j***@gmail.com
2015-06-01 01:12:02 UTC
ARRGGHHHH..... I am in deep agony now over picking up the Lowden
S12 or a Martin 000-16. Since my initial post let me describe
my plight and maybe a few the more experienced hands can give me
some more advice (by the way, thanx for all the responses so far!!!).
Let me run down the series of events and it will become clear
(and comical??) what I am going thru.
January, I get my latest copy of Acoustic Guitar Magazine and read
the artical reviewing 13 small body guitars. I am already thinking
of getting a new guitar and starting some fingerstyle playing, so
the thought of a small body starts to intrique me. I look around
at the local shops and find a Martin 000-1R and like the feel of
it immediately. But that is it in the local area. So I dream a
little.
February, I am on buisiness travel in California and have some time
to kill, so I call around and find a shop with small bodies. Here
I try quite a few, Martins, Taylors, Larrivees, ect. Don't really
fall in love with any particular one (couldn't anyhow due to needing
to catch a plane) but decide that a small body is for me. I start
to dream that the Martin 000-16 is probably it due to sound, size,
manufacturer and the Acoustic Guitar review.
Couple of weeks ago, I drive down toward Boston on a day off. Hit
a shop that has a good selection. The salesperson is very helpful and
helps me go through a process where I constantly have 3 guitars in
front of me. He comes over every 10 minutes and asks me which one
of the three needs to go and then brings over a new one. Inside of
an hour I am sitting there with the Lowden S12 and a Martin 000-16
and something else admiring the Lowdens sound but wary since I have
not heard of them, and wary of the Martin because it sounds dull. I
really am not trying at this point to buy one, otherwise I would have
had the salesperson change the strings on the Martin as they looked
a little dull.
Last week, posted my original note on the Lowden to get some idea of
who they were. Plus called up just about every dealer advertising
in Acoustic Guitar to get more information on Lowden's. Almost
everyone said that the Lowden is a very well made, well liked guitar
that doesn't sell well since it is not one of the big names. Also
called the Lowden distributor in North Carolina to ask questions on
the few negative points raised (pinless bridge, finish durability,
and warranty). Everything sounded good so now I am getting further
and further into thinking that I will go with the Lowden.
Last Saturday, a day in hell (or heaven depending on you look at it).
I drove back to the dealer. I then proceeded to sit down for 5 hours
on one of those little stools in the front of the shop with the Lowden
and the Martin in front of me, with brief interludes of others just
to make sure. All the others dropped by the wayside. The Martin had
a new set of strings on it and now sounded much better, but different
than the Lowden. The Martin sounded just a little deeper and richer,
while the Lowden sounded a bit clearer and cleaner. When doing some
strumming they both sounded awesome in their own way, with the Martin
coming out a little ahead. When I did some basic flatpicking they both
again sounded awesome, but the Lowden sounded superb on the 1st 4
strings, while the Martin had just a bit more thump on the last 4.
Finally I had 3 different sales people play the some chord
progressions, flatpicking, and fingerstyle on both with me being the
audience. The Martin seemed again to be a little louder, warmer and
richer, while the Lowden seemed again clearer, and cleaner. One key
thing that made me finally walk away without one (this time) was that
the Lowden's sixth string (low E) was distinctly muted compared to
the rest of the strings, whereas the Martin was balanced across all
the strings.
The last salesperson I was with (who was a Lowden owner and lover)
gave me this last piece of advice: based on what I was playing and
what I said I wanted to do he would reccommend the Martin. He said
that I was overall probably the more versatile guitar for the type
of music I was going to play.
So now I am in purgatory. I really liked both, can't ignore the
fact that one is a Martin, price matters only a little, since I can
afford either, and since I am not advanced enough in my own playing
can't decide which to get. All I know is that I definitely want one
of them.
So again I ask, HELP!!!!! Any other thoughts that I can take with
me on my next trip down to the shop in a week or so?? I thank you
all for listening and helping me thus far, but it is tough right now.
Thanx,
Rob Keeney
Lowden S12 - definately. I have one - best guitar I own and I have a Martin HD28. Yu can always get a Marting later. Get the Lowden.S12 or a Martin 000-16. Since my initial post let me describe
my plight and maybe a few the more experienced hands can give me
some more advice (by the way, thanx for all the responses so far!!!).
Let me run down the series of events and it will become clear
(and comical??) what I am going thru.
January, I get my latest copy of Acoustic Guitar Magazine and read
the artical reviewing 13 small body guitars. I am already thinking
of getting a new guitar and starting some fingerstyle playing, so
the thought of a small body starts to intrique me. I look around
at the local shops and find a Martin 000-1R and like the feel of
it immediately. But that is it in the local area. So I dream a
little.
February, I am on buisiness travel in California and have some time
to kill, so I call around and find a shop with small bodies. Here
I try quite a few, Martins, Taylors, Larrivees, ect. Don't really
fall in love with any particular one (couldn't anyhow due to needing
to catch a plane) but decide that a small body is for me. I start
to dream that the Martin 000-16 is probably it due to sound, size,
manufacturer and the Acoustic Guitar review.
Couple of weeks ago, I drive down toward Boston on a day off. Hit
a shop that has a good selection. The salesperson is very helpful and
helps me go through a process where I constantly have 3 guitars in
front of me. He comes over every 10 minutes and asks me which one
of the three needs to go and then brings over a new one. Inside of
an hour I am sitting there with the Lowden S12 and a Martin 000-16
and something else admiring the Lowdens sound but wary since I have
not heard of them, and wary of the Martin because it sounds dull. I
really am not trying at this point to buy one, otherwise I would have
had the salesperson change the strings on the Martin as they looked
a little dull.
Last week, posted my original note on the Lowden to get some idea of
who they were. Plus called up just about every dealer advertising
in Acoustic Guitar to get more information on Lowden's. Almost
everyone said that the Lowden is a very well made, well liked guitar
that doesn't sell well since it is not one of the big names. Also
called the Lowden distributor in North Carolina to ask questions on
the few negative points raised (pinless bridge, finish durability,
and warranty). Everything sounded good so now I am getting further
and further into thinking that I will go with the Lowden.
Last Saturday, a day in hell (or heaven depending on you look at it).
I drove back to the dealer. I then proceeded to sit down for 5 hours
on one of those little stools in the front of the shop with the Lowden
and the Martin in front of me, with brief interludes of others just
to make sure. All the others dropped by the wayside. The Martin had
a new set of strings on it and now sounded much better, but different
than the Lowden. The Martin sounded just a little deeper and richer,
while the Lowden sounded a bit clearer and cleaner. When doing some
strumming they both sounded awesome in their own way, with the Martin
coming out a little ahead. When I did some basic flatpicking they both
again sounded awesome, but the Lowden sounded superb on the 1st 4
strings, while the Martin had just a bit more thump on the last 4.
Finally I had 3 different sales people play the some chord
progressions, flatpicking, and fingerstyle on both with me being the
audience. The Martin seemed again to be a little louder, warmer and
richer, while the Lowden seemed again clearer, and cleaner. One key
thing that made me finally walk away without one (this time) was that
the Lowden's sixth string (low E) was distinctly muted compared to
the rest of the strings, whereas the Martin was balanced across all
the strings.
The last salesperson I was with (who was a Lowden owner and lover)
gave me this last piece of advice: based on what I was playing and
what I said I wanted to do he would reccommend the Martin. He said
that I was overall probably the more versatile guitar for the type
of music I was going to play.
So now I am in purgatory. I really liked both, can't ignore the
fact that one is a Martin, price matters only a little, since I can
afford either, and since I am not advanced enough in my own playing
can't decide which to get. All I know is that I definitely want one
of them.
So again I ask, HELP!!!!! Any other thoughts that I can take with
me on my next trip down to the shop in a week or so?? I thank you
all for listening and helping me thus far, but it is tough right now.
Thanx,
Rob Keeney