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To celebrate the release of his most recent album ‘=’ (Equals), renowned Northern Ireland-based guitar maker George Lowden has teamed up with acclaimed singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran to design and create a signature guitar worthy of music royalty. Giving Ed Sheeran fans access to a unique piece of his story, the Sheeran by Lowden ‘Equals Edition’ guitar will also be available to the public to purchase, with a limited edition run of 3,000 guitars available through Lowden’s global dealer network.
Available exclusively in the Sheeran by Lowden W body size (as used by Ed Sheeran), the ‘= Edition’ guitar features symbolism from the album, featuring a custom maple = inlay at the 7th fret, a butterfly inlay motif – a recurring theme within the album – at the truss rod cover and neck heel cap, and a custom designed = edition internal label. The guitar also boasts a figured walnut back and sides, paired with a sitka spruce top.
The guitar collaboration highlights the continued partnership between the County Down, Northern Ireland-based luthier and Ed Sheeran, which began when one of Lowden’s most popular guitars, the Wee Lowden, was designed in 2013 at the request of Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody as a gift for Sheeran. Following receipt of his Wee Lowden, Sheeran has built a personal collection of Lowden guitars which appear on stage and in studio with him often and has continued to collaborate with George Lowden.
Commenting on his love for Lowden guitars, Sheeran has admitted to keeping one in every room of his house. “They’re scattered around, because it’s just nice to walk into a room and have a beautiful instrument there that you can pick up and play,” Sheeran said in a video call with George Lowden published on Lowden’s YouTube channel in February.
The collaborative relationship between Sheeran and Lowden reached a significant milestone in January 2019 when the pair teamed up to announce a new range of guitars, Sheeran by Lowden, which was representative of their shared vision of creating quality guitars – made in Ireland – with great playability, tone, and accessibility for aspiring musicians. The Sheeran by Lowden guitars pair the world-class craftsmanship that goes into each Lowden guitar with the Sheeran name.
Speaking on his own experience, Sheeran who has previously acknowledged the decline in young people pursuing music said: “There are fewer guitar bands and fewer artists using guitars now, and not as many kids picking up guitars. That is something I would like to change by getting these great quality guitars, made in Ireland, into kids’ hands and encouraging them to learn and progress. To be able to work in tandem with a guitar company like Lowden to create a whole different concept has been a really cool experience.”
Delighted to be able to create a new custom guitar for Sheeran to play as he promotes the = album, George Lowden commented, “We have been honoured over the past years that Ed has chosen to play Lowden guitars both on-stage and in studio. We are delighted to have established a close ongoing relationship and are proud that Ed entrusted us to create the Sheeran by Lowden range of guitars which will be played by him and enjoyed by a number of his fans around the world.”
Guitarists and fans alike who are interested in getting their hands on one of the 3,000 limited Ed Sheeran ‘= Edition’ Signature Guitars by Lowden can register their interest online at sheeranguitars.com.