Official Luthiers Forum!

number 32 delivered last week, 5 more in process and more repaired than I can count

There is a lot of experience in this forum. I built about 25 this year... and last year it was 1 double bass. By the way do f holes count?

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Ken

Not me....I'm just doing the setup on #'s 4 & 5 but I have a dozen bodies nearly finished and 6 necks are ready for assembly. The first years have been spent developing the design and finishing the tooling that will allow 20+ guitars per year. That's the goal anyway. This following year should see #25....unless I get lazy.

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

#144 is in process . I do save the sound hole cutouts and started marking them on #100

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Approaching 200, 3 of which were classicals, all others steel-string flattops. Still figuring it out.
My sweetie, Cat Fox, just passed her 30th year as a repair tech with a client list including John Gorka, Bill Frisell, Rosalind Cash ...

55 (including four acoustic lap slides, and four harp guitars) plus two ukulele's, an Appalachian dulcimer and two electrics . . . and, oh yes . . . a Heiber 13 course lute. Guess that nearly makes me a luthier.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

I'll be starting guitar #50 this year. I've made them over the last 12 years, 3 of which as a professional full (or part) timer, which I guess makes me one of the slower (slowest?) builders. I also make the occasional mando-family instrument, and few electics, baritones, ukulele, a classical, a bass... I've "worked on" them since I started playing in the early '80's though, does that count?

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

150+.
Never kept track of repairs or all the old Harmonies I took apart and reconstructed back in the 60's...that's last century for you young folk.

Winding down my building now as there are too many other things that need caring for...aged parents (97 and 93), 5 grandchildren and their associated activities, etc. etc.

The shop will begin "cleaning out" next year...woods, tools, etc.

If you have any wants or needs, PM me and I'll see what I have to dispose of and let you know.

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Hank Mauel

I should hit 25 early next year. Like Jim, I end up doing so much other stuff on each guitar that it slows me way down. I have no problem with this. I have been very happy with most all of them sound-wise after 6 or so and feel like the aesthetics and "up-close" tightness has come in in the last 10. I still see so many areas to improve and find new ones on each guitar, I am hopeful that the quality will always continue to rise.

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

Six dreadnaughts. One squareneck acoustic slide, and the lacquer is curing on the 2nd resonator guitar. I started two years ago, but built custom furniture in my twenties. I would also like to thank those who contribute to the knowledge here, it has been invaluable.

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Damon Wack
https://www.facebook.com/LindamonGuitars

Haven't seen her in over 20 years.... how the time does fly by.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Started building in the 70's, then had a long hiatus till late 90's. Have finished somewhere in the mid 30's (lost offical count along the way)and have 4 on the go at present. Getting parts roughed out and waiting for the drier weather to begin serious assembly.Still learning and still enjoying.
Tom
P.S. The soundhole cutouts all hit the trash can.

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

I'll be carving the neck on #207 on Friday ... also did repairs full time for seven years.

Do ukuleles count? I'm working on #37 now. Almost done with my first guitar. Keep my soundholes stuck on a go bar wedged behind the chisel rack, but I'm short about ten of them.

Acoustic #27 is nearly ready for finish. 44 instruments completed overall including electrics, mandolins, hybrid things, ukes, etc.

If it has strings and makes noise I think it counts.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Just over 400 acoustics with some 6 string electrics ,mandos & 12 basses also.
Thousands of repairs!

36 years of doing this now!
WOW! where has the time gone?
Mike

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Mike Collins

I just finished #76. The count includes a couple of electrics, a bouzouki, 5 banjos, and a few classicals. The rest are steel string acoustic. There's a lot of happiness in this profession.

Uhh, Hank, the 60s was in the last millenium!

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

I just reached 25 including electrics. This doesn't include my Peter Townsend technique with 2 recalcitrant guitars that had fatal birth defects. I then burned the evidence...a great learning experience and indeed cathartic!

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

56 guitars (flattop-archtop) 5 mandolins (2 F's) 2 electrics and 1-1/2 lutes-repaired/refinished hundreds of guitars.

Thanks for that John. I'll include the two Aeolian Harps and call my total 26.

Steve

including bouzoukis, electric and acoustic mandolins, guitars, basses, doublenecks and some truely bizzarre experiments (like an acoustic explorer shaped zouk), but NOT including flutes, cajons, and drumsticks.......

well, I'm working on 4 at the minute.....

nos 76 through 79

two mandolins at the setup stage, a guitar and a OM

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My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

I built my first instrument in 1963 (a dulcimer). I worked at C.F. Martin the summer of 1966. Joined the Navy in the fall. I have built guitars, dulcimers, ukes, banjos and mandolins (acoustic and electric). I built enough dulcimers to keep from losing my house when I was laid off from my welding job. I never kept track of how many I have built. Just finished a five string electric mandolin. Never built two alike.

I'm at 35 plus 5 "others".

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com