Which one? Petros/Froggy Bottom/Kinnaird/Lowden/DeJonge/Ryan

[Prizen]

Looking to commission a build. Generally prefer modern sound over traditional. An easy playing guitar is essential. Cannot be stiff, and the neck must be very playable and quick, almost electric guitar like.

I do not mind waiting up to 1 year or even 18 months. Budget max 10k USD.

From researching, I have come up with a short list of luthiers / small shops. Would love to get your take on these, for what is massive investment for me.

I mostly strum and fingerstlye 50/50. Of course i may make a trip to somewhere that stocks many of these also.

Would love to hear your views

Petros
Froggy Bottom
Kinnaird
Lowden
DeJonge
Ryan
Tippin
Doerr

[BrunoBlack]

I can only speak firsthand for Froggy and Tippin. I think they are terrific guitars, made by masters. However, they have a traditional and not a modern sound. And there is nothing about them that feels or plays like an electric guitar. The fretboard radius of the typical Froggy is a relatively flat 20-inch radius.

[Marcus Wong]

I've only played half the guitars on your list, but if I could, I would likely add Jayson Bowerman to that list. He fits the bill quite nicely in terms of the price, waiting time and modern tone happy shopping!

[Ozzy the dog]

I have a soft spot for Lowden but I'm not sure how much of a custom build they do. However, they have a distinctive warm and clear tone that is uniquely their own.

If this is the road you go down then McIlroy Guitars are very special and worth considering. Dermot McIlroy used to work for Lowden before going on his own and the results are spectacular in looks, playability and sound.

If you gave me a Lowden and a McIlroy to compare my fingers would turn raw before I would be able to put them down.

[TomB'sox]

Well, I have played two on the list a lot...Kinnaird (both Steve and John) and Petros....I can not fathom how someone could be disappointed with either of them!

[iim7V7IM7]

1. What guitars have you played and liked and what have you played and not liked?
2. The array of small factory and individual luthiers that you listed are quite diverse in what they sound like. It is unclear what your goals are. Why did you select them out of the universe of options?
3. Do you have an opportunity to attend a luthier exhibition such as the one in Santa Barbara, CA in late August or Woodstock, NY in late October?

Originally Posted by Prizen

Looking to commission a build. Generally prefer modern sound over traditional. An easy playing guitar is essential. Cannot be stiff, and the neck must be very playable and quick, almost electric guitar like.

I do not mind waiting up to 1 year or even 18 months. Budget max 10k USD.

From researching, I have come up with a short list of luthiers / small shops. Would love to get your take on these, for what is massive investment for me.

I mostly strum and fingerstlye 50/50. Of course i may make a trip to somewhere that stocks many of these also.

Would love to hear your views

Petros
Froggy Bottom
Kinnaird
Lowden
DeJonge
Ryan
Tippin
Doerr

[Jamiejoon]

I have owned two of them: Petros (a 2008 Applecreek Engelmann/IRW) and Lowden (a 2013 O-35 Cedar/Mahogany). They are two of the best guitars I have ever touched. I recently made a decision to sell the Lowden (to finance a new build) and sent it off on consignment, and just thinking of it makes my heart hurt. It was, in my opinion, a perfect guitar. Angelic, magical, profound. What have I done??? I will probably always regret that. I have been playing the Petros all morning, and it gets more play than any of my other guitars (though it is not the most expensive).

Both of them have thin, comfortable necks. Both play very easily. The Lowden, being larger and being a Lowden, is louder and has more spectacular overtones (and stronger bass) than the Petros. I suppose I would say the Petros is more crisp and clear.

I would probably commission another Petros before another Lowden, and then will scour the Earth to try to recover the Lowden I lost.

J

[tadol]

They are all quite capable of making outstanding guitars - and they are all different. If you are seriously considering this many different luthiers, and spending that kind of money, you have to attend one of the shows and play a few different samples from each, and talk to them and get a feel of each of their building and aesthetic styles, and be able to clearly explain to them what you want, and more importantly, why you want THEM to build it. You're gonna live with it for a long time, you need to be sure in your mind - no one else's opinion really matters -

[SJ VanSandt]

A lot of these luthiers' base prices are bumping up against your ceiling: if you want to do much in the way of personalization, you might have to stretch your budget. If you can't make it to any of the big shows, you might want to visit one of the shops that carry some of these builders. Dream Guitars probably has something in your price range that would ring all your bells - commissioning a custom always entails some risk.

[volman]

From that list...I have only played a Doerr and a few Lowdens. The Lowdens were nice and I couldn't fault them for anything. From what you want, I would not say that they played like an electric. Comfortable neck profile, but not any noticeable difference from the Larrivee I used to own (also a great guitar).

As for the Doerr, I just got my custom built Doerr Solace Sinker/Coco in a couple weeks ago. Tom knocked it out of the park. Very much a modern tone and plays almost as easy as the PRS electrics I have owned...very fast. The fit and finish is outstanding. You should definitely give him a call and tell him what you are looking for.

You certainly have some great builders on your list. Wish I had some experience to share about some of the others.

[Fsgeek]

If Im saving a little, I'll go for Lowdens...
If you can find a nice Ryan go for it...

[LarryVe]

For a modern sound, Goodall is very well known and highly regarded.

[247hoopsfan]

Originally Posted by LarryVe

For a modern sound, Goodall is very well known and highly regarded.

+1 for Goodall. I have played several guitars from the luthiers on your list.
One of them was a mint used Doerr Brazilian Rosewood. It was $10K, and
I had my Goodall to compare it to in the shop with me. I'll just say that
my Goodall definitely held its own, and then some. You can find mint used
Goodalls for $3000-4500 all the time. They are an insanely great value used.

But if you are going to drop $10K on a new commission, I would definitely play some of the luthiers guitars before you buy.

[Carmel Cedar]

I'd recommend a Ryan. Hits all your requirements (the fastest neck of all of your options, I believe), and Kevin is a joy to work with. Have owned two and about to get a third. Love their tone!

[SiliconValleySJ]

Originally Posted by Prizen

I mostly strum and fingerstlye 50/50. Of course i may make a trip to somewhere that stocks many of these also.

I've not played your entire list--all but Petros and Kinnaird--but the strum/fingerstyle mix is definitely me too. (Okay, I strum a lot more...!) When I've played all of the ones on this list and then some, I've struggled to find a modern guitar that handles the pick really well and the traditional guitar that has a modern overtone vibe. It sounds like you're going to have that challenge here too.

With that in mind, I would recommend Doerr first as I think his builds do both pretty well, with a more modern leaning. If a slightly less modern leaning, then I think De Jonge does both well too.

If you're willing to go off list, I would recommend adding Brian Applegate to your list as I think his do both quite well.

Just my 2 cents.