Am I Really Different?

[stratokatsu]

I have had the pleasure to play a bunch of really nice custom made guitars, but on a day to day basis, I don't feel like I could ever make up my mind what I would want because some days, my Martin sounds better to me than my Taylors and some days, the Taylor has the sound my ears appreciate most.

How would I ever decide on specs to have a build done? I love mahogany, maple, rosewood, koa, dreads, jumbos and grand concerts all for various things they do.

How in the world do you ever decide what you want?

[lukybob2]

Isn't that why we all have more than one guitar?

[ChuckS]

I'd say a big part of determining what you want is to decide if you want to optimize the guitar for a specific musical/playing style, or if you want the guitar to cover a broader range.

[HHP]

Customs aren't about having broad appeal and versatility, they're about meeting your very personal, individual demands as a player. If you can't come up with the specs, good indication you don't need one.

[bowerbird]

This is a fascinating question! I'm curious to see how you all approach this. I think we've all had experiences like stratokatsu, which is why there are no "right" answers when it comes to the responsiveness of a guitar, and therefore no right answers to tone wood selection. Most of us form preferences about tone, and some of us hold more tightly to our ideas and preferences than others. There's an old Zen saying that goes something like “enlightenment is easy for the person with no preferences.”

That said, with regard to all the non-tone/responsiveness questions, there are straightforward ways to decide. Or don't! In either case I think it's a good idea to look back on the major purchases of your life and ask yourself how hard you had to think though them. Which experiences were more rewarding? The times you had to sweat out all the details over a long time and debate the merits of "this and that" or the times when you just went with your gut and pulled the trigger? Know thyself! Approach it in whatever way makes you happy, not what a luthier or "expert" tells you you should do!

[mikealpine]

For me, I've gotten comfortable with the fact that I'm a strummer, and only an occasional flatpicker/fingerpicker, and I have a particular sound profile I like. I didn't specify excatly what I want, but gave a general idea and provided some sound samples and reasonable descriptions. From there, I expect that the builder (Joel Stehr, in this case) will help me dial in for size, shape, wood and other options. We're looking at a dread or SJ, Carpathia over Wenge, and we'll come up with other details as we get closer.

[El Conquistador]

If by, "have a build done" you are referring to a luthier built guitar, then, as a person who has several luthier built guitars, in my experience, it is pretty similar to the process you used to select your current Martin and Taylor.

I assume you picked up your current guitars, and, it was love at first strum. That is how I found my builders. I played examples of their guitars and fell in love. Once I knew that the luthier could build me a guitar that went beyond any factory built guitar I had ever played, it was simply a matter of details in terms of size, wood choices, etc. always following the builders advice in the end.

Steve

[geordie]

Originally Posted by ChuckS

I'd say a big part of determining what you want is to decide if you want to optimize the guitar for a specific musical/playing style, or if you want the guitar to cover a broader range.

+1 Chuck, if you want a guitar to play music on rather than 'want a guitar' the music you intend to play and your playing style(s) should dictate certain attributes in an instrument then tone and feel which will further focus you to the cosmetic appearance.
Getting the right guitar if the relatively easy part - what to do on it is when things get more involved but you don't even start to be 'Different' until you start putting your choice of notes and rhythm together, youve gotta decide and commit - I know it's scary but you can do it - maybe.

[justonwo]

Although I have general characteristics in acoustics that I like, it's usually because I was surprised by a particular guitar that I ended up ordering. I wait for a guitar to inspire me with its sound and go from there.

[Tuxcat]

+2 for Chuck. If you don't have a specific set of parameters, you may not benefit from specifying every little detail. Unless you have a design concept you're dying to see come true, in which case you can go crazy with it. Lots of people go their whole careers with production-model guitars and are completely happy with them.

I have a luthier-built guitar that was not made for me, and the quality/tone is superior to anything else I've ever played so I am pretty much hooked on custom builds from here on out. I'm just starting the process of spec'ing a custom 12-string and I have a pretty clear idea of the tone I'm looking for, but even so I know that the instrument will do a lot more than just what I think it will.

I think the most exciting part of getting any new instrument is finding out what that instrument has to say. Even a full-on custom build has its own personality and takes you on a journey of discovery as you find out what it is. I like to think that guitars are living things made from living things. There's no way you can completely predict what you're going to get, which is how life is everywhere

[jaylichty]

Picking the right guitar is not unlike picking the right mate (woman or man). Sometimes the guitar picks you. From my experiance both as a purchaser and a builder there is typically no question (other than "can I afford this") when one picks up the "right" guitar. If you pick up a guitar and can't put it down...or get it out of your mind and feel totaly inspired then you have found your guitar. As a multiple guitar owner I agree that I go in circles with which one is my favorite and that choice can change daily with my mood. Of, course I am a beliver that one can't have too many guitars...Guess you wouldn't expect to hear that from someone who builds and sells guitars for a living. Good luck in your quest and enjoy the search.

[geordie]

stratokatsu

d'ya still feel different

[stratokatsu]

Originally Posted by geordie

stratokatsu

d'ya still feel different

Not as much. Now I just feel indecisive.

Thanks everybody.