Warranty Registration
To register your guitar please complete the registration form at the link below:
Lowden Guitars Limited Warranty Terms and Conditions
Lowden Guitars are warrantied solely to the original purchaser without time limit against defects in materials and workmanship whilst under proper and appropriate care and normal use. George Lowden Guitars Ltd. is the grantor of this warranty and has the sole authority to alter said warranty. This warranty covers the structural parts of the instrument and does not cover wear and tear or accidental damage. Workshop installed electronics are warrantied for one year. Incidental and consequential damages are excluded from this warranty and George Lowden Guitars Ltd. assumes no liability other than for the repair and/or replacement of parts of the instrument found to be defective. Defects deemed under warranty are corrected without charge. All shipping and insurance expenses will be borne by the purchaser.
This warranty does not apply to:
a) wear or breakage of the instrument or its parts;
b) damage resulting from unauthorised modification, misuse, abuse or improper maintenance of the instrument;
c) damage caused by exposure to extremes of temperature and/or humidity contrary to guidelines of care;
d) damage caused by accessories (including guitar straps and stands)
e) defects declared by any purchaser who did not purchase their Lowden guitar from an authorised dealer.
This warranty is not transferable – All warranties expressed or implied, expire with the transfer of ownership from the original owner. Return of a legible copy of the warranty registration along with proof of purchase is a condition precedent to warranty coverage.
Warning: Please read and follow “Guidelines of Care” carefully. Damage resulting from exposure to extremes of temperature and humidity will not be considered under this warranty.
WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive compliance guide.
Warranty Claims
In the event of a problem to be considered under warranty, first we advise that you contact your authorised Lowden dealer where you purchased the guitar. Our carefully selected retail partners know our guitars and can provide valuable advice. Many of our dealers have technicians who can assist you in diagnosing and resolving common issues and liaising with our team to find the best solution. Should your instrument need to be shipped for assessment and/or repair, your local dealer can also usually help in packaging and shipping the guitar.
When you contact the authorised Lowden dealer where your instrument was purchased please provide the following information:
a) a complete description of the perceived problem
b) evidence confirming the original purchase by yourself as the purchaser (such as a sales invoice or receipt)
c) your current contact details including name, email, address and phone number.
All warranty repairs are to be performed by George Lowden Guitars Ltd. unless notified otherwise in writing. Warranty service centres are available in some areas for assessment and repairs. If such a service is available, George Lowden Guitars Ltd. will advise you accordingly and issue a formal authorisation for the warranty service centre. Work performed by unauthorised persons or without prior authorisation from George Lowden Guitars Ltd. will void your warranty.
Upon receipt of your guitar, George Lowden Guitars Ltd. (or authorised warranty service centre) will review the description of the declared defect, assess your instrument, and perform service, repairs and/or part replacements as appropriate under this limited warranty. Should it be determined that declared defect is not covered or excluded from this limited warranty, a quotation will be issued and approval sought from the purchaser before any work is performed. All shipping and insurance costs are to be paid by the purchaser.
This warranty gives you specific rights, however you may also have additional remedies under applicable state or country laws.
Guidelines for Care
Climate and humidity control
Acoustic guitars are carefully constructed from thin pieces of solid wood joined together by glue and these are directly affected by changes in temperature and humidity; the more extreme the change, the greater the reaction.
It is important to understand and be mindful that in climates where there are extremes in temperature and humidity additional precautions must be taken to ensure the proper care of your instrument. Lowden guitars are built in a carefully controlled humidity environment that varies between 45% and 55% relative humidity, providing optimum worldwide stability. Maintaining your guitar’s humidity environment within this range will ensure optimal performance, playability and durability. Humidity levels can be monitored with a hygrometer, ask your dealer for advice and availability.
Effects of temperature and humidity
Temperature has a direct affect on the moisture content in the air. In general, in warmer weather the air can absorb more moisture – which results in higher relative humidity, causing the wood to swell. In the winter months, the air holds less moisture and additional factors such as central heating will dry the air even further, lowering relative humidity and causing the wood to shrink. Rapid changes are the most hazardous for your guitar, in order to avoid damage; it is best to keep your guitar insulated in its case. Should your guitar be exposed to extreme cold – let it warm up to room temperature before opening its case to avoid any potential damage.
Symptoms of a dry guitar
The consequences of low humidity conditions are arguably more severe than those of humid conditions and it is important to be aware and mindful of the symptoms to look out for. In dry conditions (less than 40% relative humidity) wood will shrink. The following are signs that you need to immediately remedy and seek advice about the humidity environment of your guitar: The soundboard begins to drop, lowering the action, which may cause buzzing of the strings against the frets. The fingerboard shrinks leaving the fret ends feeling sharp and protruding from the edge of the fingerboard. Lacquer checks can begin to appear where the wood is joined, and is a warning sign that your guitar is suffering from environmental stress. In the more severe cases – cracks in the wood itself may appear; an authorised technician should attend these to as soon as possible.
Precautionary measures include (but are not limited to):
• Keeping your guitar in its case – this will help safeguard it not only from damage but will also provide a more stable humidity environment by insulating your guitar.
• Humidifying your environment – purchasing a room humidi er will help towards maintaining acceptable humidity levels.
• Humidifying your guitar –purchasing a guitar humidi er will help increase your guitar’s humidity content whilst in its case. Please note: It is important to carefully adhere to manufacturer’s instructions to avoid any possibility of water damage. Alternatively, you can place some humidi ers in the accessory pocket of your case. Please do not hesitate to seek advice from your dealer.
Symptoms of a wet guitar
High humidity situations (above 75%) are more dif cult to control but the consequences are arguably not as severe. In high humidity, your guitar will absorb excess moisture and swell. The following are signs that you need to immediately remedy and seek advice about the humidity environment of your guitar: Your guitar begins to sound ‘tight’, restricted with a possible loss of bass and volume. The soundboard begins to rise, raising the action making it unwieldy or even unplayable. The lacquer can check. The bracing may become apparent where the top is glued to the internal structure of the guitar. The glue can weaken and the bridge and/or bindings can lift and separate.
Precautionary measures include (but are not limited to):
• Keep your guitar insulated in its case. Please Note: The lining of your case can also absorb moisture hence it is important to air it out regularly – NEVER leave your case or your guitar in the direct sun or too close to a source of heat.
• Air conditioning can help dry the air and reduce humidity in your home.
Common sense precautions and paying attention to your guitar will ensure that you notice any changes and act upon them before damage can occur.
Acclimatisation:
Your guitar is most susceptible to the affects of changes in humidity and temperature during the first several months of its life. Every guitar settles in with time and small changes can take place to the action and neck relief whilst your guitar is settling into its new environment. Being mindful of your guitar’s environment during this ‘settling in’ period will minimise the impact of unfavourable conditions and keep your guitar playing and sounding its best.
Travelling with your Guitar
By car:
Never leave your guitar in a car on a hot day. The temperature can rapidly increase to unacceptable levels and potentially result in a softening of the glue and lacquer compromising the integrity of your instrument and causing damage. If you must travel with your guitar in a hot vehicle, ensure that the case is not directly in the sun; the best place is in the back seat. As a rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t leave a live animal in the car – don’t leave your guitar there either.
By air:
Prior to leaving prepare your instrument by de-tensioning the strings and ensuring that there are no loose items in the case. You may also wish to place some soft padding material under the headstock area to provide extra support. Your Lowden guitar is supplied with a hard shell case that will provide protection, however this is not infallible. The best place to store your guitar when travelling by air is on-board in the overhead compartment or the suit locker. However, the airline may insist that you check-in your guitar. Special services are available for valuable items, (including special handling and identi cation) please make sure to ask about these at the check-in counter. Avoid signing, if at all possible, any document that limits the airline’s liability for damage.
Re-Stringing your Guitar
Strings should be changed regularly in order to ensure optimal tone and enjoyment.
If your guitar is fitted with an undersaddle pickup we recommend that you change strings one at a time. This helps avoid small movements in the saddles that may affect pickup balance. Your Lowden guitar is fitted with a pinless bridge and a little care is required when re-stringing to avoid damage caused by the ball end of the string. In order to protect your soundboard we recommend that you place a piece of card on the soundboard behind the bridge.
A double bend made at the tip of the string will help navigate it through the bridge. This can be easily achieved by inserting the string into the hole – about 1cm and pulling up a little, insert the string a little less and repeat.
Neck relief adjustments
Your Lowden guitar is fitted with an integral truss rod that provides greater neck stability. The adjustment of this rod is to obtain optimal neck relief (not action adjustment) and we recommend that these adjustments are performed by an authorised technician.
Action adjustments
The height of the strings above the fingerboard is known as the action and directly affects the ease and enjoyment of playing your guitar. Although your Lowden guitar leaves the workshop with optimal action height, it is possible that after some ‘settling in’ period adjustments need to be made. We strongly advise that these only be undertaken by a qualified technician. Please do not hesitate to ask your authorised Lowden dealer for advice.
Cleaning your lowden guitar
A great deal of attention and care goes into each and every Lowden guitar and the unique satin finish is no exception. Ideally, we recommend that you wipe down your guitar with a clean, soft dry cloth every time you play. Regular cleaning with a soft polishing cloth, dampened in warm mild soapy water, then dried off with a dry soft cloth will prevent build- up of sweat and grime as well as remove any potentially harmful chemicals to keep your guitar looking great.
Polishing your lowden guitar
Ensuring that you guitar is clean is an important step to keeping your Lowden hand rubbed finish looking its very best. However, you may occasionally wish to use a polish. In order to keep your satin finish looking natural, it is important to select a non-silicone matt polish which will not build-up and risk changing the look of your Lowden guitar.
Caring for your fingerboard
For care and cleaning of your Lowden guitar’s ebony fingerboard we recommend that you thoroughly clean it (as above) when re-stringing and periodically use a fine, specially formulated fingerboard oil to keep it nourished and feeling great. We also recommend a light oiling of the bridge with a fingerboard oil (taking care to keep oil off the soundboard). This will help the bridge not to dry out too much.
Service and Set-up
In order to keep your Lowden guitar in optimal playing and tonal condition, it is advisable that it be serviced by a recommended repair person at least once a year. Matters that may require attention are the nut slots, saddles and neck relief, and it is also valuable for an experienced professional to give your guitar a ‘check-up’ to ensure that it is not suffering from any environmental stress.
Your Lowden is designed for a long and active life and is built with extraordinary care and attention to detail. Many of its features are innovative, designed to give unique tonal properties and superior long-term stability. Enjoy!