FEATURE
GEORGE LOWDEN: “MAN ON A MISSION” by Paul Clark
Today, most would leap at a chance to visit the
villages teeming with roadside
north coast of the Emerald Isle. Lush valleys,
assistants
rugged coastline, Norman castles, links golf
in dialects as colorful as a
courses, bucolic farms and state of the art
Pentecostal tent meeting. Under
shipyards all bid you an idyllic Irish greeting. But,
the circumstances, I considered
in 1977, when I traveled there to sing, it was
it a miracle when I finally laid
a war torn landscape of “Troubles” darkened
eyes on the low profile shop on
by car bombs, assassinations, barricades and
6a High Street, an iron shot from
metal detectors. Dating to the Bronze Age,
the Belfast Lough, an inlet of the
Belfast has a lengthy history of Catholic and
Irish Sea.
divulging
shortcuts
Protestant contention coalescing through eras
of commercial affluence and depression.
With no spaces out front, I turned
left onto Mill Street and seized an
Fortunately, I was staying with friends in
opening. Acutely aware of cars
Newcastle, a quaint seaside town just south of
being viewed as lethal weapons,
Belfast. One evening, after fish and chips and a
combined
visit to the churchyard where tradition claims the
parking skills from the right hand
been converted to a flat top by New York repair
remains of St. Patrick are reinterred, I voiced my
drive Vauxhall, I drew suspicious glares from a
guru, Matt Umanov.
affection for golf and the desire to walk around
gang of bystanders puffing on their “ciggies”
world re-known Royal County Down Golf Club
by the curb. Stepping out of the car, I pulled
George had never seen a Martin of this stature,
to my host, and his wife. They concurred.
my gig bag over my shoulder like a rifle, all the
but this is where my insight into who he was
Coats buttoned, our conversation was as
while hoping that my American accent “howdy”
and where he was going began to get traction.
imaginative as the convoluted topography.
would suffice as a disarming mechanism. Not
Respectful of its place in history, he simply
During the transparent exchange of our youthful
turning around to see if my guitar and I were
veered away from peering inside my Martin,
wanderings, he suggested I drive up to Bangor
soon to become repurposed currency, I walked
broadcasting zero interest in copy anything. His
to meet a lad, who like myself, had an intense
briskly up the street. Once I opened the door
exuberance for the trail he was trekking assured
interest in acoustic guitars.
and climbed the stairs up to the shop, I not only
me that he wouldn’t stop until he reached that
felt peaceful, but I was instantly inspired by the
summit.
The following morning, I borrowed a car and
with
my
lack
of
aroma of progress.
was immediately baptized into driving on the
Walking to his bench, he laid my Martin next to
“correct” side of the road. Snaking north, I
The inspiration donned flesh and bone when I
what would become his original series model,
navigated through endless roundabouts and
heard a charming voice say something along
the 0-22. Mirroring George viewing a vintage
the lines of, “Good morning, you must be Paul.
Martin for the first time, I had never seen a
I’m George Lowden. The fellas told me you
jumbo size mahogany body married to a dark
were dropping by.” With that, the first seed
cedar top. I had also never heard the term
of what is now approaching a four-decade
“luthier,” before that morning, but I wouldn’t
friendship was born.
have to research the term, I was in his presence.
My eyes began scanning the shop but he
Although our friendship is rekindled every
seemed more keen on seeing what was in my
January at the NAMM Show, in Anaheim, last
case. It was a pre-war Martin. Originally an
summer, I had the joy of returning to Ireland to
arched top F-9 featuring Brazilian rosewood
spend a week golfing together and hanging in
back and sides and the iconic vertical C.F.
the vintage Lowden house. Originally a stable
Martin abalone inlay on the headstock, it had
on an estate, the Finnebrogue Slip Garden
George Lowden
& Paul Clark
16
18
Sep Oct 2016
CollectibleGuitar.com