Ben Morgan-Brown samples a guitar with a reputation
Lowden is up there in the stratosphere with a handful of the most prestigious names in guitar building, Which doesn’t just mean you are in a world of the most exotic tonewoods, superb build quality and the sort of tone demanded by the finest players but, regrettably, it also means you need the money to fund such refined tastes.
So what does over £5,000 buy you? Well, a stunning looking guitar with a wide range of options, including cedar, Adirondack, Sitka spruce and redwood tops – ours sporting an upgraded sinker redwood option. Similarly you have a wide choice of body woods (including various types of rosewood, Blackwood, walnut, koa, cocobolo and bog oak) our sample coming in an exquisite dark Madagascar rosewood. All the choices are equally valid and will depend on what you personally like, so this is a decision probably best taken in a Lowden stockist who has all, or at least most, of the options available.
Beyond a choice of materials, you can have choices of neck widths, neck profiles, soundbox bevels, fan fretting, pickups – all the sorts of details that someone at an advanced stage of their playing career is likely care about.
But what does it sound like? How does it play? Lowden says: ‘This is the 35 version of the 32 and 25 models having the same warmth and focused projection. But because of the the extra definition of the AAAA grade soundboard wood, there is extra clarity and class in the tone. The O is deep, very resonant and has lots of overtones, the F has a more obvious focus and projection, while the S with either Adirondack or a sitka spruce top is superb as a pickers guitar’.
The question is, does Ben Morgan-Brown agree?
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Specifications
Lowden F-35
UK Price (with options and specs as reviewed) RRP £5,080
MODEL: F-35
BACK & SIDES: Madagascar rosewood
TOP: Sinker redwood
ROSETTE: Abalone, rosewood
BINDING: Figured maple
PURFLING: Maple, rosewood, mahogany
TUNERS: Gotoh Gold/Ebony 510
BACK CENTRE SEAM: Figured maple or rosewood
BRIDGE: Rosewood
NECK: 5 piece: mahogany / rosewood / walnut
HEADSTOCK OVERLAY: Ebony, front and back
OPTIONS
Cutaway – All models except 12 string
Body shapes (see website)
12 string – Full body models only, all models have Sitka spruce soundboards
Fan Fret
Soundbox bevel
Custom necks – Special neck
width 43.5mm at nut/56mm at neck joint or 45/60mm. (Lowden standard is 45/57mm)
Shallow profile neck – hand carved lower profile
Fingerstyle neck – More width between strings at the bridge with hand carved compensated neck profile, the feel is slim.
45mm at nut/60mm at neck joint with extended curved fingerboard end.
LR Baggs Anthem Pick-up
Highlander IP1/IP2 Pick
