Tom West wrote:
Don't most folks do their own spraying.........??
Tom
Tom
Can't say what most folks do but I can tell you that if you go to a major gutiar show where all the better known makers are exhibiting you may find that around half of the offereings there may have outsourced finishes. When I consider some of the biggest names in the biz I also know that most of these folks outsource finishing too.
This topic of outsourced finishes, CNC necks, bridges, etc. is brought up a couple of times a year as long as I can remember here on the OLF. It's interesting to me.... on a number of levels. For example one member here is on record in the archives dissing folks who outsourced finishing and then when he realized that his own work was subpar... he started outsourcing finishing too.....
My first seven or so I finished with nitro but then when spraying was more difficult for me and not safe either for my dog either I started outsourcing. Of the two finishiers that I used they both did excellent work but I ended up liking poly a bit more. It's likely the toughest finish that I know of but when done by a master it can be very thin and acoustically transparent as well.
I outsourced too up until number 20 or so and then with our business in Ann Arbor our shop came with a full spray booth complete with explosion proof lighting and fans so since then I have been finishing my own again mostly to save on costs.
It's an individual decesion and hopely the day of someone sticking out their chest and attempting to tell others what they should do are over on the OLF, maybe not...
Anyway there are very good reasons to outsource as there are very good reasons to do one's own finishing and each of us have to decide what works best for us. I can tell you though that when you see some of the outsourced work that one may be competing with it can be humbling....
Regarding outsourcing you would be surprised I am sure if you actually knew the half of it. It's not only CNC necks and bridges, boards, etc. and out sourced finishes but some well known makers have even outsourced final set-up (setting the neck, bridge gluing, nut making, fretting, etc.) to industry pros because even though it costs them in their market the costs are covered and these makers decided long ago that they want the very best for their clients even if it means contracting specialists.
Hand made means as many different things to different folks as the term "Luthier..." means.... to forum members....
