NGD - Lowden

WafflesOnHorseback

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earwighoney

@Tannin it's not Katalox, but a true ebony. 

Have a look at the link below, and it looks like this 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276132347787?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=et847ViWR6a&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=YrvxSZ3FSM2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

The Lowden uses 'Moon Ebony' or Vietnamese Ebony which is incredibly rare and valuable.  I imagine Lowden used the term Royal Ebony as a street name, like I've seen the term Caviuna used to describe a a number of different species. 

Katalox looks completely different, but oddly enough both species are quite similar in density. 

Here is a piece of Katalox.

https://shop.exotichardwoods.co.uk/katalox-guitar-top-type-b.html

I've played a few Ebony backed acoustic guitars (or ones I'd group in that family of woods even if unrelated to true ebonies like Ziricote), on the heavier side of things but truly wonderful for their tone. 

I imagine OP's Lowden is a glorious guitar.

WafflesOnHorseback

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Phil_C

Fantastic. I want one in the future

Tannin

Cheers @earwighoney, thank you for that information. 

@WafflesOnHorseback, the wood names are reasonably straightforward. Well, at least for the most part.*

What is confusing - and it's beyond confusing, it's downright infuriating - is when idiot marketing tools deliberately lie about the timbers used. And that is what has happened here. That is a big black mark for Lowden. Most countries have trade descriptions acts which make it a crime to say (for example) that the haddock you are selling is cod. But apparently these laws don't apply to guitar manufacturers. Nobody knows why. I suspect that the reason is simply that not enough people have called them out on it. 

Still a lovely guitar.

(* What am I saying? Wood names are a dog's breakfast. But at least people can try to be honest about what they are selling. And some don't.)

WafflesOnHorseback

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WafflesOnHorseback

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Tannin

According to your post, it was marketed as "Royal Ebony" which is a straight lie on their part. Royal Ebony is Swartzia cubensis, also known as Katalox, a very hard, very heavy timber from Mexico. (As anyone can verify by repeating the two-minute web search I made this morning.)

The guitar is nothing of the kind. It is probably made from Diospyros malabarica, an unrelated species variously known as Gaub, Malabar Ebony, Black-and-white Ebony, Pale Moon Ebony and Vietnamese Ebony.

Now that is doubtless a very lovely timber - the proof of that is in your hands! - but it is nothing to do with the timber it was claimed to be. 

Note that in timbers, the group name is often meaningless. The "ebony" in Royal Ebony doesn't imply that the timber is a type of ebony anymore than the "gum" in American Red Gum implies that the tree (actually a liquidamber) is a eucalyptus. Equally, the "cedar" in Western Red Cedar doesn't indicate that the tree is a type of cedar (it's  a cypress) and the "maple" in Queensland Maple doesn't indicate that the tree belongs to the Acer genus (true maples), it is no relation at all.

All of that notwithstanding, particular common names do relate to particular tree species. It is dishonest to claim an instrument is made from one species when it is in fact made from something else, and dishonesty in sales gets right up my nose. 

idiotwindow

Tannin said:

According to your post, it was marketed as "Royal Ebony" which is a straight lie on their part. Royal Ebony is Swartzia cubensis, also known as Katalox, a very hard, very heavy timber from Mexico. (As anyone can verify by repeating the two-minute web search I made this morning.)

I did a two minute web search and it appears that you are confusing Royal Ebony, a term applied to a number of fancy looking woods in the Diospyros genus with Mexican Royal Ebony, a less fancy looking wood also known as Katalox. Lowden are not being dishonest.

Jez6345789

Have to say looking at the Peach site you picked the best looking one of the two, as much as these thing are very personal the other looks a bit less flamboyant and I think you also got the better top

Soupman

Oh wow, that is something special. The woods are fantastic whatever the back & sides are.
A superbly hand crafted guitar, I couldn't see it not sounding fantastic. And it will only improve with playing.  
I like my Lowden O25, but that one is a cut above just looking at it. 
Congratulations, you've succeeded in making me jealous!
  

WafflesOnHorseback

Reply from Lowden:

I asked our wood specialist regarding your query and he informed me that the the species is Diospyros malabarica. This is known for its great focused tonal spectrum with nice tight lows, and clear highs. As you may have already noticed if you saw any of the other Winter Limited Edition models for sale, no two sets are the same!

Really hope that it proves to be something you can relish and enjoy for many years to come!

Kind regards

* * * * *

Hope that clarifies things.

WafflesOnHorseback

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WafflesOnHorseback

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Soupman

Just looked at that link - exceptional stuff there, I'm drooling. 
I love the way Lowden's lack of bling accentuates the beauty of the wood. 
 
 

Eric_C

https://imgur.com/a/FeZQ6NM

amazing guitars