Claiming inlays are hiding some sort of flaw is some real big brain energy right there. Especially given the work is done before the instrument is even finished...
Love seeing someone else in the space being discussed with a completely different opinion. And I’m not even joking. It just shows guitar building is like climate change.
Inlays ARE a flaw. Over the years the wood will stretch/shrink, no matter how careful you may be about providing the optimal conditions for the instrument. The inlays will not stretch/shrink with the wood. This WILL eventually result in gaps around the inlays. Some folks like the aesthetic of inlays and are willing to live with that reality. I personally prefer a fingerboard with no inlays. I think it looks better, and since I’m reading music as I play I’m not relying on inlays to know where I am on the neck. But as always, to each their own!
@@Gk2003m you’re not a carpenter or old enough to have seen gaps form around inlays. Do you understand how many inlays have been in fretboards since the 70s with out a single gap. You have no clue what you’re talking about
This is why I love guitars. There is so much mystery and unknowns to uncover. Finding a guitar that may or may not look great but sounds phenomenal is a great experience. But also finding a pristine, fancy guitar that also sounds amazing is just as good for me. I've gotten to the point where I can look at a guitar and have a pretty good idea how it sounds before playing it. Not sure how that works but it's just a feeling I get and it's usually correct. But sometimes I get surprised lol.
What most seem to think of as mystery, is just a wide range of different components, timber species, design elements, and finishing techniques that may or may not work together in a sympathetic way…. And the more examples we look at, the more years we spend looking, playing and listening to them, the better we become at recognising the innate qualities of an individual guitar, even if we’ve never seen it before… I’ve been playing professionally, teaching, and building the odd guitar since the early 1970s… And I haven’t got it down 100% yet… But I’m pretty good at spotting a good one….
I wouldn’t have a clue what a guitar would sound like unless I could look at the bracing, measure the thickness of the top and feel how stiff the top was before it was built… and even then I’d probably be wrong 😂
@@matticeverhoeven6539 You’d probably surprise yourself… Leaving ornamentation and aesthetics out of the equation, I’ve found that at least 90% of the time, whether they be commercial companies or individual luthiers, the quality of the construction you can see without peering inside with an endoscope or mirror, or measuring thicknesses etc, tends to mirror the care and attention to detail taken during the design process, where those aspects which affect performance are considered… I know that isn’t always the case.. But it’s very rare in my experience to find a beautifully built guitar that’s been poorly designed.. Although I have found a few that have appeared pretty mediocre, but sounded far better than I expected…
I only heard the truth... Internet helps a lot but I never and will never buy a high end instrument without touching and playing it first!! This is a huge part of the experience and our own history with it. My humble opinion!!
You’re for sure the minority there! But guitar stores didn’t get themselves cancelled because of brand new guitars. They got themselves cancelled because of their overly greedy margins on trade ins. Sell u a guitar brand new for 1700 and then a month later will only give you 800 for trading it in- then they put it back out on the shelf for 1500. People remember that treatment, and they start going to FB/Reverb/CL to sell their used stuff next time. Then when it comes time to buy a new guitar - sweetwater didn’t rip me off I’ll use them for new stuff. That’s why guitar stores are endangered species. That and more and more players feeling like no test playing is needed with all the diy info out there on setups etc. i know if i buy a brand new guitar online that it might not have the best setup- but that I’d rather just do the setup myself since it’s so easy. The 1980’s are over. The internet has made services like guitar setups easy to diy. And I don’t need to play a guitar before buying it online bcuz I can do a setup myself or worst case just return it. I’m not trying to invalidate your opinion, sir, just trying to point out the reason why most people don’t care about playing a guitar first before buying. Bcuz setups are easily accessed public info now, and because return policies are so forgiving. And most of us have been beat to death on trades by ridiculous margins by these stores enough times to resent them for it uk?
Fair enough!! I only read truth from you too! I'm old fashion but I won't change. An experienced professional will always be necessary because quality comes with years of practising. Internet shopping has its pros and cons. I am lucky to have a big dealer in my city so I can try an instrument before buying it for a competitive price. You are also right when you up to learn how to fix your instrument, everybody should but not everybody has the proper tools and wishes to deal with it and I am one so I pay. I consider learning music theory and harmony more important instead. Thanks for sharing your opinion sir.
Sounds good and looks good. It can be done because the things you build are not to a price point or a comprise. That’s the key to the hand builders, doesn’t matter if it’s guitars or amps, give an artist the time they can come up with something beautiful aesthetically and tonal.
I like some nice finishing and embellishment to a basic instrument, but mostly I prefer to not pay too much for things that add nothing to the play and sound quality. And yes, this beautifully crafted guitar also sounds really beautiful.
I've played some beautifully inlaid guitars that sounded as thin as a sheet of paper...and I'm talking in the +$6,000 category. I've also played guitars that were not adorned, but also lacked a good setup and had some intonation issues. This is why I never buy them sight-unseen. My personal favorite guitar is probably my least adorned, is the most worn on the finish, and travels with me in a Calton case so that I can be comfortable to take it everywhere I go. Moral of the story - you have to play them individually to see if you like them. Otherwise, buying sight-unseen is just a crap shoot,m no matter who made it.
Wow, that is a stunning guitar! For me, learning to play guitar in the late 90s and early 2000s, a lot of the fancy-looking guitars with the flamed maple and whatnot where are the cheaper guitars and the more expensive they got the plainer they looked. That solidified in my mind that fancy was generally not as good. This was before relicing was really a thing. But I do agree with your point about the fancy guitars not sounding as good as you want them to. In my bluegrass family, Martins where the end-all be all and a Martin d-45 was gaudy but the most amazing guitar money could buy. When I got a chance to play one I was very disappointed. I really connected with you on that, for sure. Made me realize that after a certain point you're mostly paying for looks (at least for production guitars)
Guitar sounds great, and you did a great job on that fretboard! The problem with highly personalized instruments is they cost a lot of money and you typically eat it on the resale. I know we tell ourselves we never will sell, but I don't know any guitar players that haven't ran through tons of guitars they thought was the one at the time. Or need money quick like wanting to travel the world for example. I prefer standard looking guitars specifically for this reason. If I spend a lot on a guitar I want to love everything about it and recoup most of that money back if I need too. I don't like the abolone around the body or the headstock, that alone would put me off spending what I could only imagine will be thousands. I'm sure this guitar will find a buyer its sounds great and will be perfect for the right buyer. I wouldn't even be surprised if it already sold. I just consider it a bad investment.
Truly a piece of art ... Sound is so full ! A few years back I talked with the International Sales Director for Yamaha guitars, and I asked how gutars of such consistantly accurate builds, and similar woods were priced so differently. Because say what you will, the manufacturing standards are very good. He admitted that it was mostly in the bracing. Seems that most of the big brands deliberately use ineffective bracing on their low end models and better shaping on the higher end guitars. The manufaturing cost was virtually identical for all of them, so only a few dollars more went into construting the better braced insturments. Planned obsolescence ...
Used to have a custom guitar show, here in Santa Rosa, Ca. Gorgeous, expensive guitars; absolutely wonderful sounds. An embarrassment of riches. Bought a classical (offset soundhole, bracing like inside of a cathederal.) the best sounding classical i own. You can have both ..but it costs!
One evening, I actually got to put my hands on what I believe is known as the Martin D-1000- at a friend/dealers shop- which I guess Chris Martin loaned to him. It was the second most 'adorned', pearl and jewel encrusted instrument ever made by Martin- the Millionth guitar being first. I (to my shock and awe) was asked if I wanted to PLAY it! I said SURE. It was THE most gorgeous sounding dreadnaught I have ever picked up, and it wasn't even broken in! That's my angle on the subject!
It had always been my experience that most beautiful guitars usually were a bit disappointing in the sound department…. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found my built in Montana by Ren Ferguson Gibson Ron Wood SJ200 tobacco triple burst. It is stunningly beautiful and sounds even better!
Some of the truest stuff I've heard about guitars in a long time. I remember seeing the Dragon double neck PRS in NYC when I was a teenager. I was too blown away to wonder about tone, but I remember thinking it cost too damn much to play haha
That guitar does look beautiful, though I have to admit I have a massive soft spot for old guitars, though not ones designed to LOOK old, I love the mystery of their past, I have a 1970s Fender F-65 I bought at a flea market that I know absolutely nothing about.
This guitar is gorgeous, and sounds incredible! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That said, an elaborate inlay should convey a story that is true and dear to the individual, but how that story is manifested and accomplished is where the luthier as a true artisan comes into play.
I have owned two guitars built by the same builder, both OM, both rosewood, almost identical except Sitka top on one and Adirondack on the other. The Adi has all kinds of abalone inlay and sounds so much better. I wonder how much of that is due to the Adi versus Sitka top and how much, if anything, can be attributed to inlaying real seashell into the purfling versus plastic? What brought that question to mind is that many people claim bone nuts, bridges and pins sound better than plastic. Your observation about buying off the rack is spot on. What grabbed my attention was all that abalone on a sunburst guitar and wondering how a guitar that looked like that sparkly could sound. It wasn't the looks, it was the tone that had me hugging that inlayed OM guitar all the way to the cash register.
I found the best way to buy a guitar years ago. I go somewhere that has lots of used guitars and play them until I find one that plays well and sounds good. Every guitar I bought online plays terrible.
This is why I prefer shopping for a guitar in person. Few guitars look and feel better in person than the photographs, while many look and feel worse than the photos. I’ve tried both worn-out and pretty guitars, and there are good guitars in both spectrums.
I think you are a beautiful guitar builder. That sounds fantastic. That guitar has a very rich tone. It’s beautiful. I’m not much of a Bob Dylan fan. But I do like some of his music. I could really think of some really cool inlay work for myself. For all the years I’ve been playing guitar I have seen a lot done a lot with music. My best friend was Johnny Fortune. He done soul surfer back in 1964. He was my guitar teacher and wound up being my best friend for 30 years I have been playing guitar since 1974 I am 70 years old I may have started, a little bit older than most but now I fluently read finger style guitar music. I am a solo instrumental, guitarist. Who inspired me the Eagles Creedence Clearwater, revival and the Beatles. Along with of course my favorite hard rock band Led Zeppelin. Thanks for this video you do beautiful work I wish I could afford to have one of your guitars but I can’t but I sure love them they’re sure beautiful. Keep doing what you’re doing. It’s beautiful thanks for the video. I love it.👍🏼😁🎸😎❤️
That is a genuinely stunning sound. Love the richness of the bass, but the treble still sounds clear and true. Very interesting idea that you are discussing.. I am not a fan of a huge amount of inlay, though I love looking at some fingerboards as artwork. You look at something like a D-42 vs 45. I like the 42 to look at better- 45 seems a bit gaudy for all its quality. I will admit that I like some of the tree of life fingerboards I have seen though. My own guitars, which are custom, have a moderately fancy headstock inlay based around the old OM-45, but slightly simplified nothing else other than maple binding. However, I quite like the look of your recent theme fingerboards. Cool without hitting me over the head. Watching my luthier mate work on inlays, would anyone go to that insane level of effort to hide something? I've seen some overcooked lower factory stuff, but that never looks any good anyway.
It makes complete sense that a good looking guitar can sound great. But it's also true that some would hide the bad sounds with good looks. This one sounds great!
This is my story too…my dad was a huge Bob Dylan fan….grew up in a house that always smelled “funny”, and until I was literally 34-35, I didn’t appreciate the lyrics to “Idiot Wind”…hell I didn’t even understand what he was saying…just sounded like cats fighting. I always bristled because my dad named me Dylan back in 1969…I am pretty sure I am one of the oldest Dylans out there. Dylan Robert (because Bob Dylan would be too obvious). But, I eventually learned to play guitar, and like my father, learned (learning) to build them…which brought me to your channel. Now a fully committed viewer and am invested emotionally in this journey to complete the 6 guitars he couldn’t. Thanks for all you do. ✌️
Looks great and sounds great! I guess it can be done. I do think the placement of the inlay could effect the sound/tone of the top if placed on the active part of the top. Above the sound hole, no biggie.
You are totally right about the "relic" craze. It has nothing to do with playability. It's a sales gimmick. I like to buy my guitars in person. I hate buying guitars on the internet, bought a couple that never get played. Buying a guitar is comparable to buying a car. You always take the car for a test drive, play with the controls, even brand new 🚙 aren't exactly the same. That guitar is a beauty and clear as a bell. The sound comes from the guitar not the inlays.
Don't ever let someone dis you for artistry...you get to choose where to apply it. I'm in a very different place, later in life and no need to earn a living, pursing a life long goal of building a fine instrument now that I have the time and freedom. Your clients can well afford to be your patrons (in the sense of the old artist greats that worked for royalty) I want my clients to be musicians who will never be able to afford a hand built guitar. Love the thought and skill you put into your inlays, maybe in ten years I'll put a skull and roses on one;)
If I order a new guitar, and bring it straight to my luthier to look if it's technical sound, if not I send it back, if it is I let him set it up to my spec's and we live happily ever after. I have a Parkwood PW320M for about 14 years now and it keeps getting better and it's slowly getting a little mojo how hard I try to keep it mint, but after 14 years and almost playing it every day I'm ok with it, no scratches or dings but playing mojo, shiny parts on the top, but the real mojo is the sound, it sounds wonderfull.
Really great guitar, true artistry, I've got a cedar / ziricote custom build guitar that I've just found out is ready for shipment, if it's anything in the same tonal pallet of this I'll be a very happy bunny
the guitar sounds wonderful, the inlay looks amazing and i love mr. Dylan - but i would not want all that commotion and pearl on a guitar of mine. tastes differ. would love that inlay on my wall though. skilled stuff for sure!
The top, back, and sides material selection and construction are what produce most of the qualities of "sound". The inlays can be but; aren't limited to, the tradition of the instrument, the expression of the Luther, or a commission by a client. Design can be hard to quantify but everything has a reason.
I played a ton of amazing guitars on guitar Expo in Denmak some years ago. I saw some amazing pieces (that I will never be able to afford btw ;D) with very artistic inlays. I never saw the difference in sound when compared to their plain cousins. I have to say guitars from RoZaWood from Czech Republic were a real standout. I can be wrong, but I remember that their founder worked for Santa Cruz before opening his own workshop.tried a
I tried an Eastman AC922CE recently. Hated out extravagant the decorations were, but man that guitar sounded great. And so resonant! I tried it against some Taylor guitars, and man, the Taylor's sounded like you were playing underwater by comparison. So if Eastman ever makes that guitar without all the fancy decorations, I am gonna get it for sure.
Not sure why Taylors are so popular. The hype.? Those i’ve played have no character, compared to many less expensive guitars. Played many Takamine, low end guitars that are more resonant and chimey.
Wow that sounds sooooooo good. Don’t care for the inlay. But that’s just me. Don’t get me wrong though. I do like minimalist inlays. And you do do wonderful work.
I'm going to attempt my 1st fretboard inlay soon I got a Dremel 4000 with basic attachments I also bought a few really tiny carving bits with a plunge router attachment. I have been watching various videos on inlay techniques and some people suggest using very sharp knives to carve the perimeter of the inlays so that the Dremel will not chip the wood close to the borders what kind of knives would YOU recommend for the job? You have helped me with other questions in the past and I trust YOU and your expertise in these matters can you give me some Idea please? Thank you - Patrick
In my limited experience tone (of a quality acoustic) improves noticeably over the first year or so after a guitar is built and put into use. Being completely subjective though it’s really hard to say for sure. But that’s what I believe I have observed.
Looks great, sounds great. I don't particularly like overly ornate guitars. This guitar is done just right to me. For someone else, it might be "gaudy".
Any inclination to associate inlays with bad sound evaporated the first time I heard a tenor Moore Bettah ukulele made by Big Island legend Chuck Moore.
Hey Chris First off I love your videos on the 3000yo guitar build, it's mesmerizing for me to watch your craftmanship. It's a beautiful tune that you play first, what do you play there, is it a standard tuning? All the best from Switzerland Nick
good video, btw may i ask if you put any finishing outside the bridge itself? it looks so smooth and way shinier than it should, which is super nice, i'd love to know what you did with that bridge cheers
Prehaps it’s the idea the bling doesn’t add musical value to an instrument? I think that’s clearly debatable. Except for distressed/vintage pre-damaged rigs. Then again I never was into acid washed jeans or ones with rips I didn’t put there myself.
Well put… And a beautiful sounding guitar… Inlays and ornamentation only affect a guitar negatively if they’re overdone on the top or back.. It’s a scientific fact that when you bond two different materials together, the natural resonance of each, interferes with the other… So regular purfling or a motif close to the side won’t make any noticeable difference to the sound, because the top can still resonate properly.. Unlike stickers and other additions which mute different frequencies to a lesser of greater extent..…. As for so called “Relics” which aren’t relics at all… They’re for poseurs who want other people to think “That guitar must be good, because people have wanted to play it so much” Real relics i.e. survivors from previous eras, do tend to sound better, because the longer a guitar is played, the more it opens up musically as the individual components and the lignin which holds the cells and wood fibres in place, become tonally “synchronised” for want of a better word, and elements that may have affected the sound negatively at first, have a lesser effect…
Sure. Does my hearing impress you? so, I was the guy I think I just raised my sounds dry rather than aged, and I think it’s common with much of the wood nowadays where the hire sheets are subjected to actually breaks down the wood oil, and while the moisture content is removed very quickly, which is, less than helpful for Goodwood. It also causes a breakdown or the initiates the breakdown of the window wells which gives it more of a dryer sound then little more fuller residence. Let you get on a piece that still has it oil structure intact Graham this is entirely subject.
I don't like heavy relic'd guitars. It's like buying a pair of brand new jeans, that aren't cheap, pre-faded with holes. I've watched a couple of Paoletti Guitar videos and while they sound wonderful, I think they look hideous. Not only is the guitar heavily relic'd, but they had a sunburst underneath, with some areas worn to bare wood, and then a color like blue over that. I would want to get an acoustic with a torrified top though! The aging is more in the sound.
of course a guitar can look fancy and sound good. I think most people feel that fancy decoration is cheesy and not worth the extra money. personally I think if they're too blinged up they become a distraction on stage especially on acoustic instruments.
As a consumer my view is that I prefer to pay for sound and not bling if like for like I get a better less pretty guitar. But I like the idea of a 'heritage' guitar. If I was 40 years younger I'd consider one 🙂
I played an acoustic (the builder's name escapes me) with a magnificent angel inlay covering most of the top. As expected it sounded very very bad. Whodathunk MOP and abalone doesn't sound like spruce? I also played an, if I recall a Lone Wolf acoustic, with a heavily inlayed fingerboard and headstock with beautiful marquetry around the sound hole that bordered on a religious experience.
Two of the prettiest guitars I ever owned were a Breedlove Oregon with a spruce top and a Myrtlewood sides and back, and an Ibanez artwood model that is made out of Ash top, sides, back. Pretty but it did kind of look like plywood. LOL but they both sounded crappy and I hated the Breedlove neck. They both kinda sucked. Sure did look pretty hanging up on the wall, though
I would be more inspired to by a guitar from someone who has the level of skill to make such inlays as its a good bet they would put as much effort and expertise into the crafting of the guitar itself. That instrument sounds beautiful.
Wow. I mean, wow. Eh. Wow. (As a new starting luthier your videos are an inspiration, a great way to learn a lot. And you make really beautiful and great sounding instruments. Thanks for all of that.)
I don't feel like a builder is hiding anything, but that all that cutting might compromise the structural integrity in favor of looks. And boosts the price. When I started out I wanted a fancy looking instrument but I prefer plain ones these days.
I've always wondered how some guitars with elaborate inlays are so affordable. The time and effort from the artist should drive the cost up. I've never considered it negativley affecting tone.
my schecter hellrazor was covered in abaloony and it was one of the best sounding guitars ive had, but thats an electric so im not sure if it applies to this conversation
Well said Chris. We all have to be very aware of mcmarketing bullshit and just go play the guitar, feel it and listen to it. If it fits, that's a win. Cosmetics are just lipstick and don't make a difference in sound or playability
Could it be that there are a lot of cheap guitars nowadays that have fancy inlays, while expensive 'boutique' brands have toned their inlays down somewhat? Lowden for example has no fretboard inlays on its 'basic' models (which cost nowadays between £3K and £4K; that's gone up by a thousand since 2020) although it has very intricate wood decorations on the body and is considered a very good quality brand, but in the past, the luxury guitars from companies like Martin and Gibson had the abalone inlays and having a D-45 as a professional musician showed that you'd made it, but these days the Far Eastern manufacturer will sell you a guitar with fancy inlays for less than a D-15, let alone a D-45. When you have Collings guitars that cost far more than most professional standard guitars and have no trace of abalone on them, that's what people think of as a good guitar and abalone and pearl just looks like bling, and you can understand the suspicion that it's there to hide or distract from something.
This is my reasoning as well. 'Regular' inlays are dime a dozen these days, and even highly intricate work that is truly top tier can be had for not a ton of cash. Thanks for the insightful comment.
I remain unpersuaded that a relic'd guitar has value added... much to my regret I relic my own guitars because they are such odd shapes to navigate through 3 dimensional space without mishap... looking at guitars played by Paul Simon, Johnny Cash, Marty Stewart, Gene Autry and others, I developed the false belief that bling indicates an accomplished musician. In fact, when I returned to guitar some years ago, I bought a Taylor 914 which was loaded with pau shells, beautiful bindings, purflings and nice inlays, but all that fancy-pants adornment neither helped my playing nor gave me joy and in the end it sounded like a nice Taylor, which eventually was not that pleasing to my ears. In contrast, I now own (among several other really nice instruements of similar build) a Santa Cruz H-13, which is relatively plain looking other than a lovely burst, but it sounds other worldly... In closing, I don't think I would buy a guitar in the price range of Santa Cruz, Lowden, or Collings without playing it first...
Claiming inlays are hiding some sort of flaw is some real big brain energy right there. Especially given the work is done before the instrument is even finished...
Love seeing someone else in the space being discussed with a completely different opinion. And I’m not even joking. It just shows guitar building is like climate change.
There are definitely a lot of poor guitars I've seen with excessive corny inlay jobs
@@ATthemusician sick story, it still doesnt mean inlays are hiding anything...
Inlays ARE a flaw. Over the years the wood will stretch/shrink, no matter how careful you may be about providing the optimal conditions for the instrument. The inlays will not stretch/shrink with the wood. This WILL eventually result in gaps around the inlays. Some folks like the aesthetic of inlays and are willing to live with that reality. I personally prefer a fingerboard with no inlays. I think it looks better, and since I’m reading music as I play I’m not relying on inlays to know where I am on the neck. But as always, to each their own!
@@Gk2003m you’re not a carpenter or old enough to have seen gaps form around inlays. Do you understand how many inlays have been in fretboards since the 70s with out a single gap. You have no clue what you’re talking about
This is why I love guitars. There is so much mystery and unknowns to uncover. Finding a guitar that may or may not look great but sounds phenomenal is a great experience. But also finding a pristine, fancy guitar that also sounds amazing is just as good for me. I've gotten to the point where I can look at a guitar and have a pretty good idea how it sounds before playing it. Not sure how that works but it's just a feeling I get and it's usually correct. But sometimes I get surprised lol.
What most seem to think of as mystery, is just a wide range of different components, timber species, design elements, and finishing techniques that may or may not work together in a sympathetic way…. And the more examples we look at, the more years we spend looking, playing and listening to them, the better we become at recognising the innate qualities of an individual guitar, even if we’ve never seen it before… I’ve been playing professionally, teaching, and building the odd guitar since the early 1970s… And I haven’t got it down 100% yet… But I’m pretty good at spotting a good one….
Welll said. I love the like 250 dollar guitars at the shop that sound and play incredibly all knowledge would say otherwise
I wouldn’t have a clue what a guitar would sound like unless I could look at the bracing, measure the thickness of the top and feel how stiff the top was before it was built… and even then I’d probably be wrong 😂
@@matticeverhoeven6539 You’d probably surprise yourself… Leaving ornamentation and aesthetics out of the equation, I’ve found that at least 90% of the time, whether they be commercial companies or individual luthiers, the quality of the construction you can see without peering inside with an endoscope or mirror, or measuring thicknesses etc, tends to mirror the care and attention to detail taken during the design process, where those aspects which affect performance are considered…
I know that isn’t always the case.. But it’s very rare in my experience to find a beautifully built guitar that’s been poorly designed.. Although I have found a few that have appeared pretty mediocre, but sounded far better than I expected…
I only heard the truth... Internet helps a lot but I never and will never buy a high end instrument without touching and playing it first!! This is a huge part of the experience and our own history with it. My humble opinion!!
You’re for sure the minority there!
But guitar stores didn’t get themselves cancelled because of brand new guitars. They got themselves cancelled because of their overly greedy margins on trade ins. Sell u a guitar brand new for 1700 and then a month later will only give you 800 for trading it in- then they put it back out on the shelf for 1500. People remember that treatment, and they start going to FB/Reverb/CL to sell their used stuff next time. Then when it comes time to buy a new guitar - sweetwater didn’t rip me off I’ll use them for new stuff. That’s why guitar stores are endangered species.
That and more and more players feeling like no test playing is needed with all the diy info out there on setups etc. i know if i buy a brand new guitar online that it might not have the best setup- but that I’d rather just do the setup myself since it’s so easy. The 1980’s are over. The internet has made services like guitar setups easy to diy. And I don’t need to play a guitar before buying it online bcuz I can do a setup myself or worst case just return it.
I’m not trying to invalidate your opinion, sir, just trying to point out the reason why most people don’t care about playing a guitar first before buying. Bcuz setups are easily accessed public info now, and because return policies are so forgiving. And most of us have been beat to death on trades by ridiculous margins by these stores enough times to resent them for it uk?
Fair enough!! I only read truth from you too! I'm old fashion but I won't change. An experienced professional will always be necessary because quality comes with years of practising. Internet shopping has its pros and cons. I am lucky to have a big dealer in my city so I can try an instrument before buying it for a competitive price. You are also right when you up to learn how to fix your instrument, everybody should but not everybody has the proper tools and wishes to deal with it and I am one so I pay. I consider learning music theory and harmony more important instead. Thanks for sharing your opinion sir.
Sounds good and looks good. It can be done because the things you build are not to a price point or a comprise. That’s the key to the hand builders, doesn’t matter if it’s guitars or amps, give an artist the time they can come up with something beautiful aesthetically and tonal.
I like some nice finishing and embellishment to a basic instrument, but mostly I prefer to not pay too much for things that add nothing to the play and sound quality.
And yes, this beautifully crafted guitar also sounds really beautiful.
I've played some beautifully inlaid guitars that sounded as thin as a sheet of paper...and I'm talking in the +$6,000 category. I've also played guitars that were not adorned, but also lacked a good setup and had some intonation issues. This is why I never buy them sight-unseen. My personal favorite guitar is probably my least adorned, is the most worn on the finish, and travels with me in a Calton case so that I can be comfortable to take it everywhere I go. Moral of the story - you have to play them individually to see if you like them. Otherwise, buying sight-unseen is just a crap shoot,m no matter who made it.
You are truly an artist. I have a small guitar shop and I believe I understand what you are doing. I am always amazed at your creativity and quality.
Wow, that is a stunning guitar!
For me, learning to play guitar in the late 90s and early 2000s, a lot of the fancy-looking guitars with the flamed maple and whatnot where are the cheaper guitars and the more expensive they got the plainer they looked. That solidified in my mind that fancy was generally not as good. This was before relicing was really a thing.
But I do agree with your point about the fancy guitars not sounding as good as you want them to. In my bluegrass family, Martins where the end-all be all and a Martin d-45 was gaudy but the most amazing guitar money could buy. When I got a chance to play one I was very disappointed. I really connected with you on that, for sure. Made me realize that after a certain point you're mostly paying for looks (at least for production guitars)
Guitar sounds great, and you did a great job on that fretboard! The problem with highly personalized instruments is they cost a lot of money and you typically eat it on the resale. I know we tell ourselves we never will sell, but I don't know any guitar players that haven't ran through tons of guitars they thought was the one at the time. Or need money quick like wanting to travel the world for example. I prefer standard looking guitars specifically for this reason. If I spend a lot on a guitar I want to love everything about it and recoup most of that money back if I need too. I don't like the abolone around the body or the headstock, that alone would put me off spending what I could only imagine will be thousands. I'm sure this guitar will find a buyer its sounds great and will be perfect for the right buyer. I wouldn't even be surprised if it already sold. I just consider it a bad investment.
Truly a piece of art ... Sound is so full ! A few years back I talked with the International Sales Director for Yamaha guitars, and I asked how gutars of such consistantly accurate builds, and similar woods were priced so differently. Because say what you will, the manufacturing standards are very good. He admitted that it was mostly in the bracing. Seems that most of the big brands deliberately use ineffective bracing on their low end models and better shaping on the higher end guitars. The manufaturing cost was virtually identical for all of them, so only a few dollars more went into construting the better braced insturments. Planned obsolescence ...
Used to have a custom guitar show, here in Santa Rosa, Ca. Gorgeous, expensive guitars; absolutely wonderful sounds. An embarrassment of riches. Bought a classical (offset soundhole, bracing like inside of a cathederal.) the best sounding classical i own. You can have both ..but it costs!
One evening, I actually got to put my hands on what I believe is known as the Martin D-1000- at a friend/dealers shop- which I guess Chris Martin loaned to him. It was the second most 'adorned', pearl and jewel encrusted instrument ever made by Martin- the Millionth guitar being first. I (to my shock and awe) was asked if I wanted to PLAY it! I said SURE. It was THE most gorgeous sounding dreadnaught I have ever picked up, and it wasn't even broken in! That's my angle on the subject!
I picked one of the plainest looking guitars on the rack and it is one of the prettiest sounding acoustics I've played. It's a Martin 000-15M 😁
I have no problem paying for tone! I don’t pay for aesthetics, and I do my own “relic-ing”. However, I really like your personalized inlays!
As soon as you started playing, I fell in love with the sound
It had always been my experience that most beautiful guitars usually were a bit disappointing in the sound department…. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found my built in Montana by Ren Ferguson Gibson Ron Wood SJ200 tobacco triple burst. It is stunningly beautiful and sounds even better!
Some of the truest stuff I've heard about guitars in a long time.
I remember seeing the Dragon double neck PRS in NYC when I was a teenager. I was too blown away to wonder about tone, but I remember thinking it cost too damn much to play haha
That guitar does look beautiful, though I have to admit I have a massive soft spot for old guitars, though not ones designed to LOOK old, I love the mystery of their past, I have a 1970s Fender F-65 I bought at a flea market that I know absolutely nothing about.
This guitar is gorgeous, and sounds incredible! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That said, an elaborate inlay should convey a story that is true and dear to the individual, but how that story is manifested and accomplished is where the luthier as a true artisan comes into play.
I have owned two guitars built by the same builder, both OM, both rosewood, almost identical except Sitka top on one and Adirondack on the other. The Adi has all kinds of abalone inlay and sounds so much better. I wonder how much of that is due to the Adi versus Sitka top and how much, if anything, can be attributed to inlaying real seashell into the purfling versus plastic? What brought that question to mind is that many people claim bone nuts, bridges and pins sound better than plastic. Your observation about buying off the rack is spot on. What grabbed my attention was all that abalone on a sunburst guitar and wondering how a guitar that looked like that sparkly could sound. It wasn't the looks, it was the tone that had me hugging that inlayed OM guitar all the way to the cash register.
I found the best way to buy a guitar years ago. I go somewhere that has lots of used guitars and play them until I find one that plays well and sounds good. Every guitar I bought online plays terrible.
This is why I prefer shopping for a guitar in person.
Few guitars look and feel better in person than the photographs, while many look and feel worse than the photos. I’ve tried both worn-out and pretty guitars, and there are good guitars in both spectrums.
I think you are a beautiful guitar builder. That sounds fantastic. That guitar has a very rich tone. It’s beautiful. I’m not much of a Bob Dylan fan. But I do like some of his music. I could really think of some really cool inlay work for myself. For all the years I’ve been playing guitar I have seen a lot done a lot with music. My best friend was Johnny Fortune. He done soul surfer back in 1964. He was my guitar teacher and wound up being my best friend for 30 years I have been playing guitar since 1974 I am 70 years old I may have started, a little bit older than most but now I fluently read finger style guitar music. I am a solo instrumental, guitarist. Who inspired me the Eagles Creedence Clearwater, revival and the Beatles. Along with of course my favorite hard rock band Led Zeppelin. Thanks for this video you do beautiful work I wish I could afford to have one of your guitars but I can’t but I sure love them they’re sure beautiful. Keep doing what you’re doing. It’s beautiful thanks for the video. I love it.👍🏼😁🎸😎❤️
Hello Driftwood guitar,
I am a new subscriber. ❤
I just wanted to say thank you for making beautiful guitars. One day I aspire to own such a creation. Cheers!
Can you please keep growing out your hair and bear, it makes it super easy to tell if a video is an older one or newer one when I see it in my feed.
That is a genuinely stunning sound. Love the richness of the bass, but the treble still sounds clear and true. Very interesting idea that you are discussing.. I am not a fan of a huge amount of inlay, though I love looking at some fingerboards as artwork. You look at something like a D-42 vs 45. I like the 42 to look at better- 45 seems a bit gaudy for all its quality. I will admit that I like some of the tree of life fingerboards I have seen though. My own guitars, which are custom, have a moderately fancy headstock inlay based around the old OM-45, but slightly simplified nothing else other than maple binding. However, I quite like the look of your recent theme fingerboards. Cool without hitting me over the head. Watching my luthier mate work on inlays, would anyone go to that insane level of effort to hide something? I've seen some overcooked lower factory stuff, but that never looks any good anyway.
It makes complete sense that a good looking guitar can sound great. But it's also true that some would hide the bad sounds with good looks.
This one sounds great!
Sounds fantastic! But personally I prefer "plain Jane" guitars.
This is my story too…my dad was a huge Bob Dylan fan….grew up in a house that always smelled “funny”, and until I was literally 34-35, I didn’t appreciate the lyrics to “Idiot Wind”…hell I didn’t even understand what he was saying…just sounded like cats fighting. I always bristled because my dad named me Dylan back in 1969…I am pretty sure I am one of the oldest Dylans out there. Dylan Robert (because Bob Dylan would be too obvious). But, I eventually learned to play guitar, and like my father, learned (learning) to build them…which brought me to your channel. Now a fully committed viewer and am invested emotionally in this journey to complete the 6 guitars he couldn’t. Thanks for all you do. ✌️
Looks great and sounds great! I guess it can be done. I do think the placement of the inlay could effect the sound/tone of the top if placed on the active part of the top. Above the sound hole, no biggie.
I have never thought those things that way, and cant imagine anyone assuming for those things
TOD10 and TOD10N are the best example of beautiful guitars with inlays sounding awesome
Your work is great! I love the story visually represented. And, you're correct about the relic'd guitars. It's mostly aspirational marketing.
Great piece right there and spot on. Guitar sounds amazing and glad you can put out a video with your ability to play very well. Bravo!
Sonically and visually stunning. Thank you for posting!
You are totally right about the "relic" craze. It has nothing to do with playability. It's a sales gimmick. I like to buy my guitars in person. I hate buying guitars on the internet, bought a couple that never get played. Buying a guitar is comparable to buying a car. You always take the car for a test drive, play with the controls, even brand new 🚙 aren't exactly the same. That guitar is a beauty and clear as a bell. The sound comes from the guitar not the inlays.
My mom had the same hair dew in the 80s
Sounds like a cool lady!
Don't ever let someone dis you for artistry...you get to choose where to apply it. I'm in a very different place, later in life and no need to earn a living, pursing a life long goal of building a fine instrument now that I have the time and freedom. Your clients can well afford to be your patrons (in the sense of the old artist greats that worked for royalty) I want my clients to be musicians who will never be able to afford a hand built guitar. Love the thought and skill you put into your inlays, maybe in ten years I'll put a skull and roses on one;)
I like guitars that sound like they been played for years and prefer a satin finish 7:59 8:00
If I order a new guitar, and bring it straight to my luthier to look if it's technical sound, if not I send it back, if it is I let him set it up to my spec's and we live happily ever after.
I have a Parkwood PW320M for about 14 years now and it keeps getting better and it's slowly getting a little mojo how hard I try to keep it mint, but after 14 years and almost playing it every day I'm ok with it, no scratches or dings but playing mojo, shiny parts on the top, but the real mojo is the sound, it sounds wonderfull.
Really great guitar, true artistry, I've got a cedar / ziricote custom build guitar that I've just found out is ready for shipment, if it's anything in the same tonal pallet of this I'll be a very happy bunny
the guitar sounds wonderful, the inlay looks amazing and i love mr. Dylan - but i would not want all that commotion and pearl on a guitar of mine. tastes differ. would love that inlay on my wall though. skilled stuff for sure!
best inlay ever in my opinion.. great job
Spectacular. Sadly, my fingers don't deserve a guitar so beautiful!
The top, back, and sides material selection and construction are what produce most of the qualities of "sound". The inlays can be but; aren't limited to, the tradition of the instrument, the expression of the Luther, or a commission by a client. Design can be hard to quantify but everything has a reason.
I played a ton of amazing guitars on guitar Expo in Denmak some years ago.
I saw some amazing pieces (that I will never be able to afford btw ;D) with very artistic inlays.
I never saw the difference in sound when compared to their plain cousins.
I have to say guitars from RoZaWood from Czech Republic were a real standout.
I can be wrong, but I remember that their founder worked for Santa Cruz before opening his own workshop.tried a
god this guitar sounds so good. genuinely made me remember why I used to like acoustics
It sounds simply magnificent. Amazing work!
Great video. I love the artistry in this guitar. I like the idea of a legacy guitar with a story. Food for thought for me. Thank you. Great work
Sounds great to me. Nice playing.
I tried an Eastman AC922CE recently. Hated out extravagant the decorations were, but man that guitar sounded great. And so resonant! I tried it against some Taylor guitars, and man, the Taylor's sounded like you were playing underwater by comparison.
So if Eastman ever makes that guitar without all the fancy decorations, I am gonna get it for sure.
Not sure why Taylors are so popular. The hype.? Those i’ve played have no character, compared to many less expensive guitars. Played many Takamine, low end guitars that are more resonant and chimey.
That’s a KILLER inlay for sure
Not crazy about the inlays but it sounds amazing!!!!!!
I love nice inlays on a guitar, and you do wonderful work!
If I could afford one I would make the trip and order one. Love the channel.
Woahhhhhh, so nice! Love the sound and inlay and guitar! lol
Chris, I think I told you years ago that I wanted you to make me a guitar that sounds like a D 28 or an HD 28 but that plays like a stage guitar.
Wow that sounds sooooooo good. Don’t care for the inlay. But that’s just me. Don’t get me wrong though. I do like minimalist inlays. And you do do wonderful work.
Finally! Another video! Love it!!!
I'm going to attempt my 1st fretboard inlay soon I got a Dremel 4000 with basic attachments I also bought a few really tiny carving bits with a plunge router attachment. I have been watching various videos on inlay techniques and some people suggest using very sharp knives to carve the perimeter of the inlays so that the Dremel will not chip the wood close to the borders what kind of knives would YOU recommend for the job? You have helped me with other questions in the past and I trust YOU and your expertise in these matters can you give me some Idea please? Thank you - Patrick
Beautiful!! A museum piece to be played.............
In my limited experience tone (of a quality acoustic) improves noticeably over the first year or so after a guitar is built and put into use. Being completely subjective though it’s really hard to say for sure. But that’s what I believe I have observed.
Peacock hair has me distracted, but content on point
I love listening to you play guitar.
Looks great, sounds great. I don't particularly like overly ornate guitars. This guitar is done just right to me. For someone else, it might be "gaudy".
Sound awesome ! So lovely and sweet ! Congratulations Master !
Man that's a sweet tone 😎🤙🏽
I love the sound, felt it in my hart and put a smile on my face, so warm and wonderfull. i love the inlay too amazing skills you have
Any inclination to associate inlays with bad sound evaporated the first time I heard a tenor Moore Bettah ukulele made by Big Island legend Chuck Moore.
Hey Chris
First off I love your videos on the 3000yo guitar build, it's mesmerizing for me to watch your craftmanship.
It's a beautiful tune that you play first, what do you play there, is it a standard tuning?
All the best from Switzerland
Nick
So true. Even binding makes me wince, its pure insanity but idk. If a guitar could be a Stradivarius thats what I would want lol
Man, it sounds so good. I'm hearing Martin-like sounds..
good video, btw may i ask if you put any finishing outside the bridge itself? it looks so smooth and way shinier than it should, which is super nice, i'd love to know what you did with that bridge
cheers
Prehaps it’s the idea the bling doesn’t add musical value to an instrument? I think that’s clearly debatable. Except for distressed/vintage pre-damaged rigs. Then again I never was into acid washed jeans or ones with rips I didn’t put there myself.
A masterpice, the inlays are fantastic. So far the sound seem to ne top notch.
Well put… And a beautiful sounding guitar…
Inlays and ornamentation only affect a guitar negatively if they’re overdone on the top or back.. It’s a scientific fact that when you bond two different materials together, the natural resonance of each, interferes with the other… So regular purfling or a motif close to the side won’t make any noticeable difference to the sound, because the top can still resonate properly.. Unlike stickers and other additions which mute different frequencies to a lesser of greater extent..….
As for so called “Relics” which aren’t relics at all… They’re for poseurs who want other people to think “That guitar must be good, because people have wanted to play it so much”
Real relics i.e. survivors from previous eras, do tend to sound better, because the longer a guitar is played, the more it opens up musically as the individual components and the lignin which holds the cells and wood fibres in place, become tonally “synchronised” for want of a better word, and elements that may have affected the sound negatively at first, have a lesser effect…
Definitely thought that was Frodo, but it looks sick!
Really liked the video, thank you!
Sure. Does my hearing impress you? so, I was the guy I think I just raised my sounds dry rather than aged, and I think it’s common with much of the wood nowadays where the hire sheets are subjected to actually breaks down the wood oil, and while the moisture content is removed very quickly, which is, less than helpful for Goodwood. It also causes a breakdown or the initiates the breakdown of the window wells which gives it more of a dryer sound then little more fuller residence. Let you get on a piece that still has it oil structure intact Graham this is entirely subject.
I don't like heavy relic'd guitars. It's like buying a pair of brand new jeans, that aren't cheap, pre-faded with holes. I've watched a couple of Paoletti Guitar videos and while they sound wonderful, I think they look hideous. Not only is the guitar heavily relic'd, but they had a sunburst underneath, with some areas worn to bare wood, and then a color like blue over that. I would want to get an acoustic with a torrified top though! The aging is more in the sound.
of course a guitar can look fancy and sound good. I think most people feel that fancy decoration is cheesy and not worth the extra money. personally I think if they're too blinged up they become a distraction on stage especially on acoustic instruments.
As a consumer my view is that I prefer to pay for sound and not bling if like for like I get a better less pretty guitar. But I like the idea of a 'heritage' guitar. If I was 40 years younger I'd consider one 🙂
I played an acoustic (the builder's name escapes me) with a magnificent angel inlay covering most of the top. As expected it sounded very very bad. Whodathunk MOP and abalone doesn't sound like spruce? I also played an, if I recall a Lone Wolf acoustic, with a heavily inlayed fingerboard and headstock with beautiful marquetry around the sound hole that bordered on a religious experience.
Oh, and your instrument exemplifies why you have a 3 year wait. Beautiful in every way.
Flipping amazing! Thats crazy.
Two of the prettiest guitars I ever owned were a Breedlove Oregon with a spruce top and a Myrtlewood sides and back, and an Ibanez artwood model that is made out of Ash top, sides, back. Pretty but it did kind of look like plywood. LOL but they both sounded crappy and I hated the Breedlove neck. They both kinda sucked. Sure did look pretty hanging up on the wall, though
I would be more inspired to by a guitar from someone who has the level of skill to make such inlays as its a good bet they would put as much effort and expertise into the crafting of the guitar itself. That instrument sounds beautiful.
I have to buy my guitars online because I'm a lefty living in rural New England. Sucks, but at least there is that option.
Wow. I mean, wow. Eh. Wow. (As a new starting luthier your videos are an inspiration, a great way to learn a lot. And you make really beautiful and great sounding instruments. Thanks for all of that.)
Beautiful workmanship, beautiful tone. well done
That first thought has never crossed my mind
I don't feel like a builder is hiding anything, but that all that cutting might compromise the structural integrity in favor of looks. And boosts the price. When I started out I wanted a fancy looking instrument but I prefer plain ones these days.
What do you recommend for a fret leveling sander?
I've always wondered how some guitars with elaborate inlays are so affordable. The time and effort from the artist should drive the cost up. I've never considered it negativley affecting tone.
my schecter hellrazor was covered in abaloony and it was one of the best sounding guitars ive had, but thats an electric so im not sure if it applies to this conversation
Well said Chris. We all have to be very aware of mcmarketing bullshit and just go play the guitar, feel it and listen to it. If it fits, that's a win. Cosmetics are just lipstick and don't make a difference in sound or playability
My guitar build would be to sculpture the clients right hand for the headstock and call it ,the handsome...greetings from cork city ireland...Michael.
Could it be that there are a lot of cheap guitars nowadays that have fancy inlays, while expensive 'boutique' brands have toned their inlays down somewhat? Lowden for example has no fretboard inlays on its 'basic' models (which cost nowadays between £3K and £4K; that's gone up by a thousand since 2020) although it has very intricate wood decorations on the body and is considered a very good quality brand, but in the past, the luxury guitars from companies like Martin and Gibson had the abalone inlays and having a D-45 as a professional musician showed that you'd made it, but these days the Far Eastern manufacturer will sell you a guitar with fancy inlays for less than a D-15, let alone a D-45. When you have Collings guitars that cost far more than most professional standard guitars and have no trace of abalone on them, that's what people think of as a good guitar and abalone and pearl just looks like bling, and you can understand the suspicion that it's there to hide or distract from something.
This is my reasoning as well. 'Regular' inlays are dime a dozen these days, and even highly intricate work that is truly top tier can be had for not a ton of cash. Thanks for the insightful comment.
That guitar truly sounds as amazing as it looks.
I remain unpersuaded that a relic'd guitar has value added... much to my regret I relic my own guitars because they are such odd shapes to navigate through 3 dimensional space without mishap... looking at guitars played by Paul Simon, Johnny Cash, Marty Stewart, Gene Autry and others, I developed the false belief that bling indicates an accomplished musician. In fact, when I returned to guitar some years ago, I bought a Taylor 914 which was loaded with pau shells, beautiful bindings, purflings and nice inlays, but all that fancy-pants adornment neither helped my playing nor gave me joy and in the end it sounded like a nice Taylor, which eventually was not that pleasing to my ears. In contrast, I now own (among several other really nice instruements of similar build) a Santa Cruz H-13, which is relatively plain looking other than a lovely burst, but it sounds other worldly... In closing, I don't think I would buy a guitar in the price range of Santa Cruz, Lowden, or Collings without playing it first...