Coming soon...a new kid on the block!

[Adamski]

I am very active on LinkedIn and often post videos of me playing the guitar and little articles about guitars I have owned.

A couple of weeks ago, out of the blue I had a message from someone saying that their partner had “made a guitar and it was really good” (yeah right). I sent a message back saying they are welcome to come and look at my guitars (for inspiration) and to bring it with them.

So they came and brought the instrument.

Self taught, with an engineering background but no woodworking experience and certainly no guitar building experience or training.

When they opened the case I was speechless.

To say this was an outstanding instrument is a majestic piece of understatement. It was better than 99% of the instruments I have ever played (and I have played a lot). The fit and finish was faultless, every bit as good as anything I have seen from anyone and this would not be out of place hanging in the wall of Dream Guitars or Luthiers Collection.

They want to quit their job and become a luthier. So I have said they should make 2 or 3 more instruments that are equally good (a little simpler in design and finalising some of the details - headstock, binding style etc) before they make that jump as this I quite competitive space and everyone needs to see that this wasn’t just a lucky fluke.

I will post again when the next couple of instruments are built and I will be buying the first of them.

This person has such a natural talent I am confident they will become a star!

Watch this space.

[gstring]

Nuce.
How does it sound ?

d

[Adamski]

Originally Posted by gstring

Nuce.
How does it sound ?

d

Very good indeed. I have played a lot of guitars and this is amongst the best.

I am keen (obviously) to hear what the next ones are like.

[steveh]

Interesting, especially given the guitars you have owned and others you've played. I'll look forward to getting my hands on one.

Zero fret is an interesting choice, especially for a first guitar? Was that a sonic or pragmatic choice?

Black top also! What's the finish?

Cheers,
Steve

[Adamski]

Originally Posted by steveh

Interesting, especially given the guitars you have owned and others you've played. I'll look forward to getting my hands on one.

Zero fret is an interesting choice, especially for a first guitar? Was that a sonic or pragmatic choice?

Black top also! What's the finish?

Cheers,
Steve

It's a nitro finish.

As for the zero fret...pragmatic I believe.

I've always thought it made perfect sense on an instrument as it can easily be levelled like the other frets and every note whether open or stopped has a fret at one end and the saddle at the other...that MUST be better surely!

[gitarro]

At the very least, it displays a high level wood working skill - I notice that the cutaway is similar to that used by Mark Blanchard in that it curves away from the body in line with the neck heel shape, and it is not easy even for an experienced luthier to do that.

I notice you used "they" to refer to the luthiers and that there is a partnership involved. Is it a 2 person team of luthiers who are setting up shop?

[Adamski]

Originally Posted by gitarro

At the very least, it displays a high level wood working skill - I notice that the cutaway is similar to that used by Mark Blanchard in that it curves away from the body in line with the neck heel shape, and it is not easy even for an experienced luthier to do that.

I notice you used "they" to refer to the luthiers and that there is a partnership involved. Is it a 2 person team of luthiers who are setting up shop?

(non specific gender pronoun rather than plural)

Just one chap...

The photos (I think because of the contrast and the heavy patterning of the wood) don't do justice to just how precise everything is. There were ZERO errors in the woodworking of this. Every joint/mitre/edge was perfect and times the woodworking was so accurate he made a virtue of it and didn't even use binding at the joint (so, love this or hate this, on this instrument there is no engraft, just perfectly bookmatched grain, and no binding at the point of the cutaway).

Clearly there were detailing things that he will do differently next time but all of the skills to be a great luthier are present. The engineering background may well generate some interesting ideas around construction and bracing too.

We shall see!

[Zandit75]

Some nice looking work!
I agree with your suggestions regarding a simpler design.
The 5-piece neck is too much against the highly figured back & sides, and yes, the headstock design needs something more, it's a little too generic.

[borborygmus]

What a great story, and we have to wish him well for what will be a challenging journey.

"They want to quit their job and become a luthier. So I have said they should make 2 or 3 more instruments that are equally good (a little simpler in design and finalising some of the details - headstock, binding style etc) before they make that jump as this I quite competitive space and everyone needs to see that this wasn’t just a lucky fluke."

Great advice. He might also pay a visit to another established builder or two, most of whom will be charitable and generous with a newbie.

What are the woods?

[Adamski]

Originally Posted by borborygmus

What a great story, and we have to wish him well for what will be a challenging journey.

"They want to quit their job and become a luthier. So I have said they should make 2 or 3 more instruments that are equally good (a little simpler in design and finalising some of the details - headstock, binding style etc) before they make that jump as this I quite competitive space and everyone needs to see that this wasn’t just a lucky fluke."

Great advice. He might also pay a visit to another established builder or two, most of whom will be charitable and generous with a newbie.

What are the woods?

This one European spruce and Macassar ebony. The next ones probably rosewood/mahogany.

Yes, I will try to find him some local talent to meet! Thanks.

[Adamski]

Originally Posted by Zandit75

Some nice looking work!
I agree with your suggestions regarding a simpler design.
The 5-piece neck is too much against the highly figured back & sides, and yes, the headstock design needs something more, it's a little too generic.

Yes, I hadn’t thought about the laminated neck, I think as thinking more of fret markers and logo…

Good point.

[PTL]

Bravo for recognizing and supporting a new worthy luthier luthier.

This reminds me of my experience 20+ years ago. There was a gentleman helping an excellent luthier. We struck up a conversation and found that we shared the same vision of what may be the most beautiful guitar body shape etc. I encouraged him to build and promised that I'll buy his first guitar. It took a bit of encouragement before he decided to try. I think that the first one took him over six months if my memory holds, and I was blown away by the quality of the work - basically perfect like a seasoned luthier. So I promised to purchase every guitar that he would care to build, knowing that he is not going to make but a few each year during that period.

Unfortunately, in time, he stopped building for personal reasons, but it was meaningful to encourage someone to start.

Excited to hear how this develops as you encourage this new luthier.

On a different note, you probably know more than I do on this - A luthier's success, economically speaking, is based not only on his abilities as a luthier but his ability as a marketer. I have stories that I would never share, but that's one of the lessons I learned in those years. So he has to capture the buying public's imagination and raise the perception of the value of his instrument, recognizing that the marketplace does not always reward the inherent quality of the work appropriately. (Of course, the reverse is probably also true.) Just my opinion.

[gitarro]

Some good points there by ptl.

I think as well that apart from tbe tone of the guitar that has to be really top drawer to stand out nowadays, the design of the guitar itself also has to really pop and stand out. It cannot be derivative or look too much like the others, but at the same time it has to have a timeless classiness about it. The overall effect should be that it should be deeply impressive at first glance and the impression be further enhanced the more one examines close up the different parts of the guitar. Nowadays the standard is so high that the starting standard for fit and finish seems much higher than it was 30 years ago. There are also so many more luthiers working in the industry that if you throw a stone in a crowd and chances are you will hit a luthier! So if you want to have people know who yoi are and desire to buy your guitars, yoir guitars need to look good to stand out from the rest and evoke desire to buy.

I recall Michael bashkin's original design - it took design ideas from Michi Matsuda but it was wholly his and you could tell it was his guitar across the room.

Likewise with Isaac Jang - he spent 10 years being Kathy wingert's apprentice but he must have been fine tuning his design and the whole package because when he finally exhi ited his guitar for the first time, it immediately impressed everyone who saw it for its fresh design and artisans skill in flawlessly making it to a very high fit and finish standard. He took an Uchida bendaway design and made it his own with a fresh twist.

Another example was Casimi guitars. Their guitar design is so avant garde that it will attract as many people as it repels traditionalists. But it is undeniably stylish and the fit and finish is clearly top class. It looked like nothing else.

So for your friend to be able to hit the ground running, my suggestion is that he needs to refine his design concept and come out with a design his own.

If he is as skilful in voicing his guitars as you believe, then he owes it to his talent to spend the requisite time to really birth a design that is his own and that will measure up aesthetically to his tone. Anyway that's my two cents worth anyhow...

[Mandobart]

I'm not a professional luthier nor a professional musician, but the step to "quit his job and become a luthier" may not necessarily improve their financial picture.

I would strongly suggest they seek out the advice of others who've gone that route.

If I had to support myself as either a luthier or musician (both fields being full of very talented, driven, and already established people) I would not be able to have the instruments I do, or the home, or hope of retirement.....

[Adamski]

Originally Posted by PTL

Bravo for recognizing and supporting a new worthy luthier luthier.

This reminds me of my experience 20+ years ago. There was a gentleman helping an excellent luthier. We struck up a conversation and found that we shared the same vision of what may be the most beautiful guitar body shape etc. I encouraged him to build and promised that I'll buy his first guitar. It took a bit of encouragement before he decided to try. I think that the first one took him over six months if my memory holds, and I was blown away by the quality of the work - basically perfect like a seasoned luthier. So I promised to purchase every guitar that he would care to build, knowing that he is not going to make but a few each year during that period.

Unfortunately, in time, he stopped building for personal reasons, but it was meaningful to encourage someone to start.

Excited to hear how this develops as you encourage this new luthier.

On a different note, you probably know more than I do on this - A luthier's success, economically speaking, is based not only on his abilities as a luthier but his ability as a marketer. I have stories that I would never share, but that's one of the lessons I learned in those years. So he has to capture the buying public's imagination and raise the perception of the value of his instrument, recognizing that the marketplace does not always reward the inherent quality of the work appropriately. (Of course, the reverse is probably also true.) Just my opinion.

"A luthier's success, economically speaking, is based not only on his abilities as a luthier but his ability as a marketer." one of the wisest things every typed on this forum.

Spot on...and that I cannot comment on. I can, and will advise and help in whatever way I can.