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Old 04-01-2008, 08:22 AM
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Default Very Expensive Handmade Guitars

I am compiling a list of very expensive Handmade Acoustic Guitars according to their base price being around 5K. There are many I know nothing about. This is just for fun. I will start with 3 feel free to list 1 or more. 1.Olson, 2.Ryan, 3.Wingert
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Last edited by Compurocker; 04-01-2008 at 08:55 AM.
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Old 04-01-2008, 08:26 AM
PWoolson PWoolson is offline
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Well if expensive is the criteria, you need to include
1) Jeff Traugott
2)Ervin Somogyi
Of course there are many others but I'll let other people chime in.
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Old 04-01-2008, 08:30 AM
Sage97 Sage97 is offline
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Traugott
Ruck
Maingard
Sobell
Greenfield
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Old 04-01-2008, 08:32 AM
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Interesting thoughts, Comp, but need a definition - or at least semi-criterion - for "expensive". Are you thinking 6 figures? That would slim the field down, but then again you could add a master grade set of Brazilian to most builders (except Paul - and Paul, I [now] agree and support your thoughts on Braz!) and go over that mark. Or add a custom inlay and take it to the moon - like Gerald Sheppard's Wild Rose.

I'll add Mike Baranik to your list because of his excellent workmanship, and because if you add some more premium woods to his builds you get up toward the nether regions..

RR
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Old 04-01-2008, 08:32 AM
cu4life7 cu4life7 is offline
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"overpriced" might have been a little more fun... Since expensive is all relative, this really doesn't make much sense. At one point in my guitar playing, I couldn't believe how much martins and taylors were. Heck, at one point I thought seagulls were expensive. I see anything over 3 grand as excessive, so there you go.
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Old 04-01-2008, 08:42 AM
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I guess I meant very expensive being a base price in the 5K area before adding on extras... I looked at some already with a base price of 25K! From what I have heard from people who have played one they are just absolutely incredible. To me anything above 5K is very expensive. My dream guitar would be a Ryan. There are guitars that cost 4 and 5 times that for their base model. I hope I am not breaking any rules here as these are prices posted on the builders web sites not from a retailer. If I am I apologize and you can feel free to delete this thread mods.
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Old 04-01-2008, 08:45 AM
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OOOO, I see this might get ugly very soon. I think the original post was asking "expensive" vs. "overpriced". Yes, we could argue "overpriced" until the cows come home. For one guy $15K is not over priced. For another guy $500 is overpriced.
Yes, expensive can be relative. But it can also be very objective. For example: Take every guitar in America (over $5K for ease of this conversation) and lay them out in order of price. Sure, some will be builders, like myself, who are on the lower end of the price range, yet, have a very expensive guitar due to options. But I think you'll see a pattern that certain builders will fall on that high end of the scale more often than not.
Ok, this just hit me. An easier way to determine this would be to just go off the base price of the builder. That way the "Brazilian/Inlay" factor will not come into play.
So I'm pretty sure Jeff Traugott and Ervin Somogyi will likely be #1 and #2 on that list.
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Old 04-01-2008, 08:52 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PWoolson View Post
Well if expensive is the criteria, you need to include
1) Jeff Traugott
2)Ervin Somogyi
Of course there are many others but I'll let other people chime in.
Yeah! Wow! I have heard from people who have played these at NAMM that they are so incredible they had difficulty describing the experience!
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Old 04-01-2008, 08:56 AM
cocobolo_guy cocobolo_guy is offline
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Tony Vines is a fine builder; http://www.tonyvinesguitars.com/

His music; http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...?bandID=239278

His guitars have been featured on the cover of acoustic music resource catalog in the past

Tony and I went to the same college back in the day. Great guy!
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Old 04-01-2008, 08:59 AM
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My man Lance McCOLLUM. Worth every penny. My now go to guitar builder.
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Old 04-01-2008, 09:02 AM
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I´d like to add two german luthiers to the list:

Peter Gottschall
Andreas ****z (that would be C u n t z...)

And this guy from switzerland:

Antonio Pagelli
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Old 04-01-2008, 09:02 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cocobolo_guy View Post
Tony Vines is a fine builder; http://www.tonyvinesguitars.com/

His music; http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...?bandID=239278

His guitars have been featured on the cover of acoustic music resource catalog in the past
I'll second Tony's guitars! He's a fantastic builder and great guy too. His "Colorado" model was recently on the cover of "Guitar Maker" magazine...

Kindly,
Danny
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Old 04-01-2008, 09:03 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PWoolson View Post
OOOO, I see this might get ugly very soon.
So I'm pretty sure Jeff Traugott and Ervin Somogyi will likely be #1 and #2 on that list.
This was just for fun to learn about Luthiers building Very High End Guitars I am not familiar with. I have already looked up some of the Luthiers people have listed and I find it to be fascinating reading! I meant base prices from the builders website.
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Old 04-01-2008, 09:12 AM
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T.J. Thompson of West Concord, MA (no website) mainly builds OM's and 12-fret 000's and 00's using the techniques that Martin used in the late 20's/early 30's guitars (e.g., bar frets, ebony neck rods). His base price is over $25K.
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Old 04-01-2008, 09:45 AM
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Some I've played and appreciated:
  • Michael Bashkin
  • James Olson
  • Gerald Sheppard
  • Brian Applegate
  • Bruce Sexauer
  • Mark Blanchard
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