Job as a Luthier?

[thequiff]

I have been lately look deeply into career choice and ive came out to Music Teacher or Luthier. The reason im saying this is hopeing to find someone who can tell what it is like beeing a Luthier. Money is a good standard living? Or if anyone has attempted to become a Luthier and have failed cause of business etc.

Any reply would be grateful

[runamuck]

Originally Posted by thequiff

I have been lately look deeply into career choice and ive came out to Music Teacher or Luthier. The reason im saying this is hopeing to find someone who can tell what it is like beeing a Luthier. Money is a good standard living? Or if anyone has attempted to become a Luthier and have failed cause of business etc.

Any reply would be grateful

I suggest you try being a luthier by building a guitar and see what you think.

Jim McCarthy

[Kitchen Guitars]

A Luthier or Repair Tech? Its a lot easier to find 30 Set up clients on Craigslist than it is to start building guitars and expect folks to pay you more than .05 cents an hour (what my first build would come out to anyway).
I understand the Chinese factories are willing to gobble up Western talent. Not sure what they pay. Factories like Martin are struggling to keep talent busy while we pull out of the Madeoff/bank jerk slump.
Whatever you do it takes time to get started.
My rules from 25 years of self employment.
1. Always have a goal/make up your mind.
2. Change rule 1 whenever you see the opportunity.
3. Learn from the best.

[JohnM]

If you're looking for a nice living wage then your better off picking another career. I'm not kidding when I say you could work at 7-11 and make more money than I do per hour. I regularly work 15+ hours per day, seven days a week, and no vacations. With all this work, and a pretty decent reputation, I still would be in the lower middle class in a state where salaries are low anyway.

You could probably find a job at a factory, but the pay is likely to be around $10 an hour at best starting off. Even that is just assembly line work. There are scads of fledgling luthiers go to a school, have big dreams of being the next Ervin Somogyi, or Bob Taylor, they hang out their shingle and in less than a year realize the world of custom built guitars is not as fun as they might have thought. People tend to romanticize guitar making. They envision a person sitting at a bench whittling away at braces while all the world around them is perfect calm and wonderful. I was one of those people. The real world isn't like that. While, don't get me wrong, I love my work. While I wouldn't want to be doing anything else (ok so maybe a personal tanning oil applicator for the Swedish bikini team would be nice) there are days when it feels like a job.

My advice to you would be that if you really love Lutherie (have you even built a guitar before?) is do it as a hobby. Go to school, get a good job and use lutherie as an outlet for your creativeness. In time, if you have a talent for it, you'll get good enough where you might make a buck or two selling your instruments. there are many guys who don't live solely off lutherie either because of need or want, and yet they are well known. There is nothing wrong with that in the slightest.

Sorry to be the harsh dose of reality. Please feel free to completely ignore everything I've said and press forward. That may be your calling, and who the heck am I to veer you off your path. I had a very well known and respected Luthier give me a very similar talk about 15 years ago. I didn't listen because I'm too **** headstrong and determined. Whatever path you take do it to the best of your ability. No matter if that is a policeman, plumber, or patty flipper. Take pride in yourself and your work.

[RP]

How are things on the repair tech side of the business? I'm contemplating retirement in the next six months, enjoy guitars and working with my hands, and have considered attending one of the guitar repair/building schools. I'd have my state retirement and Social Security so any income from guitar repair would be gravy. Any thoughts on guitar repair as a source of satisfaction and some income?

[JohnM]

Originally Posted by jrporter

How are things on the repair tech side of the business? I'm contemplating retirement in the next six months, enjoy guitars and working with my hands, and have considered attending one of the guitar repair/building schools. I'd have my state retirement and Social Security so any income from guitar repair would be gravy. Any thoughts on guitar repair as a source of satisfaction and some income?

There is a lot more repair business to spread around and it's much more stable too. You can make decent money too if you have a well established customer base. You also have to deal with a lot more people.

[RP]

Thanks John, and a belated happy birthday.

[wildbill1962]

Originally Posted by jrporter

How are things on the repair tech side of the business? I'm contemplating retirement in the next six months, enjoy guitars and working with my hands, and have considered attending one of the guitar repair/building schools. I'd have my state retirement and Social Security so any income from guitar repair would be gravy. Any thoughts on guitar repair as a source of satisfaction and some income?

I have been throwing around the idea of doing guitar repair in my retirement also. Have been reading everything that I can get my hands on. Have been picking up broken acoustics at garage sales and such to learn on.

[RythymNBlues]

Originally Posted by JohnM

If you're looking for a nice living wage then your better off picking another career. I'm not kidding when I say you could work at 7-11 and make more money than I do per hour. I regularly work 15+ hours per day, seven days a week, and no vacations. With all this work, and a pretty decent reputation, I still would be in the lower middle class in a state where salaries are low anyway.

You could probably find a job at a factory, but the pay is likely to be around $10 an hour at best starting off. Even that is just assembly line work. There are scads of fledgling luthiers go to a school, have big dreams of being the next Ervin Somogyi, or Bob Taylor, they hang out their shingle and in less than a year realize the world of custom built guitars is not as fun as they might have thought. People tend to romanticize guitar making. They envision a person sitting at a bench whittling away at braces while all the world around them is perfect calm and wonderful. I was one of those people. The real world isn't like that. While, don't get me wrong, I love my work. While I wouldn't want to be doing anything else (ok so maybe a personal tanning oil applicator for the Swedish bikini team would be nice) there are days when it feels like a job.

My advice to you would be that if you really love Lutherie (have you even built a guitar before?) is do it as a hobby. Go to school, get a good job and use lutherie as an outlet for your creativeness. In time, if you have a talent for it, you'll get good enough where you might make a buck or two selling your instruments. there are many guys who don't live solely off lutherie either because of need or want, and yet they are well known. There is nothing wrong with that in the slightest.

Sorry to be the harsh dose of reality. Please feel free to completely ignore everything I've said and press forward. That may be your calling, and who the heck am I to veer you off your path. I had a very well known and respected Luthier give me a very similar talk about 15 years ago. I didn't listen because I'm too **** headstrong and determined. Whatever path you take do it to the best of your ability. No matter if that is a policeman, plumber, or patty flipper. Take pride in yourself and your work.

For every Bob Taylor or Somogyi there are hundreds of others who can't make a real living as a luthier. Then again if you are really passionate and talented you may be the next success story, there are success stories in every industry no matter how tough the industry is to break into, ultimately its a decision only you can make.