NGD - Avalon (Lowden) acoustic

redrighthand

NGD today.  

This is an Avalon acoustic - made in Newtownards, Northern Ireland by the former Lowden folks in the former Lowden factory. It's quite a rarity - one of only ten made. As I understand it, it was the result of a suggestion to Avalon by Flora Fauna International that they find a way of using some of the expensive tone woods that would otherwise have become scrap - so in 2006 they built a few guitars with 4 piece tops and backs and a laminate neck.   Obviously it was an environmental consideration, but I can't help thinking that the craftsmanship that went into making these would have vastly outweighed the cost saving on the wood!  

Anyhow it looks and sounds beautiful. The top is spruce, and the back and sides are Honduran mahogany. The neck is mahogany and maple and the fingerboard and bridge are a beautifully black ebony. It has a Baggs pickup installed which sounds excellent.

Awesomeness.

Obligatory pics below.



http://i.imgur.com/neoNuWS.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/cW0fEoJ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/E1P58Ox.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/tsSuYGX.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/qxnKIti.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/BwnoDsB.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/aRsAHnT.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/z5UYijR.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/azTytDD.jpg

John_P

Lovely!   That looks really nice :-)

ToneControl

wonderful

mellowsun

Lovely guitar, congratulations! I bet it has a beautiful, piano like tone.

TimmyO

Very nice

AliGorie

yeah, nice guitar RRH, many years of happy picking ahead.
3 and four piece backs - particularly have been used for centuries and is a sensible use of valuable timber think Martin D35 where they introduced the 3 piece back to use up they’re stock of Brazilian r/wood that was to narrow.
Back in the hay day of Lutes and Vihuela they used multiple ’strips’ of timber to achieve the highly vaulted backs, often in contrasting woods to aesthetically enhance the look. It is also more economic way of going about things as two wide plates to join as a back would cost X times the equivalent area made up narrower strips.
Piano soundboards are made from a great many <> 4’ strips of high quality QS timber and with the multiple glued joints - it doesn’t seem to have a detrimental effect on the structural stability or the sound quality - if done right.
Another reason for building using multi piece tops / backs is that you can build with ultra high grade ‘Master’ timber at an affordable cost. 

http://www.lutesandguitars.co.uk/images/JB5c.jpg

http://www.lutesandguitars.co.uk/images/JB5c.jpg

and the excellent Bernard Lehmann’s guitars, check the link below if u’r into ‘craftsmanship. -
http://www.dreamguitars.com/detail/5170-lehmann_master_model_2000_476/

http://www.dreamguitars.com/products/lehmann/lehmann_master_model_2000_476/images/bfull.jpg

Nitefly

Beautiful looking guitar, @redrighthand ;

redrighthand

Thanks for the info @AliGorie ; - I've certainly seen some expensive multi piece instruments before - that Lehman is mad looking! How do they do the join - i.e. what's that very thin strip of material on mine?

AliGorie

sorry those Lute and Guitar links did'nt work
try this -
http://www.lutesandguitars.co.uk/images/JB5c.jpg

Ah - sublime

the fillet on your guitar looks like maple that has 'aged' some by - could be one of many lighter colourd woods though
BTW it looks like theive put 'fllets' between the joints on the top as well - Cedar ? .
If you can get a good closeup - in focus, of both I'll have a better idea, just outa.
BTW #2,  a properly executed glue with the glues used in instrument making is actually stronger than the wood.
We test for this - how ?, when we're trying a new glue - get two blocks of wood of the same type were gonna use - glue them together under correct clamping pressure and next day put it in a vice - gripping the lower block - now with a hammer smash th top block with a sideways swipe, if the joint /  glue is good, the wood / fibers ( splinters) will be torn from the glue.
Aliphatic resin glue (Titebond) and Hide glue create good joints.
Sorry this seems to have swerved off topic.