Avalon guitars in administration

[2pods]

Nor bass related but sad.

Just seen this:
[url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18207130"]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18207130[/url]

It's a shame. I had a Lowden F25C made there when they were still in partnership with GL.

[machinehead]

Very sad indeed.

I have an Avalon A12 Legacy Series - a stunning guitar. These were listed at £2850 and maybe that's the problem? Not that they aren't worth the money, just that it's a lot of money in these hard times and maybe people just aren't buying?

Frank.

[2pods]

My Lowden F25C came from there towards the end of the Lowden licience thing. I got it for £1495. New Lowden price is £3K or thereabouts. I wish I could have kept it.

Funnily enough I was on Avalon's website recently, and their prices were fair for the guitar, but I think if people are going to spend £3K or thereabouts, It's always going to Lowden, Atkin, Brook, Taylor, Gibson, and Martin, because there was never enough PR about the brilliant guitars they made.

[machinehead]

I remember trying George Lowden's No 4 guitar back in the 70s and not being impressed at all. I think he was selling for £65 at the time. Being self taught, it took him a while to learn to build such great guitars - only a couple of years later and his instruments were stunning!

I knew, and am still friends with, two of his original four employees. One of them built a replica about 5 years ago and it's for sale in a guitar shop near Belfast.

George's legacy is that there are a number of quality guitar builders in N Ireland as a result of his pioneering design work.

It's sad to see one of them, Avalon, going down.

Frank.