2023 Lowry Braid – £4999

NEW ARRIVAL  Andrew Lowry is a luthier from Northern Ireland who relocated to France in 2014. This makes for an interesting twist. There’s definitely a Celtic feel to his guitars, but then there’s something else going on, a more polished feel, more nuanced in its dynamics. He works completely by hand, from start to finish, and only makes two models; the Braid and the Carrick, and covers most bases with these. The Lowry (named after the river that runs through his home town) is the smaller of his two models. It’s his unique interpretation of a 00 with a 13 fret body join, giving a greater bass response and more room around the 12th fret. This example has a Swiss Spruce top with beautiful Fiddleback Mahogany back and sides. There’s an Ebony fingerboard and distinctive bridge, a Fiddleback rosette, and subtle Ebony / Fiddleback body binding. The guitar feels very comfortable to play, the ample neck has great playability, and the 13th fret join is a cool touch. Tonally it’s very detailed, with great clarity and sustain, perfect for fingerstyle and flat picking. At only three years old it’s in fantastic condition, and comes in its original deluxe hard case.