Shape of You: celebrate Ed Sheeran's birthday with Sheeran by Lowden Guitars!
Thirty two years ago today, a superstar was born in a small and unassuming industrial town in the north of England.
Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, Ed Sheeran was to become one of the world’s most famous pop stars - selling more than 15 million records worldwide.
From picking up the axe aged 11, Ed quickly fell in love with the instrument and an acoustic guitar was never far from his side during his stratospheric rise to fame.
So much so that in 2019, Ed launched his own line of guitars – Sheeran by Lowden – in collaboration with Northern Irish master luthier George Lowden.
As Ed blows out his birthday candles, we pay homage to this icon – and his eponymous guitar line.
When Ed met George
Back in 2012, Ed received his first Lowden guitar from Gary Lightbody, the frontman for the Irish band Snow Patrol. Ed loved this axe so much, he used it to record five songs on his album “X” (Multiply).
When Gary asked his friend, luthier George Lowden if he would make a personal guitar for him to give Ed as a present, George was more than delighted. Lowden believes that an instrument is personal to both player and maker and that the guitar has a way of bringing the two together with sometimes surprising results… So the talented craftsman developed a unique small guitar he knew Ed would love – which would later evolve into the new model of Lowden Guitars - the Wee Lowden.
A firm friendship soon blossomed between Ed and George as they discovered a shared dream - to give young, aspiring players access to quality guitars that would encourage them to learn, progress and create music. Soon, the Sheeran by Lowden line was born.
Did you know…
Prior to meeting Lowden, Ed’s guitars were built by Martin, the world’s most famous acoustic guitar maker. Ed teamed up with Martin in 2013 to release his own signature version of the Martin LX1E, the model Ed played in his early teens. There were a few more collaborations with Martin over the following years until Ed met Lowden, ushering in a new era for signature guitars.
The low down on Lowden
All the guitars in the Sheeran by Lowden range have been = designed by George Lowden with the player in mind, utilising sustainably-sourced wood= species including naturally fallen trees and reclaimed Spruce.
Art of Guitar stocks the full range right here in our Dubai gallery. Here’s a sneak peek at what we have in store.
THE TOUR EDITION
As seen on stage in the hands of Ed Sheeran, this limited edition model celebrates Ed’s fourth world tour, ‘Mathematics’.
The Sheeran Guitars Tour Edition model is available to order in a ‘W’ size body, featuring Ed’s preferred choice of Indian Rosewood back and sides, and a solid Sitka Spruce top - often used on his stage guitars along with an LR Baggs EAS VTC pickup system.
To further underscore the relationship between this special model and the live music that has inspired it, each guitar comes with a limited edition ‘Mathematics’ tour inspired strap, exclusive to this model.
THE EQUALS EDITION
Available in both the W and S body size, the ‘= Edition’ boasts designs inspired by Ed and the album of the same name.
The guitar also features an LR Baggs EAS VTC pickup and a custom ‘= Edition’ internal label.
THE S SERIES
Based on the successful Lowden S (small) body, The Sheeran by Lowden S models deliver a surprisingly deep voice despite their size. Beyond a choice of solid wood tops, the S series features a selection of woods, a cutaway, and soundbox bevel.
THE W SERIES
Based on the Lowden WL (Wee Lowden) body size as originally designed for Ed Sheeran, the W Series models offer a compact feel without compromising in tone over larger guitars.
All that remains to say is a huge Happy Birthday to Ed. And if you’d like to purchase a Sheeran by Lowden guitar as a special birthday gift, or as a treat to yourself, Click here or pop into our store to test out this wonderful range.
