While stumbling around on the internet looking for fretless guitar designs I came upon this website. It showcased a guitar that I’d never heard of. It is called the Paradis Avalon model guitar. It caught my eye for a few reasons. First, the Avalon model has nylon strings on an electric guitar. There are other models that use steel strings. The second reason was the ergonomic design. I’m quite the fan of the D extender and the tuner placement.
The guitar was designed by Rolf Spuler in collaboration with a few other luthiers and technicians, specifically, Matthias Grob. The main goal of this collective seemed to be to create polyphonic pickup and amp systems for guitars. They teamed up in 1986, and by 1990 were producing the Avalon guitars, as well as their own line of amps and pickups. By 1996 they had sold about 250 Avalons’ and had created a mountain of debt. And so production on the guitars ended.
Rolf has since started producing the guitars on his own, with a few tweaks. The headless design was abandoned. I though that the original headless design and tuner placement was brilliant. I think it is a shame that this was abandoned though I understand why a manufacturer who wants to sell guitars would do so. The new headstock design is innovative, but a headless design is much more ergonomic, and you could defend your home with it! Seriously, look at that spike at the headstock! You could kill a boar with it.
Lets hope that a headless option is still available. Good Luck to Rolf! I am happy to praise anyone who comes up with a worthwhile design in the very stodgy and very un-innovative world of guitar design.
If you are looking for other ergonomic guitar designs be sure to check out my buddy Robert Irizarry’s website Building the Ergonomic Guitar.
Wunderbar!
Filed under: Guitar, Musical Gear
Wow
astounding looking instruments…
How did you get these pictures ! ?
I knew Rolf personally back when and also though that it was one of the most amazing guitars ever.
250 guitars in 6 years and a mountain of debt ? I wonder how that could have happened.
I borrowed those photos from the hendrixguitar.com website. Didn’t think anyone would mind.
As for the mountain of debt? I’m thinking that R&D overspent thier budget.
yes, i am the man behind… the new headstock design is not an admission to mainstream – it is a technical improvement. the headless design tended to dead resonant spots in the lower range. this was disturbing polybass generation and midi-tracking. the headstock adds weight to the neck thus pushing down the resonance gaps below fundamental string frequency.