Idle question for you professional luthiers

[Neil K Walk]

I've often detected admiration between some of you and have seen firsthand a generosity in the luthier community but I often wonder, do these relationships ever bloom into collaborations?

I'm not talking about farming out inlay but two or more shops doing fabrication and setup where one of you will do the soundboard or the entire body and the other does the neck or any other combination of tasks?

The only example I can think of is Todd's Acoustic Voice guitar that nearly didn't happen because one or two of the contributing luthiers had a hard time coordinating or fitting it into their schedules and in the end some took more on to their plate than was originally agreed upon. Is this is the exception rather than the rule or it mostly one shop does all the structural stuff and subcontracts the decorative inlay?

[Tim McKnight]

Paul Woolson and I collaborated on one guitar build but the logistics were difficult and costly shipping it back and forth. It was a fun project but not something we would likely ever do again.

[Rodger Knox]

The MIMF has collaborated on a couple of instruments.
http://www.mimf.com/bass2012/bass2011.htm

[SJ VanSandt]

I remember seeing an article in Acoustic Guitar Magazine about a guitar made by a number of luthiers in Maine. It was a cool looking guitar but I think the luthiers agreed that it was unlikely they would do it again. Probably 10 or 12 years ago.

[nacluth]

Steve and John Kinnaird have built two collaborative guitars. Both were quite successful. Now being brothers, it helps, but their shops were more than a thousand miles apart. Different parts were done by each on the two guitars. The The real trouble for doing more partnership guitars is trying to find the time in the busy build schedule.

Btw I got to play the McKnight/Woolson guitar at acousticpromusician. It was a cannon of a little guitar.