2017 Founder's Choice Award - Avalon Custom Lutherie LTD
 

Every year I give an award for the guitar that stood out to me the most. On a sunny day in beautiful Durango Colorado I happened upon the Avalon S8-380 in a small shop nestled in between picturesque mountain ridges, near a cold flowing river. The Avalon S8 had made quite a journey to find a temporary home in this shop waiting to go to its new owner. This small-bodied guitar is hand made in Northern Ireland and is brought to you by a team of skilled luthiers obviously well-versed in their craft. This guitar showed perfect construction in every detail that I could observe. The guitar body is constructed of stunning Mexican Cocobolo, bound in highly flamed maple wood binding, and topped with a flawless Alpine Spruce top. Refined body shape and a simple but elegant rosette compliment the overall design. Finish work is light and pristine. Yes, it’s very pretty, but I see pretty guitars all the time. So when I took my first strum of the first Avalon I’ve ever played, my attention quickly focused on this instrument and I think I sat there in a daze for awhile, just strumming and playing some light fingerstyle. This little guitar is capable of some of the prettiest tones I think that I’ve ever heard on acoustic guitar. Playability was effortless and would be comfortable for long sessions. I have to take my hat off to anyone involved in the build of this guitar because it’s simply one of the best I’ve seen and for certain it’s one of the best I’ve heard. I am sure that there is much that can be said by the community about this guitar brand and their history, and I won’t reiterate the information you can find on their website. But I want to honor the people that brought you this fine instrument and proudly present my choice for Guitar Of The Year to Avalon Custom Lutherie LTD for the wonderful S8-380 from their Ard Ri series. Thank you.

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J.R. Rogers
Acoustic Guitar Forum Owner and Founder

Wow! Congratulations Avalon. What an amazing looking guitar. Would love to hear some clips.

Congrats to the builders as well - but what he said - sound clip please!!!

Gorgeous little guitar, JR!

So, how does it sound in your living room?

(Ha!)

Congrats on another surperb job
 

Avalon have been turning out amazing guitars for quite some time now. My only concern here is that as more and more players become familiar with the brand the prices will start to skyrocket like they did at Lowden.

Congrats! I learned a bit about Avalons at a show here and fell in love with them.

I found this 2013 photo essay on Avalon, which is a gorgeous piece.

They make great guitars for sure!

Then, there's Rick Jones trying to purposely beat the living tone out of his then newly-acquired Avalon L32, and what a kudo for Avalon Guitars this battle between player and guitar is:

Well the prices certainly have gone up over the past 35 years, but I remember Lowden being among the priciest guitars even in the mid-80’s.

I may have to drive down to Durango to look at this..........

Whatever happened to Rick? He used to post here pretty regularly: a great exponent of the L32 - would that I could play my L32C half as well!!

I haven't seen anything posted here on AGF by Rick in a few years. He was always congenial when I asked him about his playing and I sincerely hope he's doing well and playing up his usual engaging storm of music!

Beautiful choice, J. R. Very nice instrument.

Best,
Jayne

Very nice, JR! Here's to the great modern small bodies!

Phil