Peghead Nation instructor Doug Young owns and plays a variety of guitars, and one of his current favorites is a 2012 Lowden O-50c, which he has been using for several of the lessons in his Alternate Tunings Fingerstyle Guitar course.
Although Doug purchased the Madagascar rosewood/cedar O-35 we featured on Peghead Nation in 2018 (after we returned it to Gryphon Stringed Instruments), he continued looking for an O with a cutaway. He eventually found a used O-50c that got his attention because it had Lowden’s “fingerstyle” neck, which is slightly wider and has increased string-spacing at the saddle. Built with African blackwood back and sides and an Adirondack spruce top, the guitar also has an armrest bevel, a sign that it was originally a custom-order. Like all Lowdens, the guitar has a five-piece neck and a pinless bridge with a two-piece saddle. The instrument also follows the company’s tradition of having relatively austere appointments, including a single-ring abalone rosette and wooden binding and purfling. The ebony fingerboard is free of inlay, and the guitar has a clear pickguard.
Although this O-50c was built in 2012 and has had several owners before Doug purchased it, it is in virtually pristine condition. The guitar has the immense power and projection that Lowden Os are known for, and its big dynamic range makes it perfect for expressive playing. The extra-wide string spacing (which is similar to Lowden’s Pierre Bensusan Signature model) allows for great precision when playing challenging fingerstyle material.
In this video, Doug talks about the guitar and demonstrates it playing a fingerstyle arrangement of “Ashokan Farewell” in DADGAD tuning.
To study with Doug, enroll in his Alternate Tunings Fingerstyle Guitar course now!
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