Guitars

Avalon S15C
The Specs

Avalon S15C

Year: 2026
Builder: Avalon
Series: Performer
Model: S15C
Serial Number: TBD

Top: Cedar
Body: Mahogany
Body Finish: Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Body Size/Shape: Small
Body Width at Upper Bout: 10.625"
Body Width at Waist: 9"
Body Width at Lower Bout: 14.5"
Body Depth at Neck Joint: 3.5"
Body Depth at Tail Block: 4"
Body Binding: Maple
Body Purfling: Maple/Rosewood
Cutaway: Yes
Rosette: Abalone
Pickguard: None
Bridge: Ebony
Bridge Pins: Ebony w/ Pearl Dots
Saddle: 2-Piece Compensated Bone
String Spacing at Saddle: 2.25"

Neck: 5-Piece Mahogany/Rosewood
Neck Finish: Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Neck Profile: Avalon Standard
Neck Joint: Dovetail
Heelcap: Ebony
Scale Length: 25.5"
Fretboard: Ebony
Fretboard Binding: None
Fretboard Inlay: None
Frets: 20
Frets to Body: 14
Fretboard Radius: 16"
Nut: Bone
Nut Width: 1.73"
Headstock: Avalon
Headplate: Ebony
Headplate Logo: Abalone Avalon Logo
Tuners: Gold Gotoh
Tuner Buttons: Ebony
Tuner Ratio: 18:1

Case: Avalon Hardshell Case
Pickup: None
Strings: D'Addario XS Jim Tozier Signature PB (.013-.056)

 

Photo above is not my actual guitar... just representative of an Avalon small-bodied guitar with a cedar top.

The Story

Shortly after returning to acoustic fingerstyle guitar in the summer of 2026, I decided I wanted a couple of small-bodied cedar-topped guitars because my Hamblin SJ had become too sentimental for daily use. So I contacted my friends at Avalon Guitars and placed an order!

I used a cedar/mahogany Avalon A101 to record my Celtic Guitar and Solo Guitar albums, and I really liked the combination of the cedar's warmth and overtones with the mahogany's clarity and definition. So when planning the new Avalon guitars, I decided to recreate that pairing—this time in a smaller-bodied guitar, since that's what I find most comfortable to play these days.

Many of Avalon's aesthetic cues are taken from the days when the same luthiers were building Lowden Guitars: the elegant satin finish, wood bindings, abalone rosette, blank ebony fretboard, and 5-piece neck (not to mention the signature woody, spacious tone) give Avalon guitars a distinctly Irish identity.

I'll be documenting the build process with photos and regular updates to my Avalon Build page for anyone who's interested in following along as the guitar is being crafted.

The Photos

COMING SOON...

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