Michael Millard retiring!

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by LyleGorch

I’m stunned every time I open the case. Equally stunned when I play it. I’d post pictures if I knew how.

You are a charter member so all you have to do to post photos is click on the "paperclip" icon.

[handers]

Respectfully, Andy has been making guitars full-time with Michael since the 1990s. There has been hand-in-glove collaboration. The approach to builds has always been discussed and I have no concerns that future Froggys will be in any way inferior to the current guitars. All kudos to Michael who started and built this workshop and has kept quality control over decades. I/my son have guitars from FB built in 1993, 2000, 2016. They are all 100% outstanding Froggy quality.

I will miss the leadership within luthiers which Michael has offered. He is one of the generation that brought us to this golden age. I hope that he will have time to continue to offer workshops and to provide input. There are really now 3 generations of builders in Froggy Bottom workshop and that is quite an achievement of its own. I encourage everyone who has not yet played a FB guitar to make an effort to seek one out on travels or in your community to get to know the voice and feeling of these guitars. There are many great guitars being built. FBG are one.

I believe he will be at Harrisburg Artisan show this year.

Hans

[handers]

Originally Posted by Jwills57

Hello, Guitar Friends--I would never say these anniversary guitars aren't worth the money. Hey, if the market will bear the price, more power to Froggy Bottom guitars. But I will say that I can name 10 luthiers working right now from whom you can buy an exceptional guitar for $6,000 or under. I guess we can argue forever whether $30,000 guitars are overpriced or whether $6,000 guitars are underpriced; I don't know the answer to this question. But I do know that you don't need to spend $30,000 to buy a truly compelling, beautiful, captivating instrument. At some point--and I am guilty of this myself--you begin chasing something other than the actual sound the guitar produces.

I can name 40 builders. That doesn't detract from the FB guitars. You don't need to spend $30,000 on one of these guitars. Others might want to. The price discussion is circular for a luxury nonessential item, which a guitar is for everyone but the professional musician.

hans

[handers]

Originally Posted by gitarro

That is precisely why froggy bottom for tonal purposes especially really is michael millard and I am not sure what happens after he retires as there has not been a process where he voicing duties have been shared with someone else over a long enough period of years to provide an assurance of pprenticeship and quality control and consistency so that there is a smooth handover when he retires. If has been doing all the voicing for all froggy guitars, once he leaves the company, even if a very skilled voicer takes over, it may not sound like a froggy guitsr anymore.

This is not correct. He has not been doing what you suggest alone. He would not hand over the leadership of the brand he has built if he weren't sure that quality would be unchanged.

Time will tell. Predicting the future is not something I do well.

hans

[LyleGorch]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

You are a charter member so all you have to do to post photos is click on the "paperclip" icon.

I’ve tried and tried. Gave up on it. Something about the size of pictures trying to upload.

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by handers

I can name 40 builders. That doesn't detract from the FB guitars. You don't need to spend $30,000 on one of these guitars. Others might want to. The price discussion is circular for a luxury nonessential item, which a guitar is for everyone but the professional musician.

hans

Why are we talking about one $30,000 guitar when most of FB guitars are in the 7-10K range. There are many fine luthiers but only one that I've found so far that have the sound that FB provides. I think that's the key---if the guitar has the sound you are looking for than it may be worth the price no matter if it costs 1k or 10K.

[kiva238]

Originally Posted by gitarro

That is precisely why froggy bottom for tonal purposes especially really is michael millard and I am not sure what happens after he retires as there has not been a process where he voicing duties have been shared with someone else over a long enough period of years to provide an assurance of pprenticeship and quality control and consistency so that there is a smooth handover when he retires. If has been doing all the voicing for all froggy guitars, once he leaves the company, even if a very skilled voicer takes over, it may not sound like a froggy guitsr anymore.

If you are concerned that the guitar will change after Millard retires and really want a Millard voiced FB, there are currently quite a few new ones on the market. And of course, there will always be the used market of Millard voiced guitars to choose from.

I suspect that we will soon be seeing the Froggys being referred to as Millard era and post Millard era guitars. It's likely that Millard's signature in the soundhole will always count for something.

[iim7V7IM7]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

Why are we talking about one $30,000 guitar when most of FB guitars are in the 7-10K range. There are many fine luthiers but only one that I've found so far that have the sound that FB provides. I think that's the key---if the guitar has the sound you are looking for than it may be worth the price no matter if it costs 1k or 10K.

Because the title of the thread is about Michael’s retirement and the OP post a link to the 50th Anniversary Models:

(https://froggybottomguitars.com/abou...rsary-guitars/).

Yes, FB’s base prices list between $7-$8k for “standard” models, $8k-$12k for “deluxe” models and $9k-$13k for “limited” models. These prices are for stock packages with no options that can add significantly to their price. So you are now buying a team built and finished instrument of Michael’s design made by his methods. At that price point, they are not competing really with other small shop manufacturers (e.g. Bourgeois, Collings, Huss & Dalton, Preston Thompson, Santa Cruz etc.) but with established solo luthier made and finished instruments.

[TJNies]

Originally Posted by LyleGorch

I’ve tried and tried. Gave up on it. Something about the size of pictures trying to upload.

What I'd suggest is establishing an Imgur account. You can store your photos there, then use the link for message boards, pick Large, copy-paste here. BTW, you need to use a laptop version of that site, not the phone / iPad app.

[dneal]

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

FB for years differentiated themselves from other boutique small shop guitar manufacturers as having a hands on “master” luthier building the boxes and voicing their instruments.

Agree wholeheartedly!

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

Now, in order to have a commercially viable post Millard era, they now need to promote the expertise imparted to the historic “team” and long standing building processes. A tough dichotomy to sell after promoting the earlier messaging. I suspect that the later has been the case for some time, but the proof will be in the pudding.

This is the biggest challenge. Michael voicing the guitar has always been my biggest issue, and naturally raises the question on how they will sound if he’s not doing it.

That said, he was the shop foreman at Gurian for many years. I don’t doubt that he knows how to teach people how to build guitars. Pure speculation on my part, but I wouldn’t be surprised if others have been involved with voicing the guitars, under Michael’s supervision and final “tuning”.

Still, a lot of questions will arise. He can teach techniques, but no one would ever know if they hear what he hears when he’s tuning a top. The flip side is that Somogyi, for example, seems quite capable of teaching his apprentices how to build world class guitars with a “Somogyi” tone (even if they choose to alter that to their preferences).

The biggest question is whether or not they maintain the same level. It’s like the old chef that retires and sells the business to the “new” chef. Sometimes they maintain the same levels of excellence, and sometimes they rest on their laurels or head a different direction to the detriment of the product and business. Only time will tell. There will certainly be prejudices, assumptions and assertions that the new, non-Millard FB’s can’t be / aren’t as good as the ones with Michael’s signature on the label. Nostalgia, if nothing else, will prompt that. Time will tell there too.

I certainly wish Michael and FB the best in their way ahead, and I’m also glad that I already have mine...

[Maryc-k]

I played a guitar Andy made all by himself. No need to worry about the future. It’s alive and well, and in capable hands.

Michael has been grooming these guys to take over for a while. I believe they have been steering the boat for quite a while now.

[Acoustic Wolf]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

Why are we talking about one $30,000 guitar when most of FB guitars are in the 7-10K range. There are many fine luthiers but only one that I've found so far that have the sound that FB provides. I think that's the key---if the guitar has the sound you are looking for than it may be worth the price no matter if it costs 1k or 10K.

Which luthier is the only one you are referring to?

[Acoustic Wolf]

Originally Posted by Jwills57

Hey, Acoustic Wolf--Here's several luthiers that come to mind right away: John Datlen, Larry Nair (Tahoe Guitars), Pat Foster, Ken Franklin, Jim Worland, Phil Brunwin (Bethany Guitars), Julien Sublet, Adam Buchwald (Circle String Guitars), Steve Kinnaird (Steve Kinnaird Guitars), Ben Wilborn (Wilborn Guitars), David Anderson (August Guitars), John Osthoff (John Osthoff Guitars). Best, Jack

Just saw this, thanks!

[ClaptonWannabe2]

So youre saying Froggy Bottom is hiring???

I am a fast learner and a RN, so I'd be onsite first aid as well.

ETA J/K I hope that fella is just retiring to retire and in good health. He made some beautiful instruments.

[gitarro]

Originally Posted by kiva238

If you are concerned that the guitar will change after Millard retires and really want a Millard voiced FB, there are currently quite a few new ones on the market. And of course, there will always be the used market of Millard voiced guitars to choose from.

I suspect that we will soon be seeing the Froggys being referred to as Millard era and post Millard era guitars. It's likely that Millard's signature in the soundhole will always count for something.

There are many froggys that are on or that will be the second hand market and with 50 years to tap from, will constitute the biggest competition for the post millard froggys. So should I want a pre handover froggy in the future, there should be more than enough of those to go around.