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Bushmills uses copper from its stills in acoustic guitar

Irish whiskey brand Bushmills has partnered with Lowden Guitars to create an acoustic guitar made from copper and wood used to make whiskey.

The guitar uses copper from the Bushmills stills and wood from barrels used to age whiskey

The Bushmills x Lowden Black Bush Edition has been created alongside Irish singer-songwriter Foy Vance and is the second instrument to be created by Bushmills and Lowden Guitars.

The guitar features copper from the 10 copper pot stills used to triple distil Bushmills Irish whiskey and wood from barrels used in maturation.

Alongside the barrel wood, Lowden Guitars used African blackwood and alpine spruce to craft the body and neck of the guitar.

Master luthier, George Lowden, said: “I was fascinated with the copper from the original pot stills at The Old Bushmills Distillery. Not only is it a beautiful metal to work with but it’s amazing to think this material has had whiskey flowing over it for hundreds of years.

“Likewise, the Sherry casks are literally steeped in whiskey-making heritage and used throughout to perfectly complement the other tone woods. I chose African blackwood for the back and sides because tonally it is one of the best woods you can get and when paired with alpine spruce on the soundboard, it produces a very clear, very strong sound – everything about it is just beautiful.”

It took more than 100 hours to design and build the new guitar, and this is the first time copper from the distillery has been used to make a musical instrument.

Twenty-five Bushmills x Lowden Black Bush Edition guitars have been created, each retailing at £9,800 (US$13,100).

Once the guitar was complete, Vance debuted the guitar at session in Warehouse No. 2 at The Old Bushmills Distillery, you can see one of the songs performed below.

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