#16
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My first custom built guitar was a Campellone archtop. Then a S Kinnaird OM (Lucky Strike redwood on ziricote).
Along the line I picked up two other guitars from the Steve and Ryan's workshop. Not custom guitars (at least not made for me), but very fine small shop handmade instruments. Now I don't play my factory built guitars at all, apart from my Les Pauls, Strats, Tele, etc. My beloved Martin D35, my partner for 50 years, lives in its case for the next generation. It's a fantastic guitar, but it just doesn't hold up to the others. I find it hard to imagine buying another factory made guitar. That doesn't mean it won't happen, I just can't picture the situation where I would want or need it. |
#17
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Bob https://on.soundcloud.com/ZaWP https://youtube.com/channel/UCqodryotxsHRaT5OfYy8Bdg |
#18
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I’ve had some very nice Taylors (814, 812, 714, 522, and K-22) but once I got my first Collings (an OM1A), I knew there was something extra there in terms of sustain and resonance (what I mean by the tone vibrates and sustains through your upper body). There was also something there in terms of a just a bit more clarity. That led to selling all the Taylors and acquiring a couple of Santa Cruz’s and a Froggy Bottom. The Santa Cruz’s I would have kept if I had not needed a cutaway so they were sold for and replaced by a Steve Sheriff built Edwinson Zephyr 00. The same for a Collings 0001A I replaced with a Tom Doerr Trinity 00. My Froggy was also sold but I have a new one in build right now the only difference being the cutaway addition and the some tweaks to nut width and string spacing. And finally, the sale of my Taylors a couple of years ago funded a Kostal OMC that is nearing completion that has been a 2 year wait (he’s now around a 4-5 year wait). I feel pretty confident that with these four guitars, my GAS could be permanently cured. Each will have its own tonal personality which for fingerstyle playing will be simply wonderful. I feel very fortunate to be in a position to afford these amazing guitars. Last but not least is that I can pick up the phone any time and call Tom Doerr, Steve Sheriff, Michael Millard, or Jason Kostal and they will gladly stop what they are doing and talk about guitars. You really do get to enjoy a direct connection to the builder. You’ll find you have that connection to just about any of the custom builders here. Bottom line is that the value added to a custom guitar is there for me. Hope you can take that journey some day. Cheers mate, Bob
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Doerr Trinity 12 Fret 00 (Lutz/Maple) Edwinson Zephyr 13 Fret 00 (Adi/Coco) Froggy Bottom H-12 (Adi/EIR) Kostal 12 Fret OMC (German Spruce/Koa) Rainsong APSE 12 Fret (Carbon Fiber) Taylor 812ce-N 12 fret (Sitka/EIR Nylon) |
#19
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I have followed your journey, so it's nice to hear you tie it all together and your thought process behind each move. I'll need to up my playing game in order to justify the cost to myself, so that's a good motivation to buckle down Thanks for your response.
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Bob https://on.soundcloud.com/ZaWP https://youtube.com/channel/UCqodryotxsHRaT5OfYy8Bdg |
#20
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Trouble is, I'm just not a very deep thinker. |
#21
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Caveat poster! There’s less than a stone’s throw between deep thinking and overthinking! I think this general approach to guitars, though, has been referred to as “serial monogamy”—I’d read advice somewhere early on, maybe from Pat Metheny, to “Play *one* guitar!” The idea being to go deep rather than broad. Mileage may vary of course. In full disclosure, I do have a new guitar on order this year, so it’ll total something like 5 instruments in slightly over 30 years. And this latest is hard to defend, beyond the fact that I came across some historic topwood and a legendary builder willing to try something different. More as it happens.
Last edited by Richard Mott; 03-04-2021 at 12:38 PM. |
#22
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Best, Fred
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1993 Bourgeois JOM 1967 Martin D12-20 2007 Vines Artisan 2014 Doerr Legacy 2013 Bamburg FSC- 2002 Flammang 000 12 fret 2000 McCollum Grand Auditorium ______________________________ Soundcloud Spotify Mike McKee/Fred Bartlett Spotify playlist |
#23
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I could swing it, my wife will think I'm nuts-- but she has grown to accept my craziness. Thing is, while I'm pumping out alternating bass Peidmont blues and rags, you guys are creating/playing lovely arrangements with lush overtones, harmonics, etc. that really blossom on a better instrument. My dream guitar right now is an old Gibson 00, the drier the better I'm still pretty new at finger style, not sure a better guitfiddle is going to make much difference! I really happy with my $400 Farida, and probably will continue to be unless I get to play one these beauties some day. I really appreciate your thoughts and encouragement and taking the time, as always. Hope you are well on the island. Hoping to be there again this summer, never got past Montauk last year....
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Bob https://on.soundcloud.com/ZaWP https://youtube.com/channel/UCqodryotxsHRaT5OfYy8Bdg |
#24
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I just got a Custom Shop guitar last week.
I am so incredibly madly fanatically crazily obsessively in love with this guitar. Now.......my "main" non-CS guitar is still my favorite but I have quickly decided I have two favorites. Seriously, this is so far above and beyond. There truly and really is something legitimately much better about a Custom Shop guitar. So, let me put it in perspective. I've owned all of these and will grade them for my personal feelings about them: Martin D-15M (C) Martin 000-15 (A) Martin 000-15 (B-) Martin OMC15-ME (C) Martin J-15 (C) Martin OM-15 (B+) Martin OM-15 Custom Shop (A+)
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Fazool "The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter" 000-15 / GC7 / GA3-12 / SB2-C / SB2-Cp / AVC-11MHx / AC-240 |
#25
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A little bit. I already own a NOS Irvin that had been my main guitar up until then. And I own a 78 Larrivee that is pretty special. Other than that, I can see myself selling off my other Larrivees soon. I don't plan on ever buying another factory guitar again. I don't really suffer from GAS, not like so many on this forum. But getting a custom has shut the door on anything other than customs for me. So I guess it has actually reduced GAS, or at least some of the causes of it.
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-Gordon 1978 Larrivee L-26 cutaway 1988 Larrivee L-28 cutaway 2006 Larrivee L03-R 2009 Larrivee LV03-R 2016 Irvin SJ cutaway 2020 Irvin SJ cutaway (build thread) K+K, Dazzo, Schatten/ToneDexter Notable Journey website Facebook page Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art. - Leonardo Da Vinci |
#26
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My first reaction to my first custom build:
"Wow, what a bummer that the Brazilian rosewood on my brand new guitar is cracked . . ."
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Circa OM-30/34 (Adi/Mad) | 000-12 (Ger/Maple) | OM-28 (Adi/Brz) | OM-18/21 (Adi/Hog) | OM-42 (Adi/Braz) Fairbanks SJ (Adi/Hog) | Schoenberg/Klepper 000-12c (Adi/Hog) | LeGeyt CLM (Swiss/Amzn) | LeGeyt CLM (Carp/Koa) Brondel A-2 (Carp/Mad) |
#27
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I'm curious are you talking specifically about custom guitars built for you to your exact specifications or smaller focused guitars from custom builders?
I have three guitars from single luther shops that I purchased that were not custom built for me. They are my favorite acoustics even though I have a couple very nice high end Breedloves. The Breedloves come close but all three of the single luthier builds (two of would have cost less than the Breedloves straight from the builder) on any given day have an edge in tone and playability. I still play the others occasionally though and enjoy them. |
#28
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My first custom build was a Charis SJ - African Blackwood/carpathian spruce top with Brazilian rosewood neck...it gets a lot of playing time with its rich tone.
It did not diminish my GAS, actually made it worse, along with my passion for African Blackwood which led to my second build by Simon Fay, a ‘pre-Model One’ with a Sinker Redwood top that is phenomenal, followed by a Stephen Kinnaird Black and White Ebony/spruce OO that is also phenomenal for tone and beauty, which currently gets the most playing time...all 3 built with such superb craftsmanship that it just juices your GAS even more!!
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Jeff Mark Hatcher Pina Parlor Torrified Maple/Cedar Stephen Kinnaird 00 B&W Ebony/Engelmann Spruce Simon Fay African Blackwood/Sinker Redwood Wolfgang Jellinghaus Torres Modelo 43S Maple/Spruce K Yairi CYTM Maple/Cedar |
#29
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This is primarily a steel string acoustic flattop but I had commissioned two archtop guitars (1999 with a factory and 2012 with a luthier) prior to commissioning my first flattop.
My first flattop from a solo luthier was a 2013-2014 build from Bellingham, WA luthier Kent Chasson. It is a WONDERFUL guitar! It is Kent’s Concert model which is a 15”, 24.9” scale, 1-3/4” nut, 2-1/4” string spacing, 3/8” Manzer wedge, Engelmann Spruce top, Brazilian Rosewood back and sides. This commission happened to be Kent’s 100th guitar so he was kind and indulged our common love of some of Frank Lloyd Wright decorative themes which he deftly incorporated. I was delighted with it 7-years ago when it arrived and I still am today. Kent was fantastic to work with as well.
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… |
#30
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And an AGF sponsor! |