Official Luthiers Forum!

Allow me to quickly take a quick off-topic diversion first...

My fiancee, Joy, and I eloped to Northern Ireland last week and were married at Saul Church near Downpatrick. Neither of us are Irish, but Joy works for the international office at John Brown Univ, and she helps plan the annual missions and studies trips to Northern Ireland. So she knows people there, and has an infectious love for the culture and history.


Back on topic... While we were there, we got to take a quick tour of Lowden Guitars. I've posted about 40 photos over at my blog. I'll just post a few sample pics here.

I also ordered a small-bodied rosewood S-25 with an LS Redwood top, I should receive that in about six months.

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

WOW! Congratulations!

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Aoibeann

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC, and congratulations!!!

Hope you have a wonderful and prosperous life in a beautiful part of the UK.

You both are very very lucky. I have a lot of time for the Northern Irish people, what wonderful folk they are.

You have made my day by posting this thread on Lowden. I'm sitting here off work with flu symptoms. (havent had influenza for YEARS!) I am going to check your blog.

Also, congratualtions on the Lowden!! A necessary part of the lifestyle there, I tell you!!

Great thread. Thanks for all the terrific pics and congrats on the Lowden purchase.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

EDIT with regards to my last post an error.... noticed the word "Elope", not "Emigrate.." Sorry!!

Think I need some sleep...

I don't think I'd have much trouble convincing Joy to emigrate to County Down... me either. But yes, we're back home in Arkansas now.

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

What a great trip Jon! Congrats on the marriage and of course the Lowden guitar! Very cool thread,And love your pics!

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Eloped! Congratulations!

All I know is going on a shop tour of Lowden for your honeymoon does not bode well for your young lady. It's Great for you though! I see you're starting things off to your advantage. Not to worry, she will soon have the tables turned.


Thanks for the shop tour pics, they are terrific!
We're all green with envy. Or is that orange? I forget.....

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

George puts on a good tour doesn't he?

Love that church in Saul too, so minimalist, but why there's a statue of Patrick dressed about 8 centuries out of date on the next hill I'll never know!!!

Glad you had a good time here, but tell us the truth.......

which are you happier about?

the marriage or the Lowden on order

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Congrats Jon!
WOW A wife AND A guitar!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

The truth is I'm happier about the marriage. :)

Though, to brag a little, she was the one that set up the tour, as George is sort of a friend of a friend. It was even her idea to order the Lowden!

George really does do a great tour, and he's very humble and gracious about it all, too.

This may be a long shot, but I continue to get the impression that everyone in Northern Ireland knows each other. Do you know any of these names, Martin? Hadden and Betty Wilson (Hadden married us), Frank and Yvonne Knox, Derek Bingham?

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

Congrats, Jon and Joy! What a wonderful concept for a wedding and honeymoon; you are a lucky man.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Congratulations on both your wedding and wedding present! That just makes my day.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Aha, Jon, so this is one fine "excuse" for missing the Arkansas get together.

Congratulations on your wedding, many blessings to your new family.

John Brown University in Siloam Springs Arkansas is a special place. Last time I was there we enjoyed the concert by Phil Keaggy celebrating their annual homecoming.

Wow, the wedding in Ireland is really the stuff of storybooks. What a thrill. And a side trip to meet George and all the folks at Lowden, priceless. You and Hank Mauel and your Lowdens..... a small club indeed. We want a full report when you get that baby.

Jon, thanks for sharing this special time in your life. This makes community valuable and worthwhile, when we get to celebrate the highs of life with each other. Vicariously, your joy, passes to all of us.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Gosh, why is it that loveliest women seem to be attracted to the ... um ... plainest guys? ( )

Seriously, though, congrats. You've embarked on what can be one of life's greatest adventures. (I should know, my lovelier half and I will be celebrating our 38th year together in a couple of months.)

And thanks for documenting your Lowden tour. I learned a ton from it, especially in the way his workflow is organized.

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D..

[QUOTE=Dennis E.] Gosh, why is it that loveliest women seem to be attracted to the ... um ... plainest guys? ( )[/QUOTE]

To paraphrase Hank Hill, "Don't question it, we got the long end of the stick on that one."

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

Congratulations Jon!!!

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Congratulations, Jon!! What a momentous trip! Lucky duck!!

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

[QUOTE=letseatpaste]This may be a long shot, but I continue to get the impression that everyone in Northern Ireland knows each other. Do you know any of these names, Martin? Hadden and Betty Wilson (Hadden married us), Frank and Yvonne Knox, Derek Bingham?[/QUOTE]

you aren't gonna believe me but the name Hadden Wilson sounds familiar...... Just did a google and find he was pastor of Ballynahinch Baptist Church where out church worship group played in about 1993........ If you're in touch ask if he remembers Rev. Adrian McCartney from Monkstown coming down at the start of the "Toronto Blessing"......... I played bass that night.......

EVERYONE knows Derek Bingham!!!

the Knoxes I don't know......

Norn Irish people don't all know eachother.

But we do all know SOMEONE who knows everyone else!!!!

I was in Paraguay in 2002 and met a lady I knew from Coleraine!!!!!

and as for a wife who actually SUGGESTED ordering a Lowden

Have you ANY idea how blessed you are????

Lordy, a woman could be 107 and still be eligible with that kind of attitude!!!!!

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Ha, I knew a lot of people probably knew Derek... I've had dinner with him once or twice when he was here at John Brown Univ.

Where do you live in NI? We stayed at the cottages at Ballydugan by the Mill, spent a couple nights up north in Derry.

Funny thing, when I first met Hadden, he mentioned I should visit Northern Ireland. I said I'd love to go see the Lowden Guitar factory, and his response was, "Oh, George would love to have you." That's when I started getting the idea about everyone knowing everyone.

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

[QUOTE=martinedwards]

Lordy, a woman could be 107 and still be eligible with that kind of attitude!!!!![/QUOTE]


You sick, man, you sick...

A wife and lutherie? Which is the more expensive endeavor? Hmmmmm.

Congratulations, Jon.


Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

I live in Jordanstown, Just North of Belfast, work in Larne.

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I live in Jordanstown, Just North of Belfast, work in Larne. I grew up on the Ards Peninsula, just over the strangford narrows where you were married.

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My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick