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  #31  
Old 03-07-2021, 08:26 AM
FingahPickah FingahPickah is offline
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Originally Posted by fitness1 View Post
Well, it was actually the beginning of a 15 plus year journey of buying and selling other small builders instruments!
I'm considering purchasing a new build from a small builder...

Did you happen to experience any issues with resale value ?
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  #32  
Old 03-07-2021, 04:28 PM
Nemoman Nemoman is offline
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Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7 View Post
This is primarily a steel string acoustic flattop but I had commissioned two archtop guitars (1999 with a factory and 2012 with a luthier) prior to commissioning my first flattop.

My first flattop from a solo luthier was a 2013-2014 build from Bellingham, WA luthier Kent Chasson. It is a WONDERFUL guitar!

It is Kent’s Concert model which is a 15”, 24.9” scale, 1-3/4” nut, 2-1/4” string spacing, 3/8” Manzer wedge, Engelmann Spruce top, Brazilian Rosewood back and sides. This commission happened to be Kent’s 100th guitar so he was kind and indulged our common love of some of Frank Lloyd Wright decorative themes which he deftly incorporated. I was delighted with it 7-years ago when it arrived and I still am today. Kent was fantastic to work with as well.

I remember this build thread well--such a cool guitar!
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  #33  
Old 03-07-2021, 06:31 PM
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The Prairie-style Chasson is one of my all-time AGF favorites as well. I can see it sitting elegantly in a corner of Fallingwater.

That was also a really cool thread, iim7V7IM7 had two guitars to choose from - the other was Wenge, I believe - and ultimately went with the one pictured above.
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  #34  
Old 03-08-2021, 01:06 AM
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Originally Posted by FingahPickah View Post
I'm considering purchasing a new build from a small builder...

Did you happen to experience any issues with resale value ?
In my experience with a dozen or more custom builds and buys (and way too long spent on the Dream Guitars website!) it is very dependent on the builder. A Walker or and Olson may go up in value and sell in days. At the other end a guitar by an unknown builder or someone out of the game (e.g. McCollum, Hamblin, Pinkham, Bills), no matter how good it is, may be very hard to resell (think a couple of years to sell if you hold out for a decent price) and also resell at less than half its new value.

But hopefully, with careful homework on what the builder makes and what you actually want out of the guitar, you will end up with a guitar that you keep for a long time. And some builders increase their prices as they become better known and respected, meaning that an early model may resell ten years later for almost as much as you paid for it!

Last edited by colins; 03-08-2021 at 05:17 AM.
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  #35  
Old 03-09-2021, 04:12 AM
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Originally Posted by reeve21 View Post
Thanks Fred! I don't know what the cost of entry is, at least 10k is my guess.
I could swing it, my wife will think I'm nuts-- but she has grown to accept my craziness.
An excellent way to dip your toe in the water would be something like a Collings OM1A or a 0001A based on the blues and ragtime you like to play. You would be astounded by the difference in what you are playing now in terms of clarity, sustain, and resonance and you would never want to put it down. You could probably find one here or on Reverb for less than $5K. Same could be said for similar models from SCGC, Bourgeois, and H&D which seem to all be very popular as the first progression from production to higher end guitars.

It’s time my friend.
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Last edited by SprintBob; 03-09-2021 at 06:56 AM.
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  #36  
Old 03-09-2021, 07:04 AM
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Back to the thread, here’s another experience I think that is accurate. Higher end production and single luthier custom guitars seem to be more sonically expansive and expressive in varying degrees than lower cost production models.
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  #37  
Old 03-09-2021, 11:17 AM
reeve21 reeve21 is offline
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Originally Posted by SprintBob View Post
An excellent way to dip your toe in the water would be something like a Collings OM1A or a 0001A based on the blues and ragtime you like to play. You would be astounded by the difference in what you are playing now in terms of clarity, sustain, and resonance and you would never want to put it down. You could probably find one here or on Reverb for less than $5K. Same could be said for similar models from SCGC, Bourgeois, and H&D which seem to all be very popular as the first progression from production to higher end guitars.

It’s time my friend.
Thanks Bob, I have heard nothing but good things about Collins and will check those out. I kind of had my eye on a SCGC 1929 (all hog) OO that Larry (Organic Guitars) had on his site until I realized it was an old listing, since sold. Larry could sell me a shoebox with the playing on his videos! I've gotten some other good recommendations by PM as well.

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Originally Posted by SprintBob View Post
Back to the thread, here’s another experience I think that is accurate. Higher end production and single luthier custom guitars seem to be more sonically expansive and expressive in varying degrees than lower cost production models.
I certainly don't doubt that. The best guitar I have ever played is a D-35 once owned by our own AGF member "srick", and now by a mutual friend of ours. Amazing instrument. I was flatpicking my lower end Martin, he was brushing that D-35 with bare flesh, and I could hear him just fine
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  #38  
Old 03-21-2021, 03:18 PM
Kaydee Kaydee is offline
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Originally Posted by cigarfan View Post
My first commission compared to my other guitars at the time was not at all what I expected. Admittedly, I didn't do enough research and self-examination before commissioning so the guitar, although lovely, did not fit me ergonomically and it was built "heavy" which did not suit my finger-style playing. Didn't take me long before I was back to my factory built guitars and had the commissioned guitar up for sale to fund my next. An expensive lesson.

Have to say, my GAS was not diminished! Exactly the opposite. I was charged up and ready to try again applying all the lessons learned. I was committed to finding out what I liked, what I didn't and finally get to a guitar that fit me perfectly.
This is what worries me,I like my Tanglewood ,It fits me and to my ears sounds truly brilliant ,The body size is perfect and I keep coming back to it regardless of how many guitars I try.
I have some money to burn on a custom build but what if it isn’t actually what I want or need,and am I better off just buying the best I can afford from one of my favourite makers for a fraction of the cost ?
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  #39  
Old 03-21-2021, 05:17 PM
Kaydee Kaydee is offline
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Originally Posted by cigarfan View Post
My first commission compared to my other guitars at the time was not at all what I expected. Admittedly, I didn't do enough research and self-examination before commissioning so the guitar, although lovely, did not fit me ergonomically and it was built "heavy" which did not suit my finger-style playing. Didn't take me long before I was back to my factory built guitars and had the commissioned guitar up for sale to fund my next. An expensive lesson.

Have to say, my GAS was not diminished! Exactly the opposite. I was charged up and ready to try again applying all the lessons learned. I was committed to finding out what I liked, what I didn't and finally get to a guitar that fit me perfectly.
Do you mind if I ask,have you gotten any closer to your ideal or do you think you are destined to another expensive experiment.Sorry to ask but I personally cannot afford to go down that road .
all the best
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  #40  
Old 03-22-2021, 04:34 AM
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cigarfan cigarfan is offline
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Originally Posted by Kaydee View Post
Do you mind if I ask,have you gotten any closer to your ideal or do you think you are destined to another expensive experiment.Sorry to ask but I personally cannot afford to go down that road .
all the best
I am happy to say, yes, I have definitely achieved success in getting several guitars that suit me to a tee. I have found communication with your luthier is paramount. From the very beginning, make sure they know your approach to playing and your style. I finger pick with a very light attack. My goal was a lightly built instrument that responded well to a light touch. Very rarely, if at all, would I do any heavy strumming. Discuss the target instrument in as much detail as you can. Then step back and let the luthier perform their magic. Don't try to micro manage the build. You will be much happier with the end result.
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  #41  
Old 03-22-2021, 09:08 AM
tadol tadol is offline
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Originally Posted by cigarfan View Post
I have found communication with your luthier is paramount. . . . . . Discuss the target instrument in as much detail as you can. Then step back and let the luthier perform their magic. Don't try to micro manage the build. You will be much happier with the end result.
I think this is the most important thing to consider if you want a custom instrument built. You are either hiring an assembler, or commissioning an artist. Some luthiers will happily assemble an instrument with every material and aesthetic detail spec’d - like boxes on a checklist - so the end result is exactly what the buyer wants to look at and hold, but may not be a great guitar. A good luthier knows where and when to draw the line, and a good buyer knows what the luthiers aesthetic style is and instruments strengths are, and chooses based on that. When you commission an artist, you need to give them the room to do their best. When you do, it can be magic -
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  #42  
Old 03-22-2021, 01:43 PM
Kaydee Kaydee is offline
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Originally Posted by cigarfan View Post
I am happy to say, yes, I have definitely achieved success in getting several guitars that suit me to a tee. I have found communication with your luthier is paramount. From the very beginning, make sure they know your approach to playing and your style. I finger pick with a very light attack. My goal was a lightly built instrument that responded well to a light touch. Very rarely, if at all, would I do any heavy strumming. Discuss the target instrument in as much detail as you can. Then step back and let the luthier perform their magic. Don't try to micro manage the build. You will be much happier with the end result.
Thank you,I also play fingerstyle ,light touch ,rarely strum.
Very helpful,all,the best
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  #43  
Old 03-22-2021, 05:46 PM
Jeff Mc Jeff Mc is offline
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Originally Posted by no1i View Post
Curious to all who got their first custom built guitar, what was your reaction compared to your previous guitar(s)? Did you stop giving less attention to your factory-built ones? Did it permanently stop your GAS or atleast temporary for a long period of time?
I have a dozen acoustics, 8 from what you would normally think of as custom builders. Only one of those was a custom build though, two were purchased at a retailer and five directly from the luthier although not custom ordered. The custom build took about a year from our first conversation to receipt. I don't think that I felt any different about the receipt of that one than I did from the ones that I purchased from the luthiers with basically little or no wait. I think that all eased gas for some period of time (including the other 4) but did not cure it for me.

Last edited by Jeff Mc; 03-22-2021 at 07:50 PM.
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