First time out with my L355C

[Nige]

Hi,
If you you read my recent review on my Avalon L355C you'll know I recently purchased it on Ebay through Irish Guitars courtesy of JB(Top Bloke). Having had a week or two to get used to it I decided to bite the bullet and get out there with it this week. I can only say that after my first peice i was really delighted with the way the guitar sounded in a large room(unamplified) , it sounded even better than at home,(which was great for my nerves I played three more pieces using a variety of tunings by the end of which i was feeling really comfortable and at one with the guitar.

At the end of the night I'd had lots of questions like where i'd bought it, how much I paid for it and many more comments on how good it sounded.Needless to say I enlightened all of my enquirers about the amazing guitars and service to be had from Irish Guitars on Ebay.

I can say that since having my Avalon my enthusiasm and desire to perfom and improve my tecnnique has exploded so much that there aren't enough hours in the day to play this wonderful instrument.

JB, hope you don't think i'm being cheeky but I was wondering if there are any opportunities to tour the factory to see the guys(gals) making those beautiful guitars? Ireland is somewhere I've wanted to visit for a long time but havn't managed yet. My parents took me as a child but the only thing I remember was watching people be seasick on the ferry crossing(I think I was about 6 years old)

Many thanks again for a lovely guitar.

Nige.

[JB]

Thanks for the comments Nige and we always welcome visitors to the factory

hope to see you over here sometime.

[chris c]

That's great Nige, I also think Avalons are excellent performance guitars because they project so well.
What kind of music do you play ?

[Nige]

Hi Chris,
I think you are right about projection! It really feels like the guitar is pushing a lot of air. This is the first guitar i have owned that doesn't make me feel like i'm overplaying to achieve the presence i like.

The music I play is all fingerstyle, about two thirds is instrumental and the rest vocal/guitar. Roughly half is self penned.

Influences include Loe Kottke (I love his twelve string stuff) Pierre Bensusan, Eric Roche (of course) and Thomas Leeb. I sing a few Jackson Browne and James Taylor songs and even the odd Lennon/mcartney arrangement.

How about you?

Nige.

[chris c]

Nige,

I play solo fingerstyle, no singing at all, which is probably best for everybody...

I'm an amateur and play all kinds of stuff from country blues to modern fingerstyle. Been to several Jacques Stotzem workshops in the past 2-3 years which have really boosted my playing. I've started arranging songs and composing things, but still have a long way to go...

There's a small acoustic scene in the town where I live (Leuven) with opportunities to play in public. In fact that was one of the reasons for buying the Jacques Stotzem signature model. It's a guitar (like yours I'm sure) that makes heads turn as soon as you start to play it

[Nige]

Chris,
I also play for my own pleasure. I seem to go through stages of doing acoustic/folk club singers nights until I get tired of playing the same things. then I drop of the map for a month or two to learn/write some new pieces.

The workshops are great aren't they, you learn so much by picking up things from other players and having your imagination fired by those artistes(like Jacques and Thomas)who are generous enough to share their talent with us. I saw Jacques last year in Leicester at an event called the acoustic avalon which incidentally is where i tried my first Avalon guitar.(love at first play). He was brilliant. I loved his set, lots of light and shade.

I recently attended a guitar festival in Stamford and was fortunate to see Clive Carrol and Alex De Grassi amongst others. I was very impressed with Clive Carrol, his technique and speed was Breathtaking.

I hope you keep up your writing, the more we do the better we get. Its a strange thing song writing, it seems to come in little purple patches. The trick seems to be when its happening make sure you get it down before you forget it.

Anyway Chris, Lueven isn't that where Stella comes from? 2 or 3 of those and I have trouble writing my name let alone a piece of music

Nige.