The two Northern Irish brands, known for their unwavering character and quality craftsmanship have collaborated on the ‘Bushmills x Lowden’ guitar, to celebrate those who pass their craft and legacy to the next generation.
The Bushmills x Lowden guitar |
At the Old Bushmills Distillery, the Kane family has been coopering barrels for four generations passing their specialist skills down through the years to ensure Bushmills delivers the same premium quality whiskey it began making 400 years ago.
Similarly, George Lowden, the founder of Lowden Guitars, has pioneered acoustic guitar building techniques since 1974 selecting only the very best quality woods to make his famous guitars and is passing his guitar making skills onto his sons, to ensure the Lowden legacy will live on for generations to come.
The limited edition ‘Bushmills x Lowden’ F-50 guitar, of which only eight are available to buy, combines hundreds of years of cooper and luthier craftmanship with three types of wood that are steeped in heritage and character.
George Lowden personally selected Bushmills Irish Whiskey barrel wood for the 12th fret and back inlays, the bindings, rosette and head facings; ancient bog oak for the back and sides of the guitar; and sinker redwood for the soundboard.
It took
George and his sons more than 40 hours to design and build the first guitar in
this limited range. Other features of this unique guitar include a cross symbol
formed of a cooper’s hammer and luthier’s chisel, representing the coming
together of these two crafts.
Commenting on
the collaboration, George Lowden, whose acoustic guitars have been used by some
of the world’s most famous artists, including Ed Sheeran and Eric Clapton,
said: “We scour the world for the best tone woods which are the real ‘stars’ of
our guitars, determining how they sound, feel, and play, so my sons and I
relished the opportunity to work with the coopers to select the best Bushmills Irish
Whiskey barrel wood for the guitar. It was a great opportunity to see up close
how the barrels are formed and how they give the whiskey its colour and
flavour. “
He went onto
say: “The three woods used to create the guitar play an integral part in making
the Bushmills x Lowden so unique. Bushmills Irish Whiskey barrel wood is
steeped in over 400 years of whiskey making heritage and used throughout to
perfectly compliment the other tone woods. The back and sides are made up
of Ancient Bog Oak to offer a mellow, warm sound and when paired with Sinker
Redwood on the soundboard, it helps extract a clarity and sparkle from each and
every note the guitar produces.”
Priced at £8,500, there are only eight
‘Bushmills x Lowden’ guitars available to buy. To register your interest and to find out more information, visit: www.lowdenguitars.com/bushmillsxlowden
Posted by Steve Rush