Sheeran by lowden w03

The collaborative brand’s model gets a 2021 upgrade

If you’ve been following the Ed Sheeran/lowden Guitars story so far you may be wondering why we’re reviewing a launch model from 2019 now – yes the W03 was part of the impressive eight-guitar line-up that debuted at NAMM that year, but this is the 2021 version. So what’s new?

It’s no secret that woods matter for guitars, especially acoustics, and at the start of this year, Sheeran and George Lowden talked through the updates. Sheeran must be taken with them as he used this model in the video for his most recent single, Afterglow. Pretty strong endorsement... But his name is on the headstock, after all.

That fact may still prove a sticking point for some who would prefer Lowden to be the top billing on there, but there was no doubting the quality of the launch guitars, made in Northern Ireland by a team of 30, no less, and Sheeran’s passion for George Lowden’s work actually birthed the company’s first small model, the Wee Lowden that this is based on and is Sheeran’s mainstay. Here, Indian rosewood is used for the back and sides in the range for the first time, with a natural oil finish retaining that tactile wood grain feel. And it feels good.

Lowden claim it’s neither solid or laminate in the typical sense – rather than laying higher quality laminate over lower quality woods, five layers of fine quality recycled rosewood are bonded together. That’s still technically laminate to us, but that theme of wood conservation continues with the top here, made from reclaimed cedar (other W models feature Sitka spruce and figured walnut). George Lowden thinks you get a warmer sound from the rosewood and we’d certainly concur here. The bottom end is the most impressive we’ve encountered on a travel-size acoustic guitar, and balances with a compressed character to give it beefy presence – and able to deliver through the kind of physical strain Sheeran puts his guitars under on stage.

The mahogany neck here is comparatively one of the heaviest we’ve encountered on an acoustic, and we believe it shows in the sustain the W-03 offers. The playability is superb, welcoming runs across the ebony ’board with a muscular, rounded character with a pick. That’s helped by a generous 43.5mm at the nut (11mm string spacing) that may surprise anyone who assumes a short-scale acoustic will feel cramped. Fingerstyle can thrive here.

Sheeran believes these guitars rival the full-fat Lowdens he has, saying in a recent interview with George; “I personally think it’s better than anything else in its price bracket”. We’d argue that only the Taylor GS Mini-e could contest that claim right now. What strengthens the case here is the electro performance from the LR Baggs Element VTC - sensitive enough to actually make this viable for some percussive amplified playing and a roadassured electro-acoustic.

1 PREAMP

The lr baggs Elemen tvtc system features a treble tone control just inside the sound hole, and has a special low frequency compression circuit.

2 SOUNDBOX BEVEL

The w03 and w04 offer a bevel for picking arm comfort.

3 TRADITIONAL TOUCHES

Low den still maintain some traditional methods in manufacturing of these models; they carve the insides truts with Japanese chisels.