Lowden O-25C Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (2007)
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Lowden O-25C Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (2007), made in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland, serial # 15688, natural finish, Indian rosewood back and sides, red cedar top; laminated mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
Lowden Guitars is the life's work of George Lowden, an Irish luthier who has been crafting high-quality and renowned acoustic instruments for several decades from his workshops in Ireland that have been loved by players from Ed Sheeran to (a particular Retrofret staff favorite) Richard Thompson. Developing an affinity for music and attempting his first builds as a child barely into double digits, Lowden's study of traditional luthiery served as a springing off point for innovative designs of his own, notably including A-frame bracing and his "Dolphin" struts that have become calling cards for his work over the decades.
These innovations find a worthy showcase in the O-25, one of Lowden's most recognizable and popular models and part of what they call their "Original Series." This well-preserved example is the "C" version of this flagship model denoting the addition of a Venetian cutaway to the smaller jumbo-esque (in shape) "O" style body; it is a versatile, dynamic instrument with rosewood back and sides with a warm, rich sound from the red cedar top. The comfortable five-piece laminated rosewood and maple neck is crowned off with golden Gotoh SG381 tuners and an ebony fingerboard and may be a comfortable option for a fan of a smaller, more concert-sized instrument with a little more physical depth than, say, a Martin 000.
Resting in the rosewood bridge is another of Lowden's modern touches, the split saddle meant to improve the intonation of the guitar by providing a saddle for the differently tensioned higher and lower strings while alleviating potential wear on a typical "backwards compensated" saddle. While he has actually offered the sale of two-headed LR Baggs saddles meant to work with this split saddle, this particular guitar was professionally outfitted after purchase with the excellent Sunrise undersaddle pickup system and sounds great both plugged and unplugged..
Overall length is 41 1/4 in. (104.8 cm.), 16 5/8 in. (42.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 5 in. (12.7 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This is a very clean guitar, looking minimally used showing only very light handling marks and very little wear. It is entirely crack free, unmodified but for the addition of a Sunrise magnetic pickup in the soundhole with an end pin jack. There seems to be a small amount of the topmost coat of the finish pulling away from the wood right at the heel; this is purely cosmetic and the neck has never been off this guitar, nor will it need to anytime soon.
The frets and two-piece saddle have plenty of life as well. The guitar plays perfectly with a huge sound, housed in the original HSC. It resides in its original Hiscox hardshell case, in the pocket are some old purchase and repair receipts from a place any New York guitar aficionado will know along with some other general accoutrement and the cozy, lingering smell of cedar. Overall Excellent Condition.
Lowden Guitars is the life's work of George Lowden, an Irish luthier who has been crafting high-quality and renowned acoustic instruments for several decades from his workshops in Ireland that have been loved by players from Ed Sheeran to (a particular Retrofret staff favorite) Richard Thompson. Developing an affinity for music and attempting his first builds as a child barely into double digits, Lowden's study of traditional luthiery served as a springing off point for innovative designs of his own, notably including A-frame bracing and his "Dolphin" struts that have become calling cards for his work over the decades.
These innovations find a worthy showcase in the O-25, one of Lowden's most recognizable and popular models and part of what they call their "Original Series." This well-preserved example is the "C" version of this flagship model denoting the addition of a Venetian cutaway to the smaller jumbo-esque (in shape) "O" style body; it is a versatile, dynamic instrument with rosewood back and sides with a warm, rich sound from the red cedar top. The comfortable five-piece laminated rosewood and maple neck is crowned off with golden Gotoh SG381 tuners and an ebony fingerboard and may be a comfortable option for a fan of a smaller, more concert-sized instrument with a little more physical depth than, say, a Martin 000.
Resting in the rosewood bridge is another of Lowden's modern touches, the split saddle meant to improve the intonation of the guitar by providing a saddle for the differently tensioned higher and lower strings while alleviating potential wear on a typical "backwards compensated" saddle. While he has actually offered the sale of two-headed LR Baggs saddles meant to work with this split saddle, this particular guitar was professionally outfitted after purchase with the excellent Sunrise undersaddle pickup system and sounds great both plugged and unplugged..
Overall length is 41 1/4 in. (104.8 cm.), 16 5/8 in. (42.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 5 in. (12.7 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This is a very clean guitar, looking minimally used showing only very light handling marks and very little wear. It is entirely crack free, unmodified but for the addition of a Sunrise magnetic pickup in the soundhole with an end pin jack. There seems to be a small amount of the topmost coat of the finish pulling away from the wood right at the heel; this is purely cosmetic and the neck has never been off this guitar, nor will it need to anytime soon.
The frets and two-piece saddle have plenty of life as well. The guitar plays perfectly with a huge sound, housed in the original HSC. It resides in its original Hiscox hardshell case, in the pocket are some old purchase and repair receipts from a place any New York guitar aficionado will know along with some other general accoutrement and the cozy, lingering smell of cedar. Overall Excellent Condition.