Based in the Belfast area of Northern Ireland, George Lowden revolutionised the steel-string acoustic guitar world in the mid-1970s with a bold and highly personal concept: a steel-string instrument offering projection comparable to the finest concert classical guitars, combined with remarkable power and sustain. Lowden guitars immediately drew attention and have continued ever since to captivate players seeking a unique voice and a distinctive aesthetic.
The Lowden F35C IR/SR is a premium-level F mini-jumbo from the Irish maker, built around an Indian Rosewood and Sinker Redwood combination that delivers exceptional harmonic complexity and a highly responsive character. The Sinker Redwood top is a rare tonewood, sourced from ancient redwood logs that remained submerged in riverbeds for decades before being recovered and dried. This unique history gives the wood remarkable density and stability, resulting in an immediate, rich, and highly resonant response. Paired with solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, it creates a deep and complex tonal foundation.
The 5-piece mahogany and rosewood neck, ebony fingerboard, and Gotoh 510 Gold tuners confirm the instrument’s high-end construction level. The 35 Series adds refined aesthetic appointments, in line with Lowden’s premium philosophy. The Lowden F mini-jumbo body offers a balanced shape, generous but not bulky. The scale length and comfortable string spacing are particularly suited to fingerstyle playing and complex voicings where each finger needs room to articulate clearly. The cutaway allows effortless access to the upper frets without compromising the body’s resonance or projection.
It is naturally in the sound that the instrument’s boutique character fully reveals itself. The Sinker Redwood brings fast attack, immediate warmth, and remarkable definition, along with the organic resonance typical of old-growth redwood. The Indian rosewood complements this with deep and controlled lows, rich mids, and refined, singing trebles. Compared to more standard models, the F35C IR/SR pushes further in terms of note definition, sustain, and midrange complexity, while preserving the immediate responsiveness that defines redwood-topped instruments. It reacts to the lightest touch, highlights every nuance of attack, and fully reveals the dynamic range of the player’s technique. To us, it carries the authentic spirit of an instrument designed for nuanced playing, sophisticated fingerstyle work, and harmonically rich accompaniment.
2-year warranty from our workshop.
