will an £11k guitar sound any better ? To others probably not, but to me, I just yearn for the sound of a sinker redwood top, with african blackwood back and sides, in a guitar with a super rigid 5 piece neck (one of the things I love about my 32se, I can use many different tunings and it always sounds fantastic to my ears, and the playing action never changes no matter what tuning. If you can afford to, then why not get something YOU really want. Personally, £11k is a hell of a lot of money, but considering what I would spend on alcohol if I did drink over the years (I don't drink), what I would spend on cigarettes (I don't smoke), and what I would spend on holidays abroad (I don't go on expensive holidays), then value for money it is well worth it. Spread £11k over 20 years and it's nothing, but all the drink, fags, and holidays would cost me much more, and would I get the same long lasting enjoyment ? Have you actually played the F50c that you are considering? I have played and owned many Lowdens over the years and honestly feel that their higher range models are not worth the upcharge. No I have not had the chance of playing one. I never played a 32se before I bought one either. From previous guitar experience, and especially my current 32se,, I knew the width of the neck I wanted, knew the shape of the neck I wanted, and from listening to dozens of clips of various guitars, I made a decision. I like the difference in sound the F50 woods offer, a slightly warmer tone than spruce, and as the body is slightly deeper, I know from reading up a lot on the guitar body shape, it will offer a slightly richer sound with a deeper bottom end and slightly more sustain. These are exactly the things I want from the instrument.
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Post by NikGnashers on Aug 15, 2024 16:19:49 GMT
Couldn't edit the post, so apologies for a second post.
From 1:42 onwards, this is why I think it is (to my ears), the best sounding guitar of all.
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minorkey
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Post by minorkey on Aug 15, 2024 23:09:50 GMT
And today I feel like getting the big dreadnought out! Its swings and roundabouts man!
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Post by minorkey on Aug 15, 2024 23:13:10 GMT
Beautiful guitar. But what's with the wobbling it back and forwards though lol
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Post by minorkey on Aug 16, 2024 10:48:26 GMT
Don't drink don't smoke don't go on holidays (never been abroad) I don't work either at the moment but there ya go
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Aug 16, 2024 11:30:26 GMT
No I have not had the chance of playing one. I never played a 32se before I bought one either. From previous guitar experience, and especially my current 32se,, I knew the width of the neck I wanted, knew the shape of the neck I wanted, and from listening to dozens of clips of various guitars, I made a decision. I like the difference in sound the F50 woods offer, a slightly warmer tone than spruce, and as the body is slightly deeper, I know from reading up a lot on the guitar body shape, it will offer a slightly richer sound with a deeper bottom end and slightly more sustain. These are exactly the things I want from the instrument. Your 32se is a shallow(er) bodied guitar, so most "normal" depth Lowdens will offer you a slightly richer sound etc. I strongly suggest that you make the effort (even if it involves a day or two out) to play as many Lowdens as you can, especially from the standard series. The F25 (or possibly F23) might well provide everything you are after at considerably less expense. It may sound a little different from an F50 and respond differently too. But it is by no means be an inferior guitar in build or sound. "Higher" grade Lowdens often use more intrinsically expensive woods which may or may not sound better than more everyday ones - that's a personal choice, which is why you need to play them and hear for yourself how a specific guitar sounds when you play it. Youtube isn't a great guide for sound and gives you no idea at all about the feel (which goes way beyond mere dimensions) and responsiveness of a guitar. Wood sets are graded on appearance alone, so fancier grains etc in any wood will be more expensive - obviously Lowden use the "prettier" looking sets on their more upmarket models. Treat yourself to a day (or more) immersing yourself in Lowdens - because you're worth it and because you'll have a great time! And you might even end up preferring an O series big one! You can do internet research regarding shops/locations beforehand but do ring/email to check before you visit to be sure that the ones on their website are genuinely in stock. Would love to hear how you get on if you decide to do this. Keith
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Post by NikGnashers on Aug 16, 2024 13:58:38 GMT
Thanks Keith, I have studied Lowden models for the past few years, and I can almost reel off the specs. The 32se is deliberately a shallow body to combat feedback on stage, and is designed specifically for being plugged in. I have looked at the F25/F23 series, and it is basically the same guitar, just with slightly lower grade tone woods. I would be very happy with an F23/25 to be honest, but if I can just about stretch to an F50 I will, simply because I always try to buy the very best I can afford, in anything. I don't feel comfortable playing an O series Keith, they are too big for me, and I think would have too much bass and big sound. I have owned over 20 guitars in the past, various sized bodies and construction, and this experience has helped me narrow down what I would class as my perfect, once-in-a-lifetime instrument.
I struggle to find shops within sensible driving distance, that stock the F50 series, although ideally I would really love to play a few, and make a decision based on actual playing experience for sure.
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Post by malcolm on Aug 16, 2024 18:32:48 GMT
There is an F35 70th birthday edition in cocobolo and sitka for sale in Ireland on adverts.ie for €8750. The best Lowden i have ever played was cocobolo and sitka so although it's in Ireland it might be worth checking out. These guitars were built to celebrate George's 70th birthday so it might be a bit special. Just a thought.
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Post by NikGnashers on Aug 16, 2024 19:36:09 GMT
There is an F35 70th birthday edition in cocobolo and sitka for sale in Ireland on adverts.ie for €8750. The best Lowden i have ever played was cocobolo and sitka so although it's in Ireland it might be worth checking out. These guitars were built to celebrate George's 70th birthday so it might be a bit special. Just a thought. That sounds nice ! Mine is sitka though and I fancied a warmer redwood top, oh and always fancied a bevel too, hence pricing one up. I also asked for a pre fitted LR Baggs anthem. Still debating, it's a serious outlay, and I'll be paying it back for years. But, you only live once right ? My enquiry was : F50 Sinker Redwood Top African Blackwood back and sides Options: Sound box Bevel Cutaway 43.5 mm Nut width and low profile neck LR Baggs Anthem The reply : Their current lead time is 8-10 weeks, which I think is rapid for a hand built acoustic guitar and hopefully that will be ok for you. Their RRP is £11855 for this guitar but we can supply for £10699 I won't disclose the shop, GDPR and all that......
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Post by malcolm on Aug 16, 2024 21:49:41 GMT
I sincerely hope it works out well for you and you are happy with your dream guitar. Personally, I have had mixed results from guitars that have been made for me, there's a great deal of comfort in holding the guitar in your hands and playing it before you hand over that sort of money.
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Wild Violet
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Post by Wild Violet on Aug 17, 2024 6:15:15 GMT
I have had mixed results from guitars that have been made for me, there's a great deal of comfort in holding the guitar in your hands and playing it before you hand over that sort of money. This reminded me of a high-end custom Martin I ordered many years ago, possibly even before I'd joined the previous version of this forum. On paper it was everything I'd ever wanted. I'd played a similar guitar at Coda and knew it would be my main guitar for the rest of my life, so I was fine with spending a whole lot more than I had in the bank. It's still the most I've ever spent on a guitar. It was beautiful. Stunning. Perfect. I hated it. I was embarrassed that I disliked it so much as my music friends had heard me go on about my dream guitar at length. I played it for over a year before finally admitting that it was a dog, and parted with it at a huge loss. I still cringe when I think of it...
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Post by NikGnashers on Aug 17, 2024 15:42:50 GMT
I have had mixed results from guitars that have been made for me, there's a great deal of comfort in holding the guitar in your hands and playing it before you hand over that sort of money. This reminded me of a high-end custom Martin I ordered many years ago, possibly even before I'd joined the previous version of this forum. On paper it was everything I'd ever wanted. I'd played a similar guitar at Coda and knew it would be my main guitar for the rest of my life, so I was fine with spending a whole lot more than I had in the bank. It's still the most I've ever spent on a guitar. It was beautiful. Stunning. Perfect. I hated it. I was embarrassed that I disliked it so much as my music friends had heard me go on about my dream guitar at length. I played it for over a year before finally admitting that it was a dog, and parted with it at a huge loss. I still cringe when I think of it... Can I ask why you hated it so much ? My thinking is : The 32se I have, was ordered without me ever playing one, and I only really knew that I wanted a shallow neck profile, and 43.5mm nut, as I had played other Lowdens (and owned/played many other guitars with differing neck profiles and nut widths), so I knew what I preferred as regards feeling right in my hands. It was absolutely perfect to play, still is. I wanted a Sitka top, because it has all of the particular tone characteristics I require, I wanted something I could plug in to an amp easily, and one which was designed to have minimal chances of feeding back. The F50c I have requested, will feel exactly the same as it's the same size, same nut width, same neck profile, and the only difference is a slightly deeper body, and of course the much higher quality wood grades. I have played other redwood top guitars. I can't see why it would be so different to what I expect it to be like, to the point I would hate it ? I'm intruiged as to why your 'perfect' guitar was one you hated so much. I'm really not that bothered about how a guitar 'looks', never have been, it's all about how it feels, and how it sounds. That said, I love the understated design of the F50c in redwood.
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Wild Violet
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Post by Wild Violet on Aug 17, 2024 16:10:05 GMT
My guitar was just a dog, Nick! It was somehow tinny and muddy at the same time. I tried all kind of different strings, picks, etc and couldn't find anything that made it sound better to my ears. I took it to a Martin meetup in Wales and several people there also expressed their surprise at the sound. Maybe it needed more time. Maybe it sounds good now that it's aged nearly 20 years.
I don't think this will happen to you, it's probably a fairly rare occurrence. Malcom's post triggered my memories of mine that I thought were deeply hidden away. To rub salt in my wounds, I saw it on Fellowship of the Acoustics about a year later selling for £1500 more than I got for it. I was still paying it off at that point.
The only guitar I've been tempted to order unplayed is a copy of Leo's Moon 0003, which I love. I won't do it though because I'm afraid that it wouldn't sound as good as Leo's. I'm waiting for him to sell his to me. He is being incredibly selfish by holding on to it for so long...
I hope all goes well with your guitar Nick - you've done a lot of homework and I would be very surprised if you hated it!
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