New Guy

[martin1]

I am glad to have found this site. I have owned a A101CE now for over a year or so and have been very happy with it. These guitars sure have their own unique tone to them. I play rock and lighter rock music and this guitar tends to do very well with those styles of music. This is one of the best plugged in sounding acoustics I've ever came across lots of harmonic tones along with a loud voicing and sustain. The action was a little high for me at first so I lowered it down just a tad but still left it a little high do to the light top bracing it is great. I recommend that if your looking for an acoustic at least give these guitars a look!

Glad I found this site!

[Shaun]

Hi Martin,
Avalon do need to set their guitars up with a lower action straight out of the factoty.If you play a Collings or a Taylor,they come with a much lower action straight from the factory.
I love my Avalon and Lowden,but they needed to be set up when I bought them.It is immpossible to play up the neck with the factory setup.
I hope Avalon rectify this.
I am aware of the argument,that it is easier to loweran action than it is to raise them.The fact is if you can get a great tone with a low action,you have the best of both worlds.This is after all why you buy a top quality professional instrument.
Shaun

[martin1]

Hi Shaun,
Thanks for the reply I agree the actions are high on these guitars and need setup. In the past I purchased a Seagull Artist series guitar and also had to have a setup done on it to. I ended up getting rid of the guitar do to not being able to lower the action enough and it was hard to play just coming from an electric to an acoustic even made it more difficult on top of it. The Seagull action mechanically still could of been lowered more but the string ossilation didn't allow do to string buzz may of been top bracing issue. I certainly do like this A101CE I don't think I'll run into this issue with this guitar but I have lowered it down some myself but may take it to a shop to drop one more time and have them check the truss rod adjustment to see if any of it is in the neck. One thing I"ll say even though the action is a little higher than I prefer the stings do not seem to hard to push down never have really had any fatigue issues with this guitar very comfortable I would live with it were it is at if I needed to. I think visually the strings appear higher than they are do to the fret height. I love the sustain and crispness of the tone of this guitar. I have played it with some friends and they can't get over the power of this guitar really handles its own unplugged.

[Shaun]

Hey Martin,
I went through all the things that you have with your Avalon.I thought,yes the action does not look high and it seems easy to play,but not as good as it could be.
Take it to a pro.luthier or guitar technician and have it done expertly.You won't regret it.
I have an Avalon L-360 and a Lowden 0-10.We have a graet luthier here who has done a fantastic job on both guitars.I did however have to take the guitars back to him twice.The point is,you have to be happy with the guitar.Do not compromise.Avalons are good guitars and you can get the actions low on them.It may need a bit of work to get the action how you like it,but it is worth it.
I gig two or three times a week in an acoustic guitar duo.We play long sets,so the actions have to be low and the guitars easy to play.
I do believe that the guitars need to be set up better at the Avalon factory.Lower actions will bring out any problems with the neck and frets which should be addressed at the factory.
Keep playing your Avalon and get it set up how you wan't it,then you will not have any doubts about the guitar.Then you can really make some great music.
I hope this all helps you.Bye for now.
Shaun