Question for luthiers: Who's your favorite luthier?

Morgan1 · #1 02-01-2011, 10:01 AM

Guitar players rarely think their own playing is their favorite. Do guitar builders feel the same way? If your work is what you think is "the best", tell us. Stated otherwise, if money were not an issue and you wanted the ultimate guitar for yourself, would you build it or have it built? If the latter, from whom?

There is no right answer here, just curious.

Howard Klepper · #2 02-01-2011, 11:02 AM

I have seen variations on this question before, and answers are easily prone to misinterpretation. You make that more likely by asking if the luthier thinks his or her work is "the best" (as if there were such a thing), and at the same time asking whose guitar the luthier most would like to have to play. These are different questions.

I play a guitar that I built for myself about 4 years ago. There is no other guitar that I would rather be playing. I offer no judgment about any "best" luthier. I will say that my guitars come out very much the way I want them to, but I would think that most experienced builders would say that.

Tim McKnight · #3 02-01-2011, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morgan1

Guitar players rarely think their own playing is their favorite. Do guitar builders feel the same way? If your work is what you think is "the best", tell us. Stated otherwise, if money were not an issue and you wanted the ultimate guitar for yourself, would you build it or have it built? If the latter, from whom?

There is no right answer here, just curious.

I think most builders enjoy going to guitar shows for reasons that differ from players. It gives us a chance to not only network with our peers on a personal level but also to bench mark our work with theirs. I don't consider myself as the penultimate builder in the field but certainly not at the bottom of the pyramid either. My work is the best that I am capable of producing at this moment in time. However, I am a person who is never satisfied with the present and will continuously strive to build the next guitar better than the last one. If I ever develop an attitude of complacency then its time to hang up my chisels.

There are a lot of builders that I respect their work. Many have influenced my work over the years. I consider John Greven a friend in this craft and I also am in deep gratitude to him for being my "long distance" mentor. I credit him for encouraging me to keep on building at times that I wanted to quit. John instilled in me a goal to build very light and responsive guitars.

I also have a deep respect for the work of Mario Beaureguard. He has been a sounding board for me on more than one occasion and has been another encouragement to me.

Lastly, I would consider Ervin Somogyi as the man that has influenced my building the most and has challenged my thought process as a builder and human being. He continues to influence my building and while there is a piece of all three of these men in every guitar that comes off our benches Ervin's teaching comes to mind quite often.

I would be thrilled to own a guitar from any one of these great men in the craft. However, its unlikely that I ever will. I have the skills and confidence to build the guitar of my dreams so ultimately it will be me doing the work. I do have a very special set of RW saved back for my own personal dream guitar [if] I ever find time to build it

BBWW · #4 02-01-2011, 11:12 AM

Just ONE? Can't do it!! But then again I'm not a Luthier.

Dave in Tejas · #5 02-01-2011, 01:57 PM

I suppose I'm like Howard in that I play my own guitar, and am a "one guitar guy".
I would like to own a nice pre-1900 Martin, but that is only a mild desire.

I do very much like to attend the GAL conventions, and sample what my contemporaries are making. I like to search out the different "builder personalities", and find one that attracts me, and spend the majority of my time with that one, if he welcomes me. Making a new friend, basically.

SteveS · #6 02-01-2011, 03:05 PM

Our favorites will be limited to those that we know. I have to tell you that the builders that I know are great guys that build great instruments. I'm not about to say who my favorite is because I don't have one - I have many. I'm not about to name them because I'd probably leave some one out that I really like and then I'd feel terrible and not ever be able to make it up to him or her.

D.Kwasnycia · #7 02-01-2011, 03:13 PM

I have a great respect for Jim Olson who has helped me quite a bit in the passed and his advice has been very valuable. Even when I didn't agree at the time, I found out, he was right!
Another is Marc Beneteau who only lives about an hour away from me. He also has been a great help in this trade and I hope he has gleaned something from me as well. Another would be Robert Benedetto whose building style/methods also inspired me, even for the acoustic guitar.
Would I like a guitar from any of these men? yes. Would I go out of my way to get one, No and can I make a quality guitar that I would expect from any of them, Yes.
In saying all this, I would rather play my own and personally I am my own problem customer, If I had to have another guitar made for myself, it would be hard, since there are so many models and types of wood to chose from. I would want a collection of them, but not just for me, but to be able to pass down to my 4 son's, and why would I advertise for someone else?

Brackett Instruments · #8 02-01-2011, 04:11 PM

The list of luthiers I admire, and respect is a really long list. I'm prefectly happy with the guitars build, but if I were to win millions in the lottery (which won't happen since I don't play) I'd probably comission guitars from 10 or 15 builders. I'd tell them "make me a guitar, this is what I play, and how I play" then see what they built me.

Morgan1 · #9 02-01-2011, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brackett Instruments

The list of luthiers I admire, and respect is a really long list. I'm prefectly happy with the guitars build, but if I were to win millions in the lottery (which won't happen since I don't play) I'd probably comission guitars from 10 or 15 builders. I'd tell them "make me a guitar, this is what I play, and how I play" then see what they built me.

That's EXACTLY what I would do!

jhchang · #10 02-01-2011, 05:25 PM

Perhaps a little off topic but I guess I just don't understand the American culture. Why does one have to have something defined/designated as his favorite? Like songs/restaurants/movies etc.....(you name it). And why should anyone care about what others' favorites are? I may like something at a time, but my taste can be changing all the time. Like in those security questions for credit cards; really makes no sense to me.

Larry Pattis · #11 02-01-2011, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhchang

Perhaps a little off topic but I guess I just don't understand the American culture. Why does one have to have something defined/designated as his favorite? Like songs/restaurants/movies etc.....(you name it). And why should anyone care about what others' favorites are? I may like something at a time, but my taste can be changing all the time. Like in those security questions for credit cards; really makes no sense to me.

+1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 ...

nacluth · #12 02-01-2011, 08:01 PM

I remember hearing Charles Fox encouraging some luthiers at a seminar once to build to the guitar sound that you have in your head. That's what I do and I'm typically pleased with the results. This makes one less inclined to want another's guitar because they aren't building to my sound but their's. However, there are some great builders that are doing wonderful things which I admire, even if I will never get one of their instruments.