Avalon A32J

This is a nylon string acoustic guitar with a cutaway, which has an unusual auditorium/jumbo sized body. Sitka spruce top; indian Rosewood back and sides; ebony fingerboard. It has some sort of X-bracing and the neck joins at the 14th fret.

Construction is top quality and it looks beautiful, and has a very low action with a great tone.

The finish is cracked at the fret ends possibly where they have expanded due to temperature changes, but this is a very minor problem.

I have fitted a Fishman ellipse blender system with mini mic and piezo blend via soundhole controls which means no large holes to cut in the body. This pickup system works very well (careful with the mini-mic at high volumes - rare for me). At low volumes (jazz trio in a cafe/restaurant) the amplified sound is great through a TA50R Trace Acoustic combo. Un-amplified it is stunning.

This is the best nylon string with a cutaway I have played. I do not think I will ever buy another - it is perfect for me. I play jazz with a plectrum and fingers.

I have played nylon strings for years, but always wanted the harmonics, sustain, depth in the bass and lack of dead spots of a steel string. Also, that ringing sound off the wound strings that you get from a steel string - you usually cannot get this from a nylon.

However, the Avalon A32J is like that dream guitar, with beautiful nylon strings in the higher register. It sounds huge and seems louder than a dreadnought steel string. Intonation is perfect. The sound is even at every fret with no dead spots at all. The low E, A and D strings sustain and have low, full, deep sound. The low E, A and D strings have an absolutely even tone with no dead spots even up past the 7-14th fret which is crucial for jazz chords. Overall, absolutely lovely. I think the secret is that this is a large auditorium/jumbo sized body. This makes the sound huge. Also, it has x bracing which I think is very unusual for a nylon string.

It is like playing a great steel string but with the lovely tone of a nylon. I can (attempt to) play Michael Hedges style harmonics and tapping, with flamenco/jazz style single note lines and it works while sustaining huge bass notes on the lower strings.

A really great sound! Thankyou Avalon!

Action is perfect (low and even) but I had it set up by a very good person at Hanks in Denmark Street, London. It needed a very slightly lower action than that supplied. The nut/tuning stability is the best I have every had from a nylon string.

The finish appears very thin with a satin feel - lovely.

Apart from the cracked finish at the fret ends (very minor) I think it is perfect.

I cannot imagine a more professionally built guitar. I dropped the guitar onto a wooden floor at a gig. It bounced with no resulting marks on the finish.

Nothing has needed attention.

25 years of playing. I have had the guitar for one year. Finally I have found the dream guitar when I bought this Avalon A32J last year.