avalon @ cheltenham

[dale warner]

Hooray!
My bank called me today (Sunday!) and checked the card was used legitimately and have now cleared the transaction. I'll contact Avalon tomorrow and hopefully I should be getting my L325 in cedar and rosewood later this week when Avalon have installed the strap button and fingerguard etc. I'll take pics and post as soon after it arrives as is humanly possible.
I should also add that I tried a few big name guitars on Saturday which were sorely disappointing. Discretion prevents me naming them
Good health,
Dale

[stevemac]

Well, now that I've caught my breath back after a very busy weekend, I've managed to get a few pics over to Jim who has kindly arrayed them in this folder: http://www.avalonguitars.com/albums/che ... index.html

If anyone has pics of the event, we'd be happy to add them to this album.

It seemed fitting, since Dale started this thread, that pic 1 should provide us with the moment Dale is listening intently to Amrit Sond playing the L325 guitar which is now in Dale's proud possession.

Pic 2 just shows the Avalon offering - we had 10 guitars at the show; an A100 is out of shot.

Pic 3 has a couple of wonderful gentlemen in shot - Trevor holding the D320CMB, who eventually decided on the L800 and Chris, seated, a professional musician with a great collection of handmade guitars - he expressed the opinion that the S320A Avalon he is playing was one of the best 3 guitars at the show. He didn't say what the others were!

Pic 4 shows the hall in all is glory - Avalon is on the left.

Pic 5 has Paul talking to the aforementioned Chris - Paul purchased the S320A and was delighted to learn later (I didn't know at the time) that this is the guitar pictured in the Guitar of the Year review!

Pic 6 is a moment of pure karma! Kevin sits playing the new Daedalus parlour - this guitar is based on an original that sits in the Joyce Museum in Dublin - it was Joyce's guitar. Kevin was the first person to sit and play the Avalon parlour, he was also at the factory when it was being made and, would you believe it, he went to Joyce's old school, Belvedere!

Pic 7 - dunno who that eejit is, but he gave the cameraman the shakes!

[Ross A]

Excellent photos, wish my wife would have let me go!!

So now Avalon have the Legacy, Premier Legacy, Americana, Daedalus, and all the other members of the Master series, what is next? Do you plan to increase the number of models available, or do you feel there is enough there for everybody?

What does the future hold for Avalon Guitars?

[stevemac]

There lies the $64 million question Ross and John, or two questions really ... what has Avalon become and where do we go from here? It's thought provoking stuff and time for some deep soul searching with the whole Avalon team.

What really struck me at the show was just how good a guitar we make and although there were many excellent guitar makers represented, I can't honestly think of another who had such a wide and varied range at such a consistent high quality level ... and really affordable prices for the kind of guitar we're talking about.

Another core belief forming with the whole team is that our future is way more important than our past, or to put it another way ... our destiny is more exciting than our legacy, if you get my drift.

I think a new thread is needed! Avalon future direction ... anyone care to begin?

[crofty]

Maybe you should launch a new model called "Destiny".
Just don,t phase out the Legacys just yet as I am saving up for another one.

Crofty

[dale warner]

Found this on the net:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LcwfRpgZvLA
When you get to about 1.47, you'll see Dale (no relation ) playing the D320CMB bevel.
Waiting for good light to take pics of the L325.
Good health
Dale

[Ross A]

There lies the $64 million question Ross and John, or two questions really ... what has Avalon become and where do we go from here? It's thought provoking stuff and time for some deep soul searching with the whole Avalon team.

What really struck me at the show was just how good a guitar we make and although there were many excellent guitar makers represented, I can't honestly think of another who had such a wide and varied range at such a consistent high quality level ... and really affordable prices for the kind of guitar we're talking about.

Another core belief forming with the whole team is that our future is way more important than our past, or to put it another way ... our destiny is more exciting than our legacy, if you get my drift.

I think a new thread is needed! Avalon future direction ... anyone care to begin?

Personally I don't know if a new thread is needed with regards to the future of Avalon, as it would seem that you're doing pretty well at the moment. In terms of quality, workmanship, customer service, and pricing, you cannot be touched.

It would be interesting to hear where you think Avalon will be in ten years time.

[stevemac]

Well said, Ross ... there's no need to pluck a thriving rose from the ground to see how well it's roots are growing. Still, (to keep the metaphor going) there are several budding ideas yet to be explored and it is certainly a part of what Avalon is all about to give a lot of freedom to our excellent team to create and experiment with guitar designs.

Where we'll be in 10 years time will be shaped as much by their creativity and dedication as by anything else. Personally, I would like to see Avalon remain true to our original vision - a community of gifted luthiers with the freedom to innovate, using traditional craftsmanship to design & make instruments of the highest quality. How fully this can be expressed is the interesting and exciting part!

[dale warner]

Hi
Just managed to upload some pictures of the L325 I purchased at the Cheltenham show. Navigate to: www.earth-balm.co.uk/avalon to have a look. I'll replace the fotos with some better shots if and when I get the chance. She's a dream to play and sounds full with an ever lasting sustain.
Good health,
Dale

[dale warner]

Hi Greypicker John,
It's very, very kind of you to offer such a service - you are much too generous .
Unfortunately, at this time I have to decline. I hope you understand as I have temporarily misplaced the case keys.
I have a 70s d'arte plywood dread, if you'd like to offer the same service. Though, with any luck it'd get lost in the post and save us both some misery .
Thanks
Good health,
Dale