The WILS 2018 Builder's Coffee Talk

[srick]

It was dark and inky when I left the house this morning. I was determined to make it up to Woodstock, NY and finally attend the Builder's Coffee Talk. I mean, this is what WILS is all about. Luthiers (or as some like to be called, guitar makers) don't get out very much. They love their shops, they love the smell of the wood, they love their tools and jigs. And when they aren't in their shops, they aren't making guitars (or money). So an event like the Woodstock Invitational is a chance to get together, swap stories, ogle each others work and hopefully, find a few new clients.

One of the highpoints of the weekend is the "Builder's Coffee Talk". Those that are able (after a busy night of debauchery) haul their tails into the Bearsville Theater early Sunday morning and open themselves up for questions. When I arrived, i was first greeted by Baker Rorick (founder, producer, and Poobah of WILS) and our very own Louie Atienza - a good way to start the day after a very bleak ride.

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So picture this panel: Linda Manzer, Dick Boak, Chuck Emerson (The Duke of Pearl), Michael Gurian, Roger Sadowsky and Richard Hoover.

The first topic was wood. And surprise, the consensus was that you can make a good guitar out of many traditional and non-traditional woods. In fact, over the next fifty years, it will be a necessity to move away from the staples. Several of the builders in the audience were using native hardwoods and recycled wood, often with a historical connection.

Richard Hoover made the point that different wood doesn't affect the treble or bass of the guitar, but instead the darkness vs. the lightness of the tone (these are his words. If you need clarification, feel free to get in touch with him).

In fact, they all seemed mildly amused with all of the deep concern on the fora (such as AGF) about the wood. Of course, the folks on this stage have seen and built a lot of guitars - they appreciate a beautiful piece of wood, but it seems that they appreciate a nice-sounding guitar even more.

Similarly, with torrefaction, the panel felt that it sounded different and not necessarily better. They were all a little concerned about how the torrefied tops will hold up over the years. Plus, there is no standard as to what parameters should be used (during the torrefaction process). Torrefaction has allowed builders to use highly figured or flamed wood in a build with much less fear of the board 'self-destructing' during the build.

Point #1 would have to be: it's not about the wood, it's all about the build.

The panel did touch upon the magic of a guitar 'opening up'. Roger Sadowsky feels the only way to open up a guitar is to play the heck out of it. He told a really interesting story about a vintage 1937(?) Gibson SJ at Gruhn Guitars (this during one of the first NAMM Nashville shows). The luthiers were laughing at how much of a dog this instrument was, making many bad jokes at Gibson's expense. They were all a little shocked when G.E. Smith purchased this guitar (and probably wondering whether he had lost his marbles). Roger said that the Gibson came back for some small repairs three months later and it was a totally different beast. In fact, it was magnificent.

Point #2: A happy guitar is played - a lot. The more it is played, the better it will sound.

Another interesting point brought up by Richard Hoover is a possible difference as to why a guitar may open up. An Asian guitar may be fabricated in a matter of six hours or so. A luthier built instrument may take 60-80 hours. His point was that there is a lot of unresolved tension in the wood and joints of a quick build, where a slower build allows the pieces to adapt to each other and release tension (interesting theory)

Point #3: There's magic involved in making a great guitar!

The session lasted and hour and a half. It was a lot of give and take with ribbing and mild insults. What a joy to attend!

best,

Rick

[jaycal]

Thanks for the summary!

[Rockysdad]

Originally Posted by jaycal

Thanks for the summary!

+1, I'm sure an event such as this would be most informative, too bad there aren't more of these around, I would surely attend, driving cross country is a bit prohibitive though.

[LouieAtienza]

Rick,

It was awesome meeting you and everyone there at Woodstock! Glad you enjoyed it...

I'll never forget the first WILS I attended. It was 2014. That Saturday morning was not crowded, at least as it was this past Saturday. My buddy Mike and I go to the wood tent first thing, and there around a table is Ken Parker, Michael Gurian, Matt Umanov, possibly Roger Sadowsky, and Ken's apprentice at the time. Gurian led the charge, ribbing Ken and his guitar! It was a hilarious moment! But I guarantee you they all have the utmost respect for each other.

The guitar was Ken's personal guitar, which I believe was a cedar top and some crazy fiddleback mahogany from the "mahogany mama" from Tom Thiel of Northwind Timbers. I got to pick Ken's brains for a good 20 minutes, and in that quieter setting he was more than happy to oblige!
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As to the coffee talk, it was great to hear these guys speak of such "hot-button" topics such as alternative hardwoods, CITES, and the state of guitar building. I think Michael Gurian made a great point that if builders weren't buying such "alternative" hardwoods, then the dealers wouldn't be producing sets to sell. Though, I didn't mention this as a response, I think it's actually the individual and boutique builders that set the tone (no pun intended) for the use of alternative hardwoods, as it's more viable for them to make a one-off with a special back-and-side set; and their clientele may be more willing to accept a guitar made of such woods, than the general public who are still greatly influenced by the guitars of the past.

[srick]

Great meeting you too Louie! I wisely avoided asking Richard Hoover about the influence of strings on the guitar, knowing from many AGF threads how that one goes. We would have taken up hours.

When I think back, it's amazing the number of interactions and vignettes that occur in the course of a morning at the Showcase. I created a list of my favorite moment in one of the other Woodstock threads.

A two year break will make the next ine even sweeter.

best,

Rick

[LouieAtienza]

Originally Posted by srick

Great meeting you too Louie! I wisely avoided asking Richard Hoover about the influence of strings on the guitar, knowing from many AGF threads how that one goes. We would have taken up hours.

When I think back, it's amazing the number of interactions and vignettes that occur in the course of a morning at the Showcase. I created a list of my favorite moment in one of the other Woodstock threads.

A two year break will make the next ine even sweeter.

best,

Rick

If you stay away from the General discussion section, you'll avoid such contested debates!

Richard is very approachable, and his knowledge is so vast it's scary. They use their PLEK machine a lot differently than many shops, and even if you never buy one, it is a very interesting and informative topic. You can search YouTube for a lengthy video Richard does on the topic.