Here is something amazing that a friend on another forum told me:
"So I've been emailing with my friend Chris, who had one of these Avalons in the 70's. And it appears that it WAS, in fact, one of the guitars on the album cover!
(Chris and I have known each other since grade school. We were in our first band together and my last band. He still plays with a re-formed version of The Jabbers, GG Allin's old band. He joined GG's band when I went to college and our high school band broke up.)
I remember Larry at Ted's [Ted Herbert's, where Ernie Hatzis, mentioned on the album cover taught guitar] (remember that **** Larry?…actually, most of the people at Ted's were ***** except for Ted) telling me that the Avalon I was buying belonged to a local girl band and that they had had two of them, but sold one. He never mentioned the name, nor would it have even registered.
When I had my time with Dot Wiggin, I told her the story and sure enough, they had sold them to Ted's! She asked me if I still had it as she wanted to see it. I didn't have the heart to tell her i sold it to a kid named [name omitted] for like $75 so I could buy a Tele. I posted that story on BGC a few years ago and a bunch of guys freaked. Truth is, if it were not for Zappa praising them, and then NRBQ reissuing their album, no one would know or care. The poor ladies worked in one of my clients warehouse as pickers! the music truly IS unlistenable.
I mentioned the connection between Ted's and Ernie (who I also took lessons from there) and he replied
oh, i have been convinced for decades it was one of their guitars. they traded them in the same year i buy one… and this was prior to zappa and nrbq latching onto them.
and ****, that is right, i remember the ernie hatzas connection. again, i never would have known and it was not until the 80's and working at Strawberries and learning about the band that i started to make the possible connection.
I asked him "Hey, didn't we (our late 90's/early 2000's band, Rat Fink) almost do something with them at the time you met them?
yes, we talked about doing my pal foot foot but due to some pending movie agreement (i think with NRBQ backing) they could not commit to perform or appear on anything (i forget if it was dot or betty who i was corresponding with, but she was afraid of the lawyers). as far as i know, the movie folded. that is probably one song [name omitted] could have played on drums w/o too many missed beats (or noticed f'ups as they would have sounded purposeful).
So there ya go. It would seem that Chris' first electric was one of the Avalons from that album cover. "
