Most underrated young lutheirs/small builders?

[printer2]

So what should an underrated, under the radar builder sell a guitar for to be underrated?

[FingahPickah]

Alex Edney of Hiram, ME

https://www.edneyguitars.com/

He has done impeccable work on several of my guitars and mandolins.

I also own one of his custom hand-built 12-fret slope shoulder dreads w/a hand rubbed sunburst Engelmann top over Black Walnut back, sides and neck.

[Jwills57]

I commissioned two guitars from this chap in Scotland, Oska Burman (oskaburmanguitars.com). Both are OMs in East Indian Rosewood, one with an alpine spruce top and one with a western red cedar top. The guitars are finished in the white and just awaiting finishing. Should have them both end of September, I reckon. In the 15 months since I first commissioned, his prices have risen about 25%, probably more now. For the quality of his work, I think I got a great bargain, "in on the ground floor" so to speak. These guys and gals are out there, luthiers who are just getting their feet wet in solo building, after guitar building school and apprenticeships.

[Brazad]

Nothing wrong with the OP's inquiry - heck, lots of us have done the exact same thing.

I was able to get #02 and #09 from Leo Posch in 2006 and 2007 before he was well known and I have both guitars insured for more than double what I paid for them then.

I just received #24 from Rufus Thames on 10/3/23 - a **stellar** guitar from someone who is on the way UP! His build list is out 5 years at this point and the entry fee has gone up accordingly.

Gary

[The Bard Rocks]

Bill Kraus is one whose guitars deserve better recognition. Mike Franks is well established but is not that well-known. In Canada, possibly Steve Denvir.

The fact is, there are quite a number of very talented builders, who are relatively unknown at this time. The trick is to predict correctly which ones will "take off" and be able to sell their creations at far higher prices than they now command.

[Jwills57]

Just to report on the Oska Burman Guitars--I received the instruments last week. Just incredible, incredible guitars. I think the double-side construction has something to do with the heft and punch of the sound. I've been lucky enough in life to have been able to commission several great instruments, and the craftsmanship of these guitars is as good as any I have ever received. Just flawless, beautiful to behold and to play. There are a lot of great photos up on his website right now--oskaburmaqnguitars.com--on the facebook link, if you'd like to get a closeup look. Best, Jack

[mikebr75]

Originally Posted by The Bard Rocks

Bill Kraus is one whose guitars deserve better recognition. Mike Franks is well established but is not that well-known. In Canada, possibly Steve Denvir.

The fact is, there are quite a number of very talented builders, who are relatively unknown at this time. The trick is to predict correctly which ones will "take off" and be able to sell their creations at far higher prices than they now command.

I’ll second a vote for Bill Kraus as an under rated builder. I have two Kraus guitars, an OM and what he calls a K-OO, his take on a L-OO style guitar. Both sound and play wonderfully, and the workmanship is as good as any I have seen. He’s a fantastic builder.

[joereadel]

I play a Hiroshi Suda D-28. The company is pretty small - just Hiroshi, I believe - but he's made guitars for Kenny Smith, Chris Eldridge, Josh Williams, Grant Gordy, Carl Minner, and many others. The guitar I have has all the things I wanted: pre war Martin herringbone style, hide glue, no popsicle brace, T bar, etc. One neat thing about it is the grain pattern from the back continues onto the sides in two places. I asked Mr. Suda about this and he said it was an intentional aesthetic choice. http://sudaguitars.music.coocan.jp/About.html

[mercy]

I couldnt access any that just were on Facebook cause I dont do that.
Of the ones I could access, none were something I could buy. I suppose thats good cause it forces me to keep the guitars I have. Though I love the build experience and would like to build another if I could find one in the right price and would/could build with a modern voice.

[Bill Kraus]

Originally Posted by The Bard Rocks

Bill Kraus is one whose guitars deserve better recognition. Mike Franks is well established but is not that well-known. In Canada, possibly Steve Denvir.

Originally Posted by mikebr75

I’ll second a vote for Bill Kraus as an under rated builder. I have two Kraus guitars, an OM and what he calls a K-OO, his take on a L-OO style guitar. Both sound and play wonderfully, and the workmanship is as good as any I have seen. He’s a fantastic builder.

Thank you gentleman!.

[para_adams]

Based solely on this year's visit to the LaConner Guitar Festival, Rebecca Urlacher had the best sounding guitar of all I heard and played. But then I've yet to get to hear or play a guitar made by her fellow Bend OR resident, Jayson Bowerman (unless I count his early effort represented by my fabulous Breedlove Revival DR Deluxe 2009). So my advice is to head to Bend, OR and pick one or the other to make your next guitar.

[sinistral]

I would put Bill Kraus in a different category—underrated established builders. I took the OP’s ask for “young” to mean “early career” and not just young age-wise, which is why I mentioned Rufus Thames. His waitlist is now out to 2028 or so, so that ship has sailed pretty much.

I think that there is a whole separate category of underrated established builders, which includes Bill. The guitars built by these luthiers sound beautiful and are exquisitely crafted, but the prices are very reasonable in the grand scheme of things. If one attends guitar shows like Artisan, La Conner, Woodstock (if there is another one) or the Fretboard Summit, there are typically more than a few luthiers in this category. I wouldn’t buy a guitar from one of these luthiers expecting it to triple in value in a few years, but you will have an heirloom-quality instrument that didn’t cost $20k+. Here’s a gallery of photos I took of Bill’s guitars at the 2022 Woodstock show:

WILS 2022—Bill Kraus

[mercy]

The only rationale for a $20000 guitar is "what the market will bear". Whether its a $1000 guitar, I know of a guy that builds customish* for that, the same steps are followed. One guy doesnt have more work to do than another. Even if I was still working I wouldnt pat that or 15000 or 10. If I was working I might pay less depending on what I was wanting. The builder that makes the sound I want right now is Goodall. Id pay his price, under 10, if I was working. As is Im retired and have been several years, that kind of excess cant be justified.
*he wont build short scale

[Sadie-f]

Originally Posted by mercy

The only rationale for a $20000 guitar is "what the market will bear". Whether its a $1000 guitar, I know of a guy that builds customish* for that, the same steps are followed. One guy doesnt have more work to do than another.

I can posit more than one rationale, and at 100 hours being considered the low end of the time that goes into construction, I honestly would not want a guitar from someone who values their labor at under $10/hour.

Prima facie, not all builders do equal quality work. I value my Santa Cruz as worth every penny she cost and then some. The attention to detail far exceeds the construction quality of my OM-28 in every aspect I can see. More to the point, for her tone is far beyond the Martin (I can get the Santa Cruz to start sounding approximately like the Martin by placing 3 layers of cotton fabric over the soundhole, the OM-28 still sounds a little more damped at that point) That's not saying the Martin isn't a spectacular guitar, I like it every bit as well as most guitars costing 2-3 times more.



To the OP's question, I'll throw my hat in the ring ;-). I'm about halfway through completion of my first acoustic, with Sitka > maple. Photos posted below are of the soundhole rosette which I inlaid over the last couple of days. The inlay is taken from book matched off cuts from the sides wood, chiseled down close to flush and now scraped to nearly flush to the top.

I don't have any plans to sell my builds, to compensate my time at my day job rate, it would come up to well over the cost of a Santa Cruz, and I am under no illusions that this first build will approach that quality. (That said, so far, my build quality is running better than my Martin, partly because I'm using the Santa Cruz as my guideline for attention to details.)

[Bebo]

J C Baxendale (Colorado Guitar Company) - not underrated by me, but perhaps lesser known by some.