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REVIEWS
LOWDEN
F-35 EBONY & SINKER REDWOOD
WORDS MICHAEL WATTS
The pride of Northern Irish guitar-making makes strides into
new sonic territory with an exotic combination of timbers
any describe the past three
decades as a golden age of
acoustic-guitar production.
M The fruitful period has been
characterised not only by the evolution
of the instrument’s quality of timbre
and response but by the exploration of
alternative tonewoods by luthiers and
players alike.
About 15 years ago, it was frightfully
fashionable among custom-guitar buyers
to opt for eye-catching woods. This modish
movement may well have been more about
looks than anything else but it led luthiers
to explore some unlikely combinations for
back and sides and soundboard materials.
Some of them proved to be sonic dead
ends but, in the hands of skilled luthiers,
the arresting duet of heavily figured ebony
and striped sinker redwood – often bound
in equally exotic cocobolo or snakewood –
revealed an overtone-laden and expressive
voice with an often astonishing capacity
for sustain.
New for 2020, Lowden is now offering
this fabled fusion of woods on its equally
fabled 35 Series. The F model is replete with
AAAA-grade black and white ebony, bound
with Tasmanian blackwood and topped off,
literally, with sinker redwood. It’s typically
understated, with Lowden’s elegant sense
of line and beautifully applied satin finish
lending grace to a wood combination that
can often be something of a retinal vuvuzela.
Perfect harmony: the
ebony back and sides
ùŕÝžƇ ùĈÝƍƇĭğƍń ƼġƍŸĭōġ
An established all-rounder, the F model
is built around a 650mm scale length with
a 402mm lower bout, and Lowden has
softened the 120mm body depth with a
Kevin Ryan-style forearm bevel. The choice
of materials means the guitar is weighty
in comparison to rosewood and mahogany
instruments but it’s comfortable on the lap
nonetheless. If weight is an issue for you,
be advised that this guitar comes with a
beautifully made custom Ameritage case
that weighs in at almost 6kg on its own.
The neck is standard Lowden too, with its
five-piece laminated mahogany, rosewood
and walnut construction topped with gold
Gotoh 510 machine heads. The front and
back of the graceful and sturdy headstock
are overlaid in ebony, as is the guitar’s heel.
GUITAR MAGAZINE 91