#1
|
|||
|
|||
Why are most custom builds circa OM size and smaller?
Or to put it another way, why so few Dread and Jumbo size builds? Its just my opinion/intuition that it appears as if the number of comissions for larger bodied guitars is disproportionately less?
|
#2
|
|||
|
|||
You are right and I think it's because the vast majority of custom guitars are built for finger style play. I've done polls on playing styles and it was as high as 90% on this forum on one of the polls. You build for the market you serve. Flatbpickers may be drawn to the traditional makers like Martin? I have a McKnight Slope Dred, which is awesome but I see much of his newer work is geared to smaller guitars.
__________________
Steve 2020 McKnight Grand Recording - Cedar Top 2005 McKnight SS Dred 2001 Michael Keller Koa Baby 2014 Godin Inuk 2012 Deering B6 Openback Banjo 2012 Emerald Acoustic Doubleneck 2012 Rainsong JM1000 Black Ice 2009 Wechter Pathmaker 9600 LTD 1982 Yairi D-87 Doubleneck 1987 Ovation Collectors 1993 Ovation Collectors 1967 J-45 Gibson 1974 20th Annivers. Les Paul Custom |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
I think it depends on the luthier and the market they serve.... I bet John Arnold, Wayne Henderson, and John Hall do more dreads than not... But those guys primarily serve the Vintage martin bluegrass camp... And the currency there is a dread.
For other folks... The market is saturated with every sort of dread imaginable... Dreads are huge and often don't play nice in the house or on the couch. Unfortunately most "smaller" pattern factory guitars generally aren't that good. The vast majority of factory "small" guitar patterns are made out of plywood for kids, sold at discount stores, and are adorned with flashy decals. Even the "decent" factory parlor guitars often have a tone that's one step away from "shoe box with strings"... |
#4
|
||||
|
||||
Well actually I believe that we see a fair share of larger Mod-D's and SJ sized guitars here in the AGF custom shop forum. We also see many guitars called "OM" by their makers that are quite a bit larger/deeper than the Nazareth namesake.
__________________
A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
I would agree that many builders cater to the fingerstyle crowd.
That being said, I just picked up a 28.6" scale Kronbauer maple jumbo baritone and just ordered a Bob Thompson torrified Adi+EIR dread with a beveled armrest. When compared to a Martin with a few features, price isn't bad. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
I would expect that since we are building what people ask us to, it's because that's what most people are asking for.
|
#7
|
||||
|
||||
Check out the AGF poll. Perhaps because they are most popular.
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=483454 |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
The people with the money for a custom guitar are older and we can't get our arm over that darn lower bout anymore. And besides, we don't have much inclination to make such a bloody racket as we used to when we were younger.
__________________
Fred |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
My guess is because there's a fair amount of good small-shop builders making dreads that have decent resale value (Bourgeois, Collings, Santa Cruz, Huss and Dalton) that getting one-off dreads might not be that necessary. Also that Martin and Gibson have the market locked down for a majority of Bluegrass/Americana guys who might think those are the only two brands worth playing from a traditional/purist point of view...For the fingerstyle player there is a myriad of different tones and styles, whether traditional or modern, Celtic/Americana, etc. and normally more extended use of alternate timings that demand a more complex instrument.
__________________
Dustin Furlow -Award-winning songwriter/guitarist, Visual storyteller -D’Addario, G7th and K&K Sound Artist -Music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube: www.youtube.com/dustinfurlow -New album "Serene" (Oct '23) and tablature available at www.dustinfurlow.com |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Just look at the results from this poll last week.
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...=483454&page=5 aaahh, sorry, I see Paul has already posted the same link. It does look like those poll results are fairly accurate - if you check out the guitars for sale here on the AGF, the ratio of OM's to dreads, and certainly jumbo's, is surprisingly similar.
__________________
Brucebubs 1972 - Takamine D-70 2014 - Alvarez ABT60 Baritone 2015 - Kittis RBJ-195 Jumbo 2012 - Dan Dubowski#61 2018 - Rickenbacker 4003 Fireglo 2020 - Gibson Custom Shop Historic 1957 SJ-200 2021 - Epiphone 'IBG' Hummingbird Last edited by Brucebubs; 09-23-2017 at 06:04 PM. |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
why smaller ones
While I tend to agree, I also feel the results we see here are a bit skewed. For instance, there are lots of dreads built for country artists and bluegrass that we never hear about here.
__________________
The Bard Rocks Fay OM Sinker Redwood/Tiger Myrtle Sexauer L00 Adk/Magnolia For Sale Hatcher Jumbo Bearclaw/"Bacon" Padauk Goodall Jumbo POC/flamed Mahogany Appollonio 12 POC/Myrtle MJ Franks Resonator, all Australian Blackwood Blackbird "Lucky 13" - carbon fiber '31 National Duolian + many other stringed instruments. |
#12
|
||||
|
||||
Because they are better guitars, of course!
__________________
Circa OM-30/34 (Adi/Mad) | 000-12 (Ger/Maple) | OM-28 (Adi/Brz) | OM-18/21 (Adi/Hog) | OM-42 (Adi/Braz) Fairbanks SJ (Adi/Hog) | Schoenberg/Klepper 000-12c (Adi/Hog) | LeGeyt CLM (Swiss/Amzn) | LeGeyt CLM (Carp/Koa) Brondel A-2 (Carp/Mad) |
#13
|
||||
|
||||
Took the words right out of my mouth!
__________________
My YouTube Page |
#14
|
|||
|
|||
Sure and the East Germans thought Trabant cars were good too.
__________________
Brucebubs 1972 - Takamine D-70 2014 - Alvarez ABT60 Baritone 2015 - Kittis RBJ-195 Jumbo 2012 - Dan Dubowski#61 2018 - Rickenbacker 4003 Fireglo 2020 - Gibson Custom Shop Historic 1957 SJ-200 2021 - Epiphone 'IBG' Hummingbird |
#15
|
|||
|
|||
my too...
they sound more even and dynamic... simply better.. in my ears... |