Doolin Guitars

redcloud · #1 05-21-2011, 05:17 PM

Anyone know about Mike Doolin?

I contacted him by email and left 2 phone messages re: possibly building an acoustic bass for me. I received no responses. Is he still making guitars?

dberkowitz · #2 05-21-2011, 05:24 PM

Mike is as far as I know just fine. What kind of time frame are we talking about between the email and calls?

redcloud · #3 05-21-2011, 07:46 PM

over three weeks

min7b5 · #4 05-23-2011, 05:52 PM

I think Mike is in town. I'd try him back again by phone. I know my emails pile up for a long time these days, and then sometimes I lose a few...

Billy Boy · #5 05-25-2011, 06:51 PM

Mike has also been in the process of moving into a new house, getting the old house ready to sell, setting up his shop in his new house, etc. He's a great guy who builds incredible guitars. Your patience and understanding will be richly rewarded by the results should you go with one of Mike's builds.

rgregg48 · #6 05-27-2011, 02:43 PM

Ive never played Doolin guitars,
but i have played Doolin banjos!

Rick

Howard Klepper · #7 05-27-2011, 03:39 PM

I heard Irish music at a pub in Doolin, Ireland. That must count for something.

redcloud · #8 05-27-2011, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy Boy

Mike has also been in the process of moving into a new house, getting the old house ready to sell, setting up his shop in his new house, etc. He's a great guy who builds incredible guitars. Your patience and understanding will be richly rewarded by the results should you go with one of Mike's builds.

Perhaps, but it doesn't take much to acknowledge receipt of now 2 emails and 2 phone messages. NO ONE is that busy or important!

wthurman · #9 05-27-2011, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redcloud

Perhaps, but it doesn't take much to acknowledge receipt of now 2 emails and 2 phone messages. NO ONE is that busy or important!

Important, maybe not. Busy... well, that's another thing. I've had voicemails and emails go for well over a month before I could get to them. And I'm just a regular old person.

I'd also like to mention that complaining publicly about someone you want to have build you a guitar might not be the best of ideas... just sayin'.

redcloud · #10 05-28-2011, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wthurman

Important, maybe not. Busy... well, that's another thing. I've had voicemails and emails go for well over a month before I could get to them. And I'm just a regular old person.

I'd also like to mention that complaining publicly about someone you want to have build you a guitar might not be the best of ideas... just sayin'.

Well, Misters Ryan, Olson, Klepper, Greenfield, Bills, and Schwartz respond happily and politely usually within 24 hours. I am a busy guy and due to my occupation receive a lot of calls that interrupt or conflict with my time. I seem to cope.

My original post wasn't a complaint, but rather a hope that someone in the AGF may know why he couldn't respond. One response indicated he may be no longer making guitars, another implied he was personally busy, and one of my responses indicated the time frame in question.

Larry Pattis · #11 05-28-2011, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redcloud

Well, Misters Ryan, Olson, Klepper, Greenfield, Bills, and Schwartz respond happily and politely usually within 24 hours. I am a busy guy and due to my occupation receive a lot of calls that interrupt or conflict with my time. I seem to cope.

Mike is one of the stand-up good-guys in the guitar building world.

If he is indeed finally (after over 9 months of work) in process of moving to the new house, and he is working on wiring, plumbing, setting up his new shop, etc., then I think that's enough of an answer on this thread...and that is likely *exactly* what is happening here.

He may not even have a computer connected to the internet, in fact. As "horrible" as this might seem, I will repeat again that Mike is one of the stand-up good-guys in the guitar building world.

I wouldn't let this thread get blown out of proportion.

If someone wants to be upset with Mike about this oversight, so be it...but it should be clear that it is a very unusual oversight, with likely an unusual set of circumstances.

Mike is one of the stand-up good-guys in the guitar building world.

Quote:

Originally Posted by redcloud

My original post wasn't a complaint, but rather a hope that someone in the AGF may know why he couldn't respond. One response indicated he may be no longer making guitars, another implied he was personally busy, and one of my responses indicated the time frame in question.

Actually, Scott, no one has indicated or even implied that Mike is no longer building guitars, as you stated.

Billy Boy (hey, Bill!) has indicated that he is in-process of moving. Guitar builders don't hire a moving company...they move their shops piece by piece (when the new area is ready), tool by tool, and stack of wood by stack of wood...an enormous task...and to go along with this, it's not just the shop, but the entire household.

That's the scoop.

Mike is still building, and he is a great guy.

I understand that you want a response, and that you're not getting a timely response. I also don't like it when someone doesn't get back to me on a timely basis.

Mike is not a guy that disappears into the woodwork (literally!), ever. Something is going on...again, probably this big move.

P.S. When I had my heart attack last year I was also unable to respond to emails for a while.

Gerald Sheppard · #12 05-29-2011, 07:07 PM

Could be he has a new number. Did you check his site contact page? Larry is right - they don't come any better than Mike Doolin.

redcloud · #13 05-30-2011, 05:41 AM

I wasn't originally trying to impune Mike online. I was just hoping that one of his friends in this vast online community might know him personally and let him know someone has tried repeatedly to get in touch with him.

I can't help finding it frustrating and disappointing when someone doesn't respond in a reasonable time frame. I have used contact info off of his website and his answering machine seems to accept messages. I get it that sometimes people have issues with an Internet connection or something comes up like moving, etc.

I am not a bad guy for relating a time frame in response to another post. Nor am I rude for having a different feeling about how quickly a person should respond to a query.

I think the thread was I'll-advised. I am sorry that I considered this method to try to reach him.

Kevin A · #14 05-30-2011, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wthurman

I'd also like to mention that complaining publicly about someone you want to have build you a guitar might not be the best of ideas.

So true....

min7b5 · #15 05-30-2011, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gerald Sheppard

... they don't come any better than Mike Doolin.

Mike is also a killer player