Official Luthiers Forum!

There was a previous thread about building a guitar for someone big time. I wanted to put a little different spin.

What if you had access to some virtuoso and you have built a few but are no where near an expert yet. Would you offer to build him/her one for some honest feedback and to help dial in on the sound? More like an effort to improve. Does that make sense?

I'd just loan it to them for a couple weeks/months/however long they wanted to mess with it, as they probably wouldn't want to keep an inferior beginner guitar anyways

And then I could sample it to more people to get a better idea what its strengths and deficiencies are.

No.

i'm thinking that the best way to deal with selling gitars is,
build a bunch of them, learn, and if somebody is interested, let them try out from the quiver.
can't go wrong that way.
that's what i'm doin', yup.
at this point, i wouldn't build a geetar with somebodies expectations.
yup. i mean nope.

hahahahahahahahhaha

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Dennis Leahy
Duluth, MN, USA
7th Sense Multimedia

Hans,
Could you get to the point already ?
Geez.

L.

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

OK, here's the point. In my mandolin building days, I went to many festivals and IBMA 8 times. Frankly, I got sick of the "Hot Shots" coming around wanting free instruments. In the eight years I was at IBMA, I heard more than one builder tell me that they gave so and so a mandolin, and he turned around and sold it for an exorbitant price. There is a whole "business" of doing that to unsuspecting builders. Most wanted them free, so I would ask them in return to drive up with the band and play all day on my birthday.

My answer was mostly "Not a chance", or in short...No.

Half of these Stars have endorsement deals with big manufacturers anyway. Leo is never going to play one of my 12's because Taylor is right there with a new one when the airline screws up his 12 string. Gibson gave away mandolins left and right to Stars. Martin has their own designer series...
The other part is about fairness. Is it fair to give one to some "Pop Star" and then upcharge your paying customers? Don't think so. You might call it business, I call it integrity...
I would rather let the instruments sell themselves than join the hype.
I'm retired anyway, so I don't give a rip.

There's yer book, Link!

Bravo, Haans!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

I guess it depends on the scenario... I am a novice but getting some reasonably good results. I know a guy who is pretty reknowned within the music scene in the UK albeit in a cult way. He loves music to an extent he runs a record label as a collective of musicians that share resources, costs and revenues as its about the music and not the income.

I have offered to build him one for cost of materials only - because he tours frequently and gets good exposure, and in my dreams I have to long term goal to retire into semi pro building so it would be good long term I guess.. but he is an old friend so tha makes a big difference

FrankC I wouldn't build one for their feedback specifically. But I always try to get really good players to test drive my guitars and get their feedback. THe best feed back I got from an accomplished guitar professor at a local university was that it, " was impossible to play in the upper register" LOL. But he was right and I knew this guitar had intonation problems. But anyway also there is something to be said about having a good player perform on one of your instruments as you sit back across the room and really take in the sound that the audience would hear. You can learn a lot that way.

Gee wiz Hans,
A simple yes or no would suffice.
Link

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

I have a local player, and friend, who has had my #3 guitar now for about 9 months, except for a couple of weeks while I re-worked the action, and re-finished it. He plays it out, and is willing to do recording for me for future stuff, and has a recording engineer friend whom he can call on. He loves the guitar, and has gotten lots of comments on it from students and other players, and from instructors in master classes. I am toying with the thought of bartering it, or another, to him for the recording, and for some lessons, in return. He's an unemployed civil engineer, with a second degree in guitar performance. He'll never be able to afford one, but he's a good guy, and has given me lots of feedback on each instrument, and a huge lesson in set-up for a player. Or, maybe I'll just keep him in a guitar as long as he continues to help me out.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I'm with JJ. Makes perfect sense to me Haans.

Here is another take:

I am an amateur, in the classic sense. I love building guitars. I can afford not to sell all of them to support my habit.

I recently gave one of my guitars to a neighbor, who after years of addiction, has been on the wagon for 6 months. I was happy to give it to him.

So, my business plan is to make one for pay, make one to play, and make one to give away.

There you have it.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Link, you're a hoot.

I guess I got this on the wrong thread, but as I see it, barter or kindness is a different story. I have a longtime friend that is going to record some blues for me. I will probably give him one of 2 guitars that I would not sell.
I wanted to steer new builders away from the instrument hawkers. Believe me, they prey on new builders at festivals.

My comment was a bit off topic, Haans, for sure.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

I did not get asked to build a guitar for free from one player.
BUT I HAVE BEEN ASKED BY OTHERS-& DECLINED
but collaborated on a design with her & without her knowing gave her the first one.
She was beside herself !!!!!!
She let everyone-students;audiences etc.
know about this and she gives me credit on her c.d.s
She uses only this guitar now !!!
She has Spanish ones she has a love -hate relation with !

This has lead to a great deal of orders & repairs since.

I've known this player for 12 years & we have a great relationship.
http://www.mariazemantauski.com
Mike

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Mike Collins

If you build something for someone for free it is a gift, if you build without compensation with expectation of future return you are a gambler. If the gamble didn't work out be a man and shut up, don't be a bitter antagonist hateful of generous people. T.

I think it is interresting to "lend" your instrument to different musicians so they can give their opinion about it. The other "plus" would be that even if they don't play with your guitar on stage, they get to know your work, and if they really like it maybe they'll even buy it or talk about it to their pears.

But in my particular case: I'm still not getting any piece of work or sound AMAZING enought in my own particular taste, even though it's not bad either. SO I think I'd "lend it" or maybe even give it to some artist I really like, but more as a simple gift because it'd make me happy to think of them playing my instument than in the hope that he'll play with it on stage or advertise for me. But ONLY once I really believe that I can deliver something really special.

Here is another question not quite related but still in this kind of topic:

When did you start selling your instruments? I heard of so many poeple saying you should start to sell very quickly to get poeple to know your name, but here is the thing, if you're a beginner, is it worth to be known as a "clumsy" builder? or for making instrument which are "OK" but nothing to break your theeth on?

I haven't made too may guitars yet, but I think I'd rather wait to get "that something more" (both concerning the craftmanship AND the sound) before to either sell, lend or give my guitars. Up to now I gave it to my familly members and I find it quite handy: it gives me a chance to see how my instruments evolve with the time up to now, and I have a good reference for my future work.

Yo Frank,

I don't think anybody can say it any clear than Hanns already has.

You want feed back...ask other luthiers, not pickers, unless you looking for an endorser.

blessings
be
Padma

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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