Official Luthiers Forum!

CONGRATS Jon!! A fine catch...TWICE!! Great pics on your guitar blog as well. George is indeed a good and kind man. Just doing more correspondance with him now!

Look forward to the pics when your new guitar arrives!

Shane

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Canada

Jon, thanks for sharing the additional pictures on your Blog. It was special you getting to do the tour. It was also special you letting us go with you through sharing your pictures.

Martin Edwards, check the local phone book in County Down, see if there are any of us Dickey's / Dickie's left over there? Small world.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

[QUOTE=letseatpaste] ...she was the one that set up the tour... It was even her idea to order the Lowden!
[/QUOTE]
Okay, NOW we see why you were in a hurry to get her to sign a lifetime contract!    Congrats, Jon!

Thanks for the tour. Funny, though, except for the big sander and shaper it looks like any normal luthier shop, yet it outputs guitars with some serious mojo.

I noticed a lefty in progress...Sam, are you holding out on us?

[QUOTE=CarltonM]

I noticed a lefty in progress...Sam, are you holding out on us? [/QUOTE]

Yup!

I wish....

husband'll never let me own a Lowden. He says if I want one, I have to build it myself!!!

There was a pair of lefty Brazilian rosewood Lowdens awaiting final set-up. They were going to someone in the states, I can't remember the name of the guy.

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

Congratulations to you both. A lovely post and the additional pictures were a great idea. I really enjoyed it. Thanks.

Ordered a Lowden, must be the luck of the Irish!

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Michael Lloyd

“I was born to ignorance, yes, and lesser poverties ...
I was born to privilege that I did not see ... I didn’t know it, but my way was paved” – John Gorka

[QUOTE=Sam Price] I wish....

husband'll never let me own a Lowden. He says if I want one, I have to build it myself!!![/QUOTE]
Ha! Well, that's an option, but in the meantime you could buy one, put some masking tape over the headstock and label, and write your name on it. He'd never know!

[QUOTE=CarltonM] [QUOTE=Sam Price] I wish....

husband'll never let me own a Lowden. He says if I want one, I have to build it myself!!![/QUOTE]
Ha! Well, that's an option, but in the meantime you could buy one, put some masking tape over the headstock and label, and write your name on it. He'd never know! [/QUOTE]

LOL!!!

I thought you'd know better!!

I'd NEVER desecrate a guitar made by a Master Luthier of THAT callibre!!!

Ah Ha! Read the blog...LS redwood top, eh. Is that from the stash I traded George for my Lowden or did you have the foresight to take along the set you got from me and contribute it to the build?
What body wood are you pairing the LS top with? Black walnut, by chance, or did I miss that bit of info elswhere?

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Hank Mauel

I had the foresight and brought a set of LS along, I had emailed him beforehand and asked if that'd be okay. It's not the sort of thing he does regularly, I think he just did it because I'm a friend of a friend. I just had dinner with one of his employees visiting the states who said he would pick out a nice set of rosewood for my guitar. It'll basically be an S-25 with the LS redwood top instead of cedar.

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

[QUOTE=letseatpaste] I had the foresight and brought a set of LS along, I had emailed him beforehand and asked if that'd be okay. It's not the sort of thing he does regularly, I think he just did it because I'm a friend of a friend. I just had dinner with one of his employees visiting the states who said he would pick out a nice set of rosewood for my guitar. It'll basically be an S-25 with the LS redwood top instead of cedar.[/QUOTE]

Sure, Jon...foresight to bring along a set of redwood top wood on your wedding. Yeah, I believe that!
I also have a bridge to sell, right next to the harbor view acreage I have in Nevada!

Anyhow, congratulations on BOTH of your recent events...marriage and guitar order (in that order).
You'll love the Lowden. And George is a First Class gentleman. In a moment of fancy, a year or so ago, I thought about selling everything here and going to Ireland, knocking on his door and asking if I could work for him in my "golden years". But the reality of family, grandchildren, etc etc quickly put paid to that idea.
Thanks for the photo tour of his shop. Some interesting jigs/techniques to be seen there.

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Hank Mauel

The fellow sitting on the bench playing the guitar in the above pic was actually in Siloam Springs AR this last week and my wife and I got to hang out with him a bit yesterday. His name's Wes Grierson, he bends all the sides at Lowden and yesterday afternoon he gave me a lesson in bending sides on the pipe. It's so much easier to have someone show you that in person than it is to read about it. They use a Fox-type bender at Lowden, but every side is touched up on the pipe to the exact shape, and all the cutaways are done on the pipe.

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

Awesome. Pipe bending skills are best taught when you are shown in person.

I wish that George Lowden would come over to England and run a course or something.

It's gotta be one of my main ambitions this year to visit Lowden's or Avalon guitars workshop.

jon, congratulations on your marriage!! it can't get much more romanitc than a transatlantic elopement to ireland. what stories you'll be able to tell your children and theirs!

also enjoyed viewing your shop photos. if i may, i would suggest putting some padding over the threaded rod on your endgraft jig. pipe insulation or shrink wrap works well. similarly with the guitar vice, though the pipe won't cut like the threads can.

your work is very clean and tidy looking.

thanks for sharing your exciting news as well as showing us your work.