Official Luthiers Forum!

It is important to continue on with the instrument unless it is completely salvageable. The reason is that each step in the process has to be learned and practiced. If you give up because the binding is uneven, than you will not learn how to properly do the next step or learn from the mistakes you make in that step. Consider two methods of learning to play a piece of music. One, you start at the beginning and, if you make a mistake, you start over from the beginning. You could work on that tune for months without ever even attempting to play the second half of it so you won't know where the tricky parts are. Once you finish playing the tune, you know the first half very well and you don't know the second half particularly well at all. The second approach is to try to play the piece all the way through continuing on after mistakes. When you have learned it the second way, you are equally practiced at all parts of the piece. There may be some portions that you repeat before moving on but don't do it too much.

That is a nice set. My first was Macassar ebony simply because I thought I would only ever build one - that wa the intention... but maybe it was more to do with teh fact that the most recent plain Jane started to go wrong early and I wa snever happy with teh way it progressed.... down to inexperience and perhaps because it was realtively cheap, maybe I took my eye off the ball and 'rushed a little, but it just strange that since its been stripped back and is being reused in a new format, the attentiaon and enthusiasm is there again... but cant wait to use something more striking though

I agree to some extent, but for me, I dont currently have my own workshop and only do 2 hours a week with a pro builder at his shop. I pay for the time so carrying on with something that you know will be sub standard was difficult to reconcile financially, especially as I knew where the mistakes occured - and these were mostly down to rushing the job. Had I been doing this in my own space and time, I may have persevered, but surely when you realise that the instrument is simply nmot going to make the grade, salvage is the a worthwhile option rather than continuing to build a sub standard instrument?

What a great thread and important question. I'm not sure that there is a steadfast rule on when to call it quits. It might be more complicated than that. Personality, for sure, will affect when you throw in the towel or even if you ever will. I agree with Hesh that the shelves are there for a reason. I have stopped on a proceedure that I messed up and moved on to return later and had no issues whatsoever then.

I tend to be one that doesn't give up easily and have reworked certain parts to death until I got it right or at least some facimile or rightness. One thing I know from experience is that it is ultimately very important to develop the ability to get your inner critic off of your back at certain times. If you don't, it can be crippling. I certainly like my critic's input as it keeps a high level of precision and integrity there. On the other hand, the anguish is too much when it isn't perfect. Does it matter? I don't know. I just build for soulful pleasure. Others may feel differently as proffessionals. It does seem that it would be important there as well because hashing endlessly over something no one else will see isn't great for cashflow. Good luck. When you do have one done, let's have a look.

Ya well, every once in a while one falls of the truck. And you know what, me never even missed them, so really is no big deal.

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