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<aside> đĄ Gurian guitars are considered to be some of the better-handcrafted instruments from the 70s and 80s. In direct competition with other high-end brands, Michael Gurian combined high-quality workmanship with tooling and technical nous to create some of the finest guitars of his era and helped to pioneer the small factory guitar.
Our guide and database is really the work of several individuals (in particular Art Edelstein and Bob Thomas) who have kindly given us permission to amalgamate the results of their toil into as comprehensive a guide/database/registry as possible. We have of course added information from our own experience and research to further improve the existing knowledge on hand.
If you have a Gurian you would like to add to the database, please fill out this form here: or, you can email me at: [email protected]-This guide/database/registry is by no means complete & we would appeal for your help if you should own a Gurian or have information to share! -We have not yet assigned dates to individual guitars as not enough data is available to do so accurately. This is compounded by the fact that dates are fluid in that the year the guitar was sold may not be the year of manufacture.
Gurians Wanted -I am personally interested in all models made from Brazilian Rosewood, Koa, Maple or with a cutaway. Please email me if you have one of those for sale.
Appraisals -If you would like an appraisal, I'd be happy to help. -I have historical data going back to 2000 and can provide a professional appraisal service for insurance etc. -This is priced at USD$30. IÂ ask for .Front and back photos of the instrument (required). Additional photos can be uploaded in order to include detailed photos if necessary. Please limit file size to 25MB. .Serial and model number .Description of modifications, repairs and other issues not apparent from photos .Email address .Paypal payment is accepted.
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Contents
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George Lowden and Lowden Guitars- a timeline and history....
1951: George Lowden born in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
1961: Aged of ten, George says; â My friend Alan French and I made two " guitars" with the help of his dad, who was a boat builder in Groomsport, County Down. The "guitars" had fishing line for strings, bent over nails for frets, and a square soundbox!!â
1969: Aged eighteen, George a another attempt. âI had another go and made an electric guitar- more recognisable as a guitar, but barely so! I fancied myself as Ireland's answer to Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix... (painful adolescent memory....)â
1973: âAfter a fair bit of prayer (I needed all the help I could get!) I decided to make guitars professionally. Armed with some wood, basic woodworking tools and an excellent booklet by English Luthier John Bailley, I began the journey.â
1973-1975: Teaches himself woodworking and guitar making, mostly by trial and error. George began conceptualising body shapes, internal bracing patterns, side profiles, construction options, varnishing techniques, and design options for stabilising the acoustic guitar while still allowing it to vibrate;
âI learned everything the hard way. I had no one to teach me how to avoid the obvious pitfalls. I tried new shapes, bracing designs and many other ideas and gradually emerged from the âhard schoolâ of self taught guitar making.â
âOf course the three dimensional 'actuals' frequently didn't turn out like the shape in my head and so I kept re-designing for the first four years.â
âI began to think about air movement inside the soundbox, soundwaves being generated by the energy from the bridge and strings, how to spread this energy over as large an area of the top as possible, how to discipline the top vibrations as evenly as possible taking into account the extra stiffness provided by the proximity of struts to each other, as well as the stiffness created by the guitar sides. I thought about how to reduce 'drag' inside the soundbox, about how to 'focus' the energy of the vibrating soundboard, about how to provide extra stability over and above the traditional steel string design, so that neck re-sets would be unnecessary and sustain would be increasedâ
George conducted a series of experiments to increase structural stability. First, a neck block extension under the fingerboard was trialled and he finally designed the A-frame bracing. âThis consists of two structural struts extending either side of the soundhole, up through the transverse strut, under the fingerboard and finally, butt jointed against the neck wood itself inside the dovetail neck joint.â
Additionally, George innovated on the top bracing, with the âdolphinâ strut profiles to voice the top and sides for optimum weight & stiffness, the bridge design, the finish inside the soundbox, as well as assembly methods and tonewood combinations.
1976/79: The first guitars with A-frame bracing and the dolphin voicing profiles were constructed.
âWhat is now called the O 25 had arrived, along with another three models all of the same shape, bracing and simple cosmetics. I was happy with the voicing of the bracing, craftsmanship, general design and most of all, tone, of these guitars.â
âIt was at this stage, as I began to work my way through other problems (for example how to make this a commercially viable project, whilst being based in a troubled part of the world) that I also began to receive help with specific information about where I could source various tools and woods and even construction techniques, from Stephen Delft and Chris Eccleshall (both excellent London based luthiers) They were very patient and helpful during my âlearn as you goâ period! I always remember this today when I am asked for help from other aspiring luthiers.â
Alastair Burke, a friend of George, had recently acquired his "O38" South American rosewood and cedar guitar. He showcased the instrument at Folk Quincampoix, the primary acoustic guitar shop in Paris. George was unaware of this until he received a surprising phone call for an immediate order of six guitars, along with a request for four more every month. This unexpected surge in sales prompted George to expand the business to meet the growing demand over the following years. However, the expansion faced challenges due to George's lack of commercial experience and the exceptionally high prevailing interest rates.
The initial Irish studio/workshop, located at 6a High Street in Bangor, employed four trainee guitar makers: Colin 'Dusty' Miller, Frank Kernaghan, Sam Irwin, and Michael Hull. Approximately 100 guitars were produced during this period, distinguished by small blue rectangular labels.