NGD - Finished! custom Avalon L7-390 FC Ziricote/Sinker Redwood 12 fret jumbo Florentine + soundport

ToneControl · July 2019

(NB: hosting of the photos changed, the photos are here:
Finished: https://boards.wetransfer.com/board/shgdtzqdq1116kze420200720205848/latest
Build: https://boards.wetransfer.com/board/stikm6rqc48tr4txv20200721091501/latest
Spray coat: https://www.facebook.com/697995037244256/videos/414205572861603)

I travelled to the Avalon workshops near Belfast yesterday to meet the team and commission a custom guitar

Their "custom shop" models are the "Ard ri" and ARC ranges. You can spec everything, and choose the pieces of wood

They have an excellent deal - if you fly over there, they'll pick you up from the airport or local hotel, and return you at the end of the day, give you a personal workshop tour, and take you out for lunch. You can select the woods for your Ard ri guitar, and they will knock off £100 as a reward for visiting them to place the custom order

I have ordered a very fine-tuned spec, which should tick every box for me

edit:
Final result was this:

Image: https://vrl-eu-cdn.wetransfer.net/ivise/eyJwaXBlbGluZSI6W1sic3JnYiIse31dLFsiYXV0b19vcmllbnQiLHt9XSxbImdlb20iLHsiZ2VvbWV0cnlfc3RyaW5nIjoiMjA0OHgyMDQ4In1dLFsiZm9yY2VfanBnX291dCIseyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo4NX1dLFsic2hhcnBlbiIseyJyYWRpdXMiOjAuNzUsInNpZ21hIjowLjV9XV0sInNyY191cmwiOiJzMzovL3dldHJhbnNmZXItZXUtcHJvZC1zcGFjZXNoaXAvc2hnZHR6cWRxMTExNmt6ZTQyMDIwMDcyMDIwNTg0OC9zaGF3Ymp3Mmt5cHMzMWg0NDIwMjAwNzIwMjA1ODQ4In0/65071a1e07332c4bfa18696721f38d73e4cb7305ec423e4cdb24498f8bde4ce2

earwighoney · July 2019

ToneControl said:

I travelled to the Avalon workshops near Belfast yesterday to meet the team and commission a custom guitar

Their "custom shop" models are the "Ard ri" and ARC ranges. You can spec everything, and choose the pieces of wood

They have an excellent deal - if you fly over there, they'll pick you up from the airport or local hotel, and return you at the end of the day, give you a personal workshop tour, and take you out for lunch. You can select the woods for your Ard ri guitar, and they will knock off £100 as a reward for visiting them to place the custom order

I have ordered a very fine-tuned spec, which should tick every box for me

Nice.

What specs did you go for?

Have you ordered custom before? I've done a few times, two of the times being with Spanish guys who spoke no English, and I speak no Spanish....

thomasross20 · July 2019

When will it be ready?

Andy79 · July 2019

Exciting times. Will you be involved along the way? Or just wait for the bill.

ToneControl · July 2019

I'll see the photos as it gestates for 10 weeks!

Ard Ri L7-390FC-Custom

12 fret Jumbo

46mm nut
Ziricote
Sinker redwood
Florentine Cutaway
Carved Sound Port

The sinker redwood is very attractive, and had excellent tap test results
the ziricote is also excellent

ToneControl · July 2019

thomasross20 · July 2019

I'd never heard about sound port until recently!

ToneControl · July 2019

thomasross20 said:

I'd never heard about sound port until recently!

Here's the port I had added to another Avalon (after buying it, not as part of a build)
https://boards.wetransfer.com/board/s6b9ahpb2y6pcb6xk20190617184554/latest

GTC · July 2019

I've also got a custom Ard Ri lefty on the way - hopefully due for shipment next week. I couldn't get out there in person but the guys were very helpful in finalising the spec details - providing photos of the tonewood sets available so that I could choose and even suggesting some possible improvements along the way for me to choose.

The spec is for a small body 12 fretter with cutaway - redwood top and 3,500 yr old bog oak back and sides. 46mm nut and a tree of life 12th fret inlay.The bindings are snakewood and I asked for a matching snakewood back seam inlay. During production they suggested it might look better without it as it distracted from the beautiful grain of the bog oak. They did a mock up with and without for me to decide - and they were dead right!

They've kept me up to date with production steps via a photo board throughout the ten weeks production time.

I ordered this one after being incredibly impressed with a 2018 L2-20 jumbo lefty I bought from them back in April. With this one coming I'm reluctantly selling the L2-20 lefty to maintain domestic harmony. <SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT> My L2-20 is currently for sale by auction on eBay (ends Sunday evening, SP £850)

thomasross20 · July 2019

That's a great deal on that.
And they are mega helpful guys!
Looks amazing @ToneControl !!

ToneControl · July 2019

GTC said:

I've also got a custom Ard Ri lefty on the way - hopefully due for shipment next week. I couldn't get out there in person but the guys were very helpful in finalising the spec details - providing photos of the tonewood sets available so that I could choose and even suggesting some possible improvements along the way for me to choose.

The spec is for a small body 12 fretter with cutaway - redwood top and 3,500 yr old bog oak back and sides. 46mm nut and a tree of life 12th fret inlay.The bindings are snakewood and I asked for a matching snakewood back seam inlay. During production they suggested it might look better without it as it distracted from the beautiful grain of the bog oak. They did a mock up with and without for me to decide - and they were dead right!

They've kept me up to date with production steps via a photo board throughout the ten weeks production time.

I ordered this one after being incredibly impressed with a 2018 L2-20 jumbo lefty I bought from them back in April. With this one coming I'm reluctantly selling the L2-20 lefty to maintain domestic harmony. <SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT> My L2-20 is currently for sale by auction on eBay (ends Sunday evening, SP £850)

I think I saw a fancy fingerboard inlay

I also opted to miss the back seam inlay, since the ziricote is a very figured piece
I thought about the bog oak, but after buying an S7-390, decided that ziricote is amazing for me

earwighoney · July 2019

ToneControl said:

I'll see the photos as it gestates for 10 weeks!
Ard Ri L7-390FC-Custom
12 fret Jumbo
46mm nut
Ziricote
Sinker redwood
Florentine Cutaway
Carved Sound Port

The sinker redwood is very attractive, and had excellent tap test results
the ziricote is also excellent

Wow. All out it seems, no holding back!

GTC · July 2019

That's the nicest piece of ziricote I've seen!

TimmyO · July 2019

Really looking forward to hearing more about this :-)

ToneControl · July 2019

GTC said:

That's the nicest piece of ziricote I've seen!

They had one even nicer looking, also nice sounding, but slightly too small for a Jumbo
the photo above is the sinker though

ToneControl · July 2019

earwighoney said:

ToneControl said:

I travelled to the Avalon workshops near Belfast yesterday to meet the team and commission a custom guitar

Their "custom shop" models are the "Ard ri" and ARC ranges. You can spec everything, and choose the pieces of wood

They have an excellent deal - if you fly over there, they'll pick you up from the airport or local hotel, and return you at the end of the day, give you a personal workshop tour, and take you out for lunch. You can select the woods for your Ard ri guitar, and they will knock off £100 as a reward for visiting them to place the custom order

I have ordered a very fine-tuned spec, which should tick every box for me

Nice.

What specs did you go for?

Have you ordered custom before? I've done a few times, two of the times being with Spanish guys who spoke no English, and I speak no Spanish....

not custom before, no

ToneControl · July 2019

GTC said:

I've also got a custom Ard Ri lefty on the way - hopefully due for shipment next week. I couldn't get out there in person but the guys were very helpful in finalising the spec details - providing photos of the tonewood sets available so that I could choose and even suggesting some possible improvements along the way for me to choose.

The spec is for a small body 12 fretter with cutaway - redwood top and 3,500 yr old bog oak back and sides. 46mm nut and a tree of life 12th fret inlay.The bindings are snakewood and I asked for a matching snakewood back seam inlay. During production they suggested it might look better without it as it distracted from the beautiful grain of the bog oak. They did a mock up with and without for me to decide - and they were dead right!

They've kept me up to date with production steps via a photo board throughout the ten weeks production time.

I ordered this one after being incredibly impressed with a 2018 L2-20 jumbo lefty I bought from them back in April. With this one coming I'm reluctantly selling the L2-20 lefty to maintain domestic harmony. <SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT> My L2-20 is currently for sale by auction on eBay (ends Sunday evening, SP £850)

I'd put teh L2-20 on buy it now at a much higher price for a few months. Especially as a lefty.

ToneControl · July 2019

earwighoney said:

ToneControl said:

I'll see the photos as it gestates for 10 weeks!
Ard Ri L7-390FC-Custom
12 fret Jumbo
46mm nut
Ziricote
Sinker redwood
Florentine Cutaway
Carved Sound Port

The sinker redwood is very attractive, and had excellent tap test results
the ziricote is also excellent

Wow. All out it seems, no holding back!

glad someone noticed, yes I turned all the dials to 11
It was going to be a 12-fret dread
I didn't go for fancy inlays though!

But I did ask for a very lively shell rosette: Paua Paua Abalone

ToneControl · July 2019

should look a little like this

https://www.flickr.com/photos/66700219@N02/41843407670/in/album-72157669520623097/

but without fan frets and with no bevel

my rosette will be more like this one:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/66700219@N02/15188572342/in/album-72157647353189886/

GTC · July 2019

ToneControl said:

GTC said:

That's the nicest piece of ziricote I've seen!

They had one even nicer looking, also nice sounding, but slightly too small for a Jumbo
the photo above is the sinker though

Well - that's me failed on the boy scout tonewood identification badge then! Let's try again - that's the nicest piece of sinker redwood I've seen.

I ordered this one after being incredibly impressed with a 2018 L2-20 jumbo lefty I bought from them back in April. With this one coming I'm reluctantly selling the L2-20 lefty to maintain domestic harmony.

I'd put teh L2-20 on buy it now at a much higher price for a few months. Especially as a lefty.

If the object was money then you are right - but we are talking about domestic harmony here

thomasross20 · July 2019

I'm going to learn left handed guitar just so I can get this deal! Lol

ToneControl · July 2019

GTC said:

ToneControl said:

GTC said:

That's the nicest piece of ziricote I've seen!

They had one even nicer looking, also nice sounding, but slightly too small for a Jumbo
the photo above is the sinker though

Well - that's me failed on the boy scout tonewood identification badge then! Let's try again - that's the nicest piece of sinker redwood I've seen.
I ordered this one after being incredibly impressed with a 2018 L2-20 jumbo lefty I bought from them back in April. With this one coming I'm reluctantly selling the L2-20 lefty to maintain domestic harmony.

I'd put teh L2-20 on buy it now at a much higher price for a few months. Especially as a lefty.
If the object was money then you are right - but we are talking about domestic harmony here

yes, I had to jettison a few guitars and a very nice Victoria amp to get this custom build through the disapproval stage. I think the physical theatre of boxing all those things up in our hallway helped me there

WindmillGuitars · July 2019

@ToneControl VERY nice .. I'm based about 5 mins from Avalon. If you're ever over again give me a shout

ToneControl · July 2019

Anchorboy said:

@ToneControl VERY nice .. I'm based about 5 mins from Avalon. If you're ever over again give me a shout

thanks

I used to come over lots in the late 80s and 90s, very impressed with the improvements since then

ToneControl · August 2019

ToneControl · August 2019

Kalimna · August 2019

Oh good lord, that ziricote is pretty! For an acoustic guitar, I don't think there is a single species I prefer aesthetically to ziricote (possibly cocobolo), and that is stunning.

Look forward to updated photo's.

Adam

thomasross20 · August 2019

How does zircote sound, again?? Looks amazing !!!

ToneControl · August 2019

thomasross20 said:

How does zircote sound, again?? Looks amazing !!!

I was a doubter on ziricote. The ziricote/rewood small body Avalon I bought is like a much larger £5k guitar, louder, with an aural exciter added. Even my kids can tell the difference (against more expensive guitars)

thomasross20 · August 2019

And it looks so good, too. Total win!!

Have you tried the "amazaque" wood they use?

ToneControl · August 2019

thomasross20 said:

And it looks so good, too. Total win!!

Have you tried the "amazaque" wood they use?

not yet

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NGD - Finished! custom Avalon L7-390 FC Ziricote/Sinker Redwood 12 fret jumbo Florentine + soundport

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