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Old 04-11-2022, 05:23 PM
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justonwo justonwo is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
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Hmmm . . . I would strongly consider revising your approach significantly. The best (and really ONLY reliable) way to pick a builder is to play examples of their work in person. The builder is far more important than any of the other specifications, including tonewood, as building style and technique will dictate the vast majority of the tone and response you get. And, of course, you'll be able to see in person how well the instrument is made and how much you like the feel. Not all luthiers build at the same quality or QA/QC level. It can be hard to see the differences through websites or photos.

I remember, after attending my first big guitar show in 2009, realizing how much different my opinions could be from the opinions of folks on the AGF. After doing significant web research, I narrowed my search down to a few builders going into the show. The work of some of those builders turned out to be real disappointments in person (or just not my style), while others I had never heard of were very exciting.

My sense is that you could have two people on the AGF with radically different views on what constitutes a great guitar advising you on two radically different builders even though you think you're requesting a very specific spec. I would strongly recommend you attend a show or go to a big shop to select a builder. Ideally, play a couple examples of the work from a builder you like. Then talk to them about narrowing down wood choices.

Letting the web choose a builder for you is a huge risk. It won't matter what tonewoods and specs are used if the builder doesn't float your boat.
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