My first impressions:
- the purchase experience has been excellent
- I really like that I can try it out on my own and in different settings without pressure because of the no hassle return policy
- feels lightweight
- I really like the satin finish
- it has a smell that I don't love, seems a little like chemicals
- when I barred 1st fret the nut scratched my finger
- the action was really nice. feels like a pro setup
- very easy to play
- tone is brighter than I expected
- when plugged in it was also very bright sounding, even with fiddling with the pickup mix, it required a good bit of high end rolled off in order to get it where I liked it compared to some other guitars.
- I plan to return it but I'm still curious enough to want to try other instruments and could definitely see one of them fitting into my collection for specific purpose.

I own several Martins and this guitar can keep up. I wanted a smaller body, solid wood and didn't want to spend the Martin up-charge. I would recommend this guitar to anyone looking for a smaller body and great sound. The customer service from this company is superb. I love my AVA! Thanks to all the team members at orangeWood. I had never bought a guitar 100% online and was skeptic, other than the wait time which was not long it was over all a great experience. I would definitely buy another instrument.

I bought this guitar while holding off on selling my Taylor 314 that I’ve owned and loved for 8 years now just in case I wanted to take orangewood up on that 30 day free return policy... well, consider my Taylor sold! The Ava is so beautiful and the tone is exactly what I was looking for! The only thing I didn’t absolutely love was the brightness of the strings but now that I’ve put some elixirs on it, it’s perfect for me. If you’re holding back on this decision, there’s no need. Go for it and you won’t regret it!

Just got the Ava Live as my first solid wood guitar and it did not disappoint! Wonderful deep lows, clear highs, excellent sustain and playability. The LR Baggs Anthem is the top of the line pickup, so I’m sure I’ll be super pleased with it once I get a chance to play with it. The hardcase that it comes with is fitted and well built. If you’re thinking about a solid wood guitar, look no further, this sounds much better than many Taylors Martins and Larivees I’ve played in stores. Highly recommended!

Well set up, sounds great. The only things I don't like: the included pickguard (which isn't attached) was for a dreadnought style guitar and would have looked funny on this grand concert size. Also, the binding looks a bit cheap up close, I can't decide if the herringbone is just a sticker or what. I thought it would be molded into the plastic, kind of like some of the tortoiseshell bound guitars.

Anyways, I love the guitar better than my low-end martin. I haven't yet tried it plugged in, but the jack and the strap button are combined, which I think is a great touch.