Rick's Old Lowden Rocks

Subject: RE: Rick's Old Lowden Rocks
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 01 Jul 00 - 02:59 PM

Mazel Tov Willie-O
Well I can't really say that a different banjo reinvented me as a player. I am still at the inventing stage. But I did find the Deering Goodtime a whole lot easier to work with.
One day I do hope to go through what you are experiencing now with your new guitar.
Thanks for sharing some of the joys you are feeling with your new Lowden.
All the best,
Bonnie

Subject: RE: Rick's Old Lowden Rocks
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 01 Jul 00 - 02:33 PM

I had never heard of a Japanese made Lowden. The only ones I have seen were made in Northern Ireland - nice guitars too.

Jon

Subject: RE: Rick's Old Lowden Rocks
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 01 Jul 00 - 02:23 PM

Willie, I gotta tell you, have I had mixed emotions about that guitar! I loved it dearly and it travelled to many parts of the world with me.....but, as you know, it badly needs re-fretting (for someone who plays as "hard" as I do) and I couldn't bring myself to do it for fear "that" sound and volume might be altered. Consequently it has hung on the wall for a year while I committed adultery with a '49 0-18. Now we can at last get married! Unfortunately I also bought a big '85 Herringbone D-35, so I guess I'll be a bigamist (or a Mormon) for a while. I am SOOOOOOOO glad that the Lowden has gone to A. a good picker, and B. a new friend.

Some things you might like to know about it:

1. The gouges around the soundhole were done by Ani DiFranco.....when SHE was opening for ME!!! (shows you that was a few years ago!)

2. Among the folks who've played it are: Utah Phillips, Archie Fisher, Tom Paxton, Garnet Rogers, Jim Keelaghan, Del McCoury, Sandy Paton, and many more.

3. I recorded 4 albums with it.

4. Courted Heather with it. First song" "Lizzie Lindsay". So you might wanna play that occasionally so she (the Lowden, not heather) will remember the old days.

5. I'm sure the old "Git-box" will appreciate light guage strings, after having put up with mediums for so long.

Enjoy! Couldn't have found a better home!

Rick

Subject: Rick's Old Lowden Rocks
From: Willie-O
Date: 01 Jul 00 - 01:45 PM

As I have been blabbing all over the place, I acquired a guitar from Mr. Fielding last week as a serendipitous effect of attending the party in honor of the Big Mick Family, Pam & Dave. Last night I played my first gig with it (early 80's Japanese made Lowden), and WOW. What a great working guitar. Just booms.

I've always played little guitars but have lusted after a dreadnought for so long that I jumped at the chance to get this one. There is so much more bass it feels like playing a completely different instrument. Barely needed to mike it! I took my O-18 too, for DADGAD, but my fingers had a lot of trouble making the transition to the Martin's light action and more subtle tone.

Furthermore, it was a venue fraught with humidity changes--thunderstorm when I got there, when it finished I played outdoors. The Martin couldn't deal with that at all, but the tuning of the Lowden was just bulletproof.

All makes me tend to play more bluegrass style, lots of bass runs and upbeat stuff.

Anyone else find that a different instrument makes you reinvent yourself as a player?

THANKS AGAIN RICK!!!

Willie-O