Tonewood discussion and lowden use of them

slacker

Background, skip to next paragraph if bored. I've been playing acoustics since 1976 and owned 5 guitars, 3 I still have. I've played a couple of lowdens and want one. I'm no expert obviously but have some money ready. I'm local to one shop but another more distant has more choice. So two part question to discuss tonewoods...

1 are tonewoods  such as sinker, bog, church pew, viking shield, worth it?
2 are the lowden 50s 38s much better than the standard ones? question 2a where's the sweet spot?

drofluf

I’m no expert but whilst each tonewood has its own characteristics or “personality” it’s:

1. Subjective; do you prefer rosewood or mahogany 
2. Dependant on the specific piece of wood. A good piece of generic hardwood could be better than a bad piece of “the tree”
3. More to do with the skill of the builder. I’m pretty sure if you gave Lowden/Brook/Sobell/Fylde etc. a stack of laminate and me a supply of the best tonewoods the worst of their instruments would be better than mine. 

Tannin

To question 2 I have no answer, I lack experience with them. 

To question 1, well a bit yes and a bit no. Sinker or bog timbers are indeed different; the structure of the wood changes and often comes to include mineral deposits. In general, this results in a heavier, harder, stiffer timber, which in turn produces a different sound. A better sound? Matter of taste. And what is the difference between (say) bog oak and a fresh-cut timber from some other species which is naturally harder and heavier and stiffer than oak? Probably not much.   But if Mr Lowden wants to send me a couple of examples to try for myself, well, 
I'll be only too happy.

As for the others you mention, they sound very much like psychological bling. You could pay loads extra for something made from a Viking shield and chances are it wouldn't sound so very different from something far less romantic. But if that's what makes you happy and you have the cash, well why not? 

(Confession: I just went to quite a bit of trouble to order a guitar made using (among other things) oak and yew not because I believe that a bog oak bridge and fretboard will sound or feel particularly different to one made from rosewood or ebony or Mulga or maple, and not because I think that some yew laminations in a walnut neck or one piece of yew in a 3-piece back will make any significant difference to the sound, but simply because in my one and only English guitar it pleases me to have those two very traditional English timbers make a part of it. Sound is the main thing, but it isn't everything.

malcolmkindness

I have played many Lowdens and owned several over the years and they all sound like Lowdens. My preference is probably the F23, but yours could be completely different. Visit the shop that has the larger range and play them all. In my opinion the high end Lowdens are not worth the upcharge, although I did play a very nice cocobolo and spruce one once.

Soupman

I agree with Malcolm here, try the largest selection first. 
As for the sound, it's all subjective. Choice of woods and your playing style.
I tried a few over maybe a month or so as they came in to a local dealer - I used to fill in lunch time browsing - until the O25 cedar/rosewood came in.
They were all excellent, but that one just sounded perfect for me. I still enjoy it.
There were one or two others I liked the look of - smaller/more manageable body size (the O series are jumbos)  but the sound did it for me.
As to more exotic wood combinations being worth the extra wonga, well try them & see what you think. Spec sheets can only take you so far.
What clicked for me was lush tone and evenly balanced strings. The volume was not important.

Do I fancy a bog oak or sinker top? Well I wouldn't mind trying them, but I still can't do justice to the O25 twenty years later, so it's not on my bucket list. 
Get a good one and it's yours for life!
Good hunting.
 
(Oh, just a final thought - if it's your thing in any way, when you're trying them out try an altered tuning or two. DADGAD or double drop D make mine sing).

 

WafflesOnHorseback

My observation has been that they all sound great! I think with acoustic guitars though, we have a mental picture of the kind of sound we're looking for. I would say sinker/bog etc is often worth it if you find something special and they do have individual sound and character but it's all so subjective isn't it because alot of the the time the tone from the 'cheapest' Lowden is often perfect for what people want. It really depends on alot of factors actually and I have found there is no right or wrong! it's just subtle tone differences at the end the day and of course, what a person's particular playing style is - in that some techniques can coax more tone out of a guitar.

digitalkettle

slacker said:

...
1 are tonewoods  such as sinker, bog, church pew, viking shield, worth it?

Functionally, not so much...mojo-wise: nice things are nice. Trouble is, when you're buying, I think your eyes can be more impressionable than your ears and, imho, the first impression of a Lowden can be a little 'stiff'. Also, you're trying a guitar that has barely been warmed-up...it will be a different beast after six months of playing and a setup.

I had an F50 in AAAAAAAAAAA cedar with amazing looking taz B&S...but I just didn't bond with it over a few years and it got traded in...these days I like a simple spruce/mahogany OM.

slacker said:

...
2 are the lowden 50s 38s much better than the standard ones? question 2a where's the sweet spot?

Same quality...just more detail.

For me, Lowden is about the 'O' size...if it's a bit chunky for you and you've got the spend, consider having a forearm bevel built (I don't know if they're on option on every model).

maltingsaudio

Two things to consider,
What do you want your guitar to sound like? Oak Yew and Viking shield are never going to sound like Maple and Rosewood. In the same way a Dreadnought will never sound like a Parlour. Do remember to get someone of the same standard as you to play the guitar your considering to buy to you.

How does it play for you? My Fylde is a pig to play but sounds glorious and is very rewarding and has been my main acoustic for 25 years.

Lowden make fabulous guitars but from experience, like Ovation, Martin, Taylor, Takemine etc you see certain makes become flavour of the year and then fashions change, but not convinced the quality of sound changes. It does come down to your connection. 

Honkycat

How much is the upcharge on Viking shield? And what about sinker Viking shield?

slacker

I would like roasted viking shield. 

Thank for all the advice looks like a road trip is in order.

thomasross20

Viking shield!? Lol

See paoletti do aged Oak cask guitars! 

Over time I've discovered (still discovering!!) what I do and don't like. I need sustain and ring, wetness... which rules out walnut for me as have always found that quite dry. Oak grates my ears. Rosewood can sound great for solo performer but more often than not the scooped mid, twangy treble and overpowering bass don't grab me. Mahogany is almost perfect with the right build - throaty and musical, misses out only on a slight lack of bass and not as much reverb as rosewood (depends on build, my OM05 is lush), Bhilwara is almost perfect in that it has throaty mids and deep bass, resonant trebles - slightly quicker decay than EIR and mahogany, though. The list goes on. Warmth and mids essential which tends to be mahogany / soft rosewood land for me. And then some guitars have the magic and others don't. Re tops, prefer the warmth of Sitka over Adirondack, cedar never grabbed me, keen to try Lutz, moon/euro spruce has a nice sizzle though feel have to work harder than with Sitka blah blah etc lol

Sort of lusting after a rosewood Larry but could easily sell all now bar the OM05 & Bhilwara. 

Anyway, Lowden! Aren't their necks a touch wider than 1.75"? They do some amazing guitars but damn they're expensive now.

Soupman

Standard Lowden neck is 45mm. (1 3/4 inches translates to 44.45mm).
 
 

MikeP

Not played loads on lowden models but I do like them. Probably the biggest question is spruce or cedar top. Roughly cedar more fingerstyle spruce more strumming and flat picking.

pjf

Had a couple of Lowdens, F32 and S50 (Claro walnut). Both had a distinctively ‘thick’ single string sound, never any tinny-ness in my experience, there was a certain weight to the notes. Both were just lovely instruments, a treat to play. One came from Project Music and the other TFOA.

brucegill

Had a few now and might be going back to them soon. One thing I’ve noticed is that the look of the woods has shifted over the last few years. You used to get stunning pieces on the 35, now they seem a little bland and it’s only the 50 that has the eye boggling woods. As to the sound difference, I’ve not noticed much of an upgrade from 35 to 50, but I’ve also never tried the top price range in the 50 though (£8-10k)

BigPaulie

slacker said:

I would like roasted viking shield. 

Thank for all the advice looks like a road trip is in order.

That would be Thorified Viking shield.

I'll get my coat...

Benm39

slacker said:

I would like roasted viking shield. 

Thank for all the advice looks like a road trip is in order.

I think you mean boat trip...

slacker

BigPaulie said:

slacker said:

I would like roasted viking shield. 

Thank for all the advice looks like a road trip is in order.

That would be Thorified Viking shield.

I'll get my coat...

That answer was a bit low key

BigPaulie

slacker said:

BigPaulie said:

slacker said:

I would like roasted viking shield. 

Thank for all the advice looks like a road trip is in order.

That would be Thorified Viking shield.

I'll get my coat...

That answer was a bit low key

I'd love a L'Odin guitar.