Official Luthiers Forum!

Hello everyone,

I always wanted to know how you true luthiers started in the business.

Do you live from instrument making?

What's your approach?

What kind of training do you have?

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CNC is a tool, not cheating

Well, about five years ago, I went shopping for a book when it began to rain.
And right in the middle of an outdoor book shop I rusted solid when I looked at Cumpiano's book.
I said: "How hard can this be?" And I've been this way ever since.
Oh wait! I'm not really a true luthier since so far I'm just giving them away.
Oh well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

My first guitar was white colour, it was a startocaster which I did not know by then, but I knew I dislike white....first paintjob....I earn my living with guitars, wood and woodworkingmachines.

cheers, alex

After pestering him twice a week for a year, I was signed on by Jean Larrivee on Nov 4, 1996, at the age of 23, and worked there til November 22nd of this year, at which time Jean closed the Canadian shop, much to our unsatisfaction.

During my tenure there, I worked my way up from floor sweeper/wet sander to production manager, QC guy, and overall go-to fella for things guitar related. I fit thousands of dovetails, fretted ungodly number of thousands of guitars, installed tens of thousands of pickups, and did somewhere in the neighbourhood of 40,000 final setups, including the last ten official guitars to have been made in the Canadian shop. As well as having trained a whole slew of folks to do the same, and all of the typical administrative chores that come with helping to run a shop of that size.

Round about 12 years ago, I desired a Martin, but couldn't afford one (obviously), and mentioned it to my friend Jason Friesen from Rayco Resophonics. He invited me to make one in his shop and showed me the basics, and I've never looked back. I was fortunate enough to get commissions before I'd even finished my first very rustic guitar. So for the first decade of my building, I worked my 8hrs there, and whatever hours I could squeeze out of myself between gigs, rehearsals, tours, and general partying, which was a lot of hours, also throwing every available resource I could come up with into my own shop. During that decade I built 59 guitars under the brand name Tinker.

Around two years ago, I started a budget brand called Halcyon to toy with some of the ideas in the Gore/Gilet books, and to make some faster selling guitars to make up for the factory hours going from 40 to 16hrs a week, which was not enough to live on. In 2012 I made 16 guitars by my self.

About one year ago, my oldest standing friend returned to Vancouver after a 14 year hiatus to be my apprentice, and we've built and delivered about 35 guitars so far this year. And, very fortunately, we have a few months work on the board ahead of us, and are obviously hoping for more.

If all goes well, I'll just be able to keep doing what I've been doing, so fingers crossed.

I will miss the machinery and the camaraderie of the Larrivee shop, but I also really enjoy having only one extra person to look after. That was one strange torpedo, that's for sure. Thanks Jean, but especially thanks John Jr...

Anybody curious can check out http://www.tinkerguitars.com, or check out our Halcyon Guitars FB page to see what I'm more into these days. The especially brave can google The Gentle Infidels to see what I think acoustic guitars are for....

Ed

Welcome to the forum, I'm sure you will get some sane replies.......
I'm an amateur, hoping to get better and sell guitars as I go into "retirement", and maybe help other to build themselves.
I fixed/set up all my own guitars over the past 50 years. Always wanted to build one, and after the kids were grown I took a "build your own" course, got the bug.
Not quite sure of the "approach" thing. - basically reading everything I can, hands/tools on the wood and this forum
Training - well, if you can call it that, the 2 week build course, and, of course, every mistake I have ever made.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

You talking to me Hot Lips?
Sorry I meant tips.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

"I was born a poor black child....."

I decided one day that I could build a guitar cheaper than buying one. That was mistake number one.

If I built more, I could correct mistake number one. That was mistake number two.

Still trying.

Pat

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

I was involved in a pretty strong jr. high and high school music program. We won multiple downbeat awards for being the "best symphonic band in the country," and other nonsense. Reno Jazz Festival. Typical high school band things. It was a great experience that exposed me to playing guitar and drums in jazz band, percussion in samba ensembles, symphonic percussion, and ultimately helped me go through undergrad on a music scholarship. I'd also been in love with guitar since pre-K and during that high school period desperately wanted to go to Berklee and become a professional musician.

When I was 16, the local guitar shop started hosting Taylor guitar clinics. I wanted a 714 so bad I could taste it, but obviously I couldn't afford one. I begged my family for a loan. They wisely refused. One day I came home from my guitar lesson and ran a random Alta Vista search on guitar making. Two years later I started ordering wood and low-quality tools. About five years ago I finished my first legitimate acoustic guitar after giving up on four or five prior attempts, successfully making a number of electrics, a few amps, and a few drum kits. I credit this forum and a lot of exploration and the astonishing act of simply trying for that.

I don't have a background in woodworking and just now feel those skills getting to where I'd like them to be. Thankfully what I do have is a somewhat heuristic ear from all the great opportunities I was exposed to earlier.

I'll be honest: there are times when I think about selling everything, being happy with the guitars I have, and moving on to explore new things in life such as taking a few photography workshops in Yosemite, learning to sketch, or investing in a competition quality olympic weightlifting setup (my other hobby). But yesterday, for example, I watched a delightfully quirky video on YouTube about an old engineer who's taken up violin making in his retirement. Luthiery can seem like such a fractured interest that I get to experience only every now and then when I have a project. But when I do, I really enjoy it. I feel connected to it. Sharing it, such as the father and son did in the video I watched yesterday, likewise feels very important to me. As our world becomes more digitally oriented (which is great), this seems an important thing to hand down, if even just through word. People, old, my peers, or younger, never fail to smile when it comes up and I have a chance to talk about this thing I do.

HI.

True? ....hmmm oh boy...ok...go here...

http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10112&t=20978&p=556132#p556132

As for the "buisness" part, us monks take vows of perpetual poverty so me woolden't NO NOthing about buisness...You wanna know about buisness, go ask the Bankers and the IMC. They knows all about buisness.

As for earning a living..ummm sorry, me is already alive...and enjoy building, me also enjoy living...its one of lifes pure pleasures.

Regarding me approach...read me build threads.

Potty training.

Any other questions?


Blessings
?adma

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Mom was a sensitive, emotional artist.
Dad was a persevering, determined jock.

I was conflicted.

I ended up manufacturing pretty composite propellers for a couple of decades before guitars.

Propellers are much harder to make but much easier to sell.

I build guitars using cad/cam/cnc and haven't the slightest idea how to do it otherwise.

I just finish reading Ervin Somogyi's essay on "hand skills" ... and I'm still conflicted.

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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

I was the youngest of twelve children, born to poor sharecroppers in 'Rkansas. Saw Robert Johnson playing at the crossroads, and knew then that I wanted to make guitars, cause I can't play them very well at all. Plus, making guitars doesn't leave holes in your arms, like some other addictions.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Hey, Pat, that sums it up pretty nice - i think i´m gonna steal that line, if you don´t mind.

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes

I'm like the guy who thought it was cheaper to heat his home with wood he cut himself...........................
1. half ton truck to haul wood
2. chain saw
3. come along
4. safety cloths
5.gas-fuel
6. medical bills
You get the idea....................................I couldn't afford a good factory built guitar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And I listened to the guy who said I could build my own and there was nothing to it...................that was in the mid 70's.
I haven't got even with him yet....!!!
Tom

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

Yo Puresoundguitar....

after reading all the above posts, me thinks you should be getting the gist of the drift...which quite simple be...if it ain't fun...try knitting or maybe stamp collecting. You getting it now?...if not, wait till the rest of the jokers star posting.

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Ok ok Flipo,
sorry, didn't realize you was so sensitive. Maybe thats why your builds ares so immaculate.

"members...wait till the rest of the members star posting..."

that better?

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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My mother warned me about liquor, fast women and luthiers, but I couldn't help myself. I had to find out for myself.......

Brent

I'm an amateur/hobbyist builder, with no expectation that I will ever become a true luthier. My interest in building stemmed from a desire to learn more about tonewoods and the inner workings of guitars. I searched out information on the Internet, bought a few books, ordered a kit and took the plunge. That was several years ago and I'll be gluing the bridge on my guitar #5 tonight, which is my first built from scratch. It's not perfect, but I'm getting closer and I have enough wood stashed now to keep me happily tinkering away for quite a while. I am a lucky man.

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George :-)

I love making things and I am a tool junky; guitars are smaller than furniture and even at my level of craft they are easier to get rid of. I also thought about boxes but guitar are cooler. An odd project to repair a very old beetle back mandolin introduced me to the stewmac and LMI catalogs; That hooked me.

I am happy to stay an amateur, but look to develop my skills to a high level.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

I had too much spare cash and a very large inexpensive wood pile. Thanks to my new best friends, Aaron Hix, Bev Finch, among others, balance has been restored.

It's all fun and games Guy From The North.

Be my guest, Bernardo. Truth is to be shared!

Pat

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

indeed!

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes

Thanks everyone for sharing your stories.

I relate to some of you, especially that I come from an engineering background. I'm still on my early stages of guitar building, but I plan to bring a new twist to guitar building with some crazy ideas that derived from my mold-making experience.

I'm finishing my website, we'll see how things develop.

@ Miguel - É sempre bom ver compatriotas por aqui! (Translation: it's always good to see our fellow countrymen around here)

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CNC is a tool, not cheating

hei, grande abraço... boa sorte na aventura!

are you portuguese or poruguese descendant?

best,
miguel.

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes

newbie question: are you allowed to mention you´re a luthier on a first date?

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes