A local exotic wood supplier had Paduk in their "thins" bin. When I looked at them, I notice they were 4" wide book matched sets. I grab a bunch and built a small body guitar - back, sides, top - out of them. It looks really cool. How does it sound? Well, to me, very articulate while fumbling through finger style or pick strumming at low volumes. Add a little attack to it and it gets real muddled without any substantial volume. Fun experience. I primarily use it as the guitar in the near-by stand to learn or practice new songs. Great video gents.
As a tech in a music store I worked on takamine dred that was all rosewood (soundboard too) built in 1983 and it blew me away. It wasn't the most lively for delicate fingers style but any mildly strummed chord leaped out with authority and clarity. And the headroom was unreal. I even tried to buy it off the customer and she refused. Highly suggest checking one out. Any one who prefers a gibson j45 over a Bourgeois Om would absolutely love the sound of an all rosewood done right.
I am constantly amazed by some of the ideas people come up with when they get sucked into the vortex of guitar building. I personally have helped out friends with my limited repair abilities and received some great and some very questionable results at times, 45 years as a player, not a builder. Requesting (or telling) a Luthier what to do with a build is like telling a mechanic how to fix a car when you don't even have a licence. Love your stuff... Oh and thanks for the subscribe reminder. I've been a fan for a long time and always forgot to make that CLICK !!
This is a good and helpful review of the materials in a guitar. One thing I appreciate is that there are a number of people who do things different ways, and there's great options for learning. I think the answer on serviceability and glue makes a ton of sense. I guess glue could make a slight difference, but I honestly can't see why it would matter very much at all. Anyway, good discussion and thanks for sharing it.
Two questions about the hardwood tops: 1. Could a straight-grained hardwood top potentially regain some ground on a softwood by needing less robust bracing? 2. How do you feel about the much loved all-mahogany guitars from Martin and others? Thanks!
Mahogany is sometimes used as a top material. I have seen a number of higher end guitars with solid Mahogany tops. That said, hard wood like that is, as has been made clear in the video, heavier and thus makes a much less efficient top. Also, it's stiffness increases the potential for splitting, so I imagine that, in time, a hardwood top would likely split sooner than a spruce or cedar top.
Great topic. I am generally confused by luthiers and even big guitar companies that allow customization that is far beyond their standard product. It would seem that consistency of product would be important for their reputation, especially for a solo luthier.
Another excellent video; lucid and detailed answers for these inquiries. I continue to enjoy the 3 guitars that you have built for me over the past number of years. Getting to know you and your dedication to the quality and longevity of your creations, I felt that I never needed to second guess your decisions or your methods. Proved to be true!! Carry on my friend!!
Would love to hear you guys go into excruciating depth on bridge design.... What are the first principles behind bridge design? Why do so many traditional bridges rely on pins to anchor strings? Pins strike me as a weak design for several reasons... Multiple points of failure, can get lost, etc. I see some fascinating designs from Breedlove and especially Babicz that have eliminated bridge pins from the design in ways that supposedly promote more resonance. Would love to hear your thoughts!
Hi Chris...Good teaching skills! Love the acoustic volume of a Lowden acoustic. Lowden, Takamine, and others use pinless bridges. Have you ever explored possiblity of switching to a pinless bridge with a two piece saddle?
Question number two brings to mind a very reasonable point that a builder mentioned to me once when we were talking about things clients have requested. He said that if a client wants him to modify so many of his building techniques or his basic anesthetics in order to achieve some particular vision of a guitar that they have, perhaps another builder whose basic anesthetics and building style is already closer to their desired vision is a better option for them.
Chris, Matt, love the channel! This channel is the main reason that got me inspired to attempt to build an acoustic. I actually finished a OOO 12 fret kit from Stew Mac and it really came out better than I expected. Sapele for the side laminate to practice. I really want to build a quilted Maple back and sides with a Ceder top (like the one you built) by the way it looks absolutely stunning! My question is, if you are using an Ebony back and sides with a rosewood laminate does it take a different sound because of the rosewood? I would think that the rosewood wood changes the tone of the guitar.
I have a question which is tangentially related to bracing style requests. If you have a player who wants a 12 or 13 fret guitar, does that affect your bracing? What if someone wanted a different scale length? I know that both a different number of frets to body and scale length can be comfort issues for certain players. But they would also necessitate a slightly different bridge placement if the body was the same size. I’m curious as to how you would approach these dilemmas. I’ve recently started dabbling with steel string after exclusively playing classical for a few years. I am definitely more comfortable with 12 frets to the body, but the slightly shorter scale length is more comfortable. I have less pain and fewer problems with my wrist (I had a reconstructive surgery on my left wrist several years ago, so I try to be careful with the amount of strain I subject my wrists to). Thanks for any insight!
Kyle… The scale length, as well as neck-to-body join location, directly determines the placement of the bridge on the soundboard. The bridge placement, in turn, directly influences the design an placement of the main X-braces and bridge plate underneath. It’s necessary to create a full size drawing of every guitar you build that has a different combination of scale length and ntbjl, so that the bracing design maximizes both the structural integrity and the sonic desires of the guitar you’re building. -joel
Your analogy for material selection for guitar is really interesting. From a luthier's perspective, how do you feel about the sound/tone of all-hardwood guitars like the the walnut line Taylor released? As a side note, I find it fascinating how, with guitars, hardwood back/sides and softwood top have become the standard with few exceptions, while with historical and traditional folk instruments all-hardwood construction is in many cases the norm rather than the exception ( Appalachian dulcimers and the all-maple or oak Anglo-saxon lyres from the 6th century come to mind ). Do you think this is a result of the legacy of luthiers like Torres setting a specific construction methodology everyone coppied or perhaps an industry wide obsession with trying to optimize and squeeze out as much resonance and sustain in the modern guitar?
Great video. But I‘m amazed that there even is a need to do this video. If you‘re not a builder you have neither the knowledge nor the experience to tell a seasoned craftsman how you would have him build an instrument. Period. You wouldn‘t tell a surgeon how to operate on you either wouldn‘t you? I‘m very lucky to have an acoustic guitar which was custom built for me. My luthier took me through the process of listening what I was looking for and then developing what kind of guitar would fit my vision. I remember the the selection of the different pieces of wood like it was yesterday. I told him that I have no idea what kind of wood should be used. And he smiled and said: „That‘s what you have a luthier for. That‘s my job to know.“ It was a wonderful journey we took together. I keep this experience very close to my heart. Right now I‘m in the middle of this journey again. I commissioned the build of an electric guitar with a certified master luthier close to my home (Bonn/Germany) #essenceguitars. If everything goes well, the guitar should be ready in March. The second journey up until now has been as good as the first. Another memory to be cherished. The point that I‘m trying to make is: If you‘re in the most lucky position to have an guitar made for you by a luthier. Let him do his job. He‘s the expert. Tell him what you’re looking for and what kind of player you are. Ask questions (like about the use of rosewood for a soundboard), but do it politely. Don‘t go and tell him how he should build your guitar. Let him take you by the hand and follow him on this journey. You‘ll not regret it. 😊
Thanks guys. This is without a doubt the highest production quality answer I’ve received for one of my TH-cam comments. Would you say that the bulk of problems arise from those people not knowing what will affect the sound quality or those assuming that they do? (I assure you that a simple text reply shall suffice 😀)
I think one of the reasons a customer will ask for specific specs is actually to have options in their arsenal. I'm going to a luthier because I want a ladder braced guitar. I already have 6 x-braced ones thats why I'm going to a luthier. So I can acquire a ladder brace that is of the luthiers caliber and voicing. Im asking you to make the best instrument you can within my parameters (and within reason) not because I'm chasing s sound but cuz I'm interested in the spec or the guitars made when that spec was standard. The logic being, since i cant just ask for oldgrowth Brazilian rosewood back/sides, why can't i atleast ask for a specific spec like anachronistic bracing? I'll take the sound I get if I know the luthier did the tucking the brace into the sides and not use excess glue or the bracing grain going opposite direction. I just want that in a 13 fret nick lucas with hyde glue and ladder bracing with a 5/16th string spacing.
Nice :) I’d be prone to asking for non-scalloped bracing because my best sounding acoustic is standard x non-scalloped, but… it a luthier can get a dry, mid forward guitar without woofy bass, that works :)
Would mahogany be an exception to not using hardwood for a top wood? I have a Taylor AD22e with a mahogany top. It’s a nice warm sounding guitar with very nice mids. There’s also some koa topped guitars out there.
Thank you for making this great video! Just a quick question about the first myth, why we 've never seen a rosewood guitar top while there are a lot of all-mahogany guitars in the market and they sound pretty nice? Is mahogany much lighter? again thank you for this video.
Been playing acoustic guitars for 55 years and ordered the brass saddle, nut, and pegs. Have no idea how it's going to sound. What's your take? Have you ever heard an acoustic with these brass items? I have an older Hohner with rosewood back and sides with a spruce top, best sounding acoustic I have.
Heavier fingerboard wood needs to be thinner then standard and paired with a light neck wood. Like say, a quarter sawn Spanish cedar neck with a thinner then standard Brazilian Walnut (IPE) fingerboard will ring like a bell and have great stiffness while managing weight and balance. Just my opinion for what it's worth.
The fastest sailboat has wing-like sail, impermeable. Strong plastic film with carbon fibre bracing and carbon fibre body might be an interesting choice for guitar.
I recently had work done on a bridge that was coming up. The repairman asked what gauge string I used. I have always used 13s and he replied that this was the cause of the bridge prying up. He said that 13s are simply too heavy for long term use on an acoustic. Is this true? I have switched to 12s but am not please with the result
I’ve never been a fan of a Mahogany topped guitar. But many people do. For me, it’s just to thin sounding, and lacking of depth and transparency from Sitka, Cedar, or Adirondack.
Love your videos. Very informative. Wish I could afford/ be worthy of playing a piece of art such as yours. I'm too much of a novice player. Regarding this video, if spruce or cedar make such good sound boards, why don't you use them in the back and sides?
I'm really curious... has anyone built a guitar with a rosewood sound board? For instance, I have an all mahogany acoustic that is strong in the midrange, and is great for playing with a rock band. what would a rosewood guitar sound like?
Very interesting. Why do some builders provide very uniform grains and others use more wild grains? Are the sap woods or miscolored sections less stable? I like the wild colors and prefer a more natural look. Also, does the neck wood make a major difference or is the fretboard more important in the tone. Or maybe even what is the role of the neck wood in the tone of the guitar? Thanks in advance.
I ain't no Driftwood expert, but may be able to provide some clarity for you. So different tonewoods for necks make a huge difference in tone of a guitar, you can imagine the energy coming from the strings are bring transferred via the neck to the body. Mahogany or Rosewood necks will have a richer deeper tone thanks to their wider grain. Tight grain woods like maple will generally be brighter in their tone. Even fretboard wood makes a difference, maple will always have a more snappy sound due to its brighter qualities. Rosewood will sound deeper and rich. When it comes to figured woods, generally they are considered less stable than your uniform grain wood. But providing the figured wood is at optimum dryness and kept to the correct humidity you should very rarely have any problems, probably have to make the odd truss rod adjustment, which is normal anyway. Its probably why roasted maple has taken off due to it's better stability. Also, in acoustic guitars it's worth noting back and sides are generally reinforced with bracing, which would make it very stable regardless 😇
Nice channel but it definitely deserves a better audio quality. Listening about sound nuances (and the nuances themselves) while the audio is below mediocre is disappointing. Otherwise, I really like it!
Chris, I see that you prefer to make your Bridgeplates out of a darker wood (Bocote or maybe EIR ?) instead of a lighter wood like Maple. Is this guided by your experience, or the customer's preferences? Very nice reasoning about why glues don't really matter. I have Hide Glue on three of my Martin's, and regular wood glues on the other four Martin's. I believe that the woods combination has more to do with the sound than the glue that was used. Very nice video!
Still, how does dried hide glue look? How does dried white glue look? 1% here, 5% there, and the compounding effect kicks in. Of not hard, then noticeably.
@@LegsON I don't believe I can attach a picture in the comments section. Maybe Chris can do a separate video on what dried Hide Glue looks like. It looks a little like Amberish-colored glass or dried Maple syrup. It definitely reflects the light.
Think about it .. Honestly... do you think luthiers of 2 centuries ago would still use inconsistent hide glues if there were better options available ? Of course not . Hide glue and fish glue were what they had available at that time .. of course they would use Titebond original so they could do a neck reset or to be able to pull a back off with minimal damage. And they would use CA glue to repair cracks and fill holes . With Hide glue you never know what you're going to get. Each animal is different or their hide was possessed different. Of course they would use Titebond 3 on the scarf joint because that's one joint you never want to see separate. So when people request hide glue they are not taking advantage of the better technology. Sometimes user error can happen, like you let the hideglue cool a little too much or you didn't put enough moisture back into it. Ect .. I'm a stickler for old varnishes because they do have way of seasoning over time and getting harder ...even though resins of today are stronger, they don't season so well.
The rosewood is SO dense, it would take too much energy to cause it to reverberate/resonate like spruce. However, on other parts of the acoustic ( and electric ) guitar such as the fret board, back & sides, etc, the rosewood ( ESPECIALLY Brazilian ) has a bell-like ring to it. PROOF: Paul Reed Smith has an older video on his channel, where he takes a premium example of a 4" x 4" post of solid Brazilian rosewood about 4 ft long, stands up & holds the post at one end with fingers & thumb of one hand, allowing it to hang down freely. He then uses the knuckles of his free hand to rap the post at about the mid section, and I swear to you, IT RINGS LIKE A METAL PIPE!!! As a matter of fact, if you were blind folded and had no idea what was being rapped with knuckles, you would swear it was a metal pipe, I kid you not. It's truly amazing, and I encourage anyone to see & hear that video, if ya haven't already. Just enter into your youtube searchbar: Paul Reed Smith/Rosewood. That alone, should get you the proper video title to click on and see & hear it for yourself. This is exactly why Brazilian rosewood is so highly sought after for guitar making, and very expensive & hard to come by nowadays. But it's far too dense to make a good soundboard. I truly pity those who don't believe that "tonewoods make a difference in electric guitars". It doesn't on cheap, poorly constructed guitars. But with super high quality guitars that have superior precision joints, it absolutely makes a difference. Even with highly sought after tonewoods, the guitar MUST have precision joinery, in order for those fine tonewoods to properly transfer the energy & sing the way they do.
Mahogany tops work if you know what youre doing. Tone bars are bracing and sound enhancement I one. They are needed to keep the top from buckling under the string tension ( bracing) but played strategivally and scalloped to allowed certain parts to move more ( tone enhancement)
Yeah okay so I'm only an amateur luthier, and an inventor, artist, designer fabricator blah blah blah blah blah. But what I noticed you said doesn't seem to equate to what I've learned, so I was just kind of wondering like what are you actually saying? So, you're saying that Redwood, is going to be better in transferring sound cleanly and clearly through its structure than the very well-known wood called Spruce? the only allowable wood to be used in structures of aircraft? And this is due to its ability to have no knots no lines through it which allows the Resonance of sound to vibrate through that piece of wood with a pronunciation of sound that's been applied to that piece of wood through the strings stretched over a bridge on a saddle on the surface of that piece of wood which vibrates the sound out and down and through the harder structure which ends up being sometimes Rosewood and Brazilian Wood and whatever else one would use? If you look at a violin , lets say a Stratovarius, look at the structure of it, look at the woods used to make it do the thing that a Stradivarius does, and you will notice that a Stradivarius has a upper surface of wood the face of the guitar the face of the violin, yes this curved face of the violin is made out of, spruce wood, because Sprucewood, is so tightly woven together that it doesn't have all the lines like all the other Loosely woven together Woods do, which makes this would particularly wonderful in making instruments, that are supposed to resonate sound, now at the same time the Spruce Goose, the aircraft, was also using the same type of wood, but why why would they use this kind of wood,? The reason is the same as that of a guitar or violin which also uses the resonance values of the wood, in the aircraft there are lots of vibrations that need to be kept under control, and the Sprucewood is the only wood that's allowable to be used in aircraft building because it does just that, it keeps the sound under control because of its structure, this is a great lesson this man is teaching everyone, all of the wonderful ways to build a guitar or other instruments such as this that uses wood to transmit sound, but that really really really really soft wood called Redwood which is also very nice wood, is not the same and can be damaged easily, but it smells nice. Okay peace beyond your house
I think its like going to a car mechanic..........go to a great mechanic and trust them to do it right.......they are the expert! great video ...again!!!
A good takeaway is that nothing is absolute! LOL One of my best (sounding and playing) factory built guitars was a mid 1980's Guild dreadnaught. It was all Mahogany. Top, sides, back & neck. Kept the Guild and sold the Martin D-18. The crazy Martin money sure helped with buying good sound equipment! BTW, if you can't trust your luthier to build a "Great Guitar", find another luthier!
How often have your clients "put a sour taste in [your] mouth" as you've suggested? Just curious about what precipitated the idea for this video. I thought it would be about why certain bracing patterns or other design features are not good build choices.
people seem to like mahogany tops. Should you really consider the top material without considering the bracing structure? I find stipulations from customers about bracing a little silly. Most of these parameters are well established by makers, plus, a huge amount of tone comes from your hands as a player, so I almost always assume a client will be unhappy, because a changed bracing will fail in their hands, as they have no experience as to how it will sound to them. Good comment about the glue. I would not be able to tell the difference on that 'sliver of 1%', and I doubt anyone else would so your comment about maintaining glassy tone should be seen in that context. As you suggest, it's the purpose of the glue. I do know some builders use epoxy for fingerboard to neck joints, on the basis that other glues contain water and risk warping the FB. I never had that happen,and epoxy breaks to 'purpose' rule - supposing you need to remove a FB down the line. That is a world of pain with epoxy. Weigh that up against waiting a bit, seeing what happens and shooting the FB if you need to. A good reason not to fret off the neck, BTW.
I do not see any nylon (classical or flamenco) guitars on your website. You label one section of your site as "Acoustics", but that seems to be limited (by convention, I guess) to "steel string acoustics". (One could make a valid argument, I think, that nylon stringed guitars are also "acoustics", but perhaps that's not the convention.) But I digress. My question is this, were a person to want a classical or flamenco guitar custom built, would you recommend contacting a luthier specializing in that type of guitar, rather than one specializing in "acoustic" (steel string) instruments? Thank you, by the way, for hanging the classic 48-star flag in one of the two acceptable orientations in the background. I'm not quite sure it is proper to lean things against it, like a broom or other things, however. 🤨
Yes, luthiers typically specialize in either classical/nylon guitars, or steel strings. It’s very uncommon for a builder to be proficient in both types of guitars. The rare exceptions being builders like Ervin Symogy, who can build incredible sounding guitars, no matter what type of strings it has. The two types of guitars, are VERY different in building techniques, and it can take a lifetime to master just one type of instrument. That’s why I stick with steel strings myself. I’ve made a few nylon strings guitars, but it’s not something I’m a “master” at. If someone comes to me looking for a nylon stringed guitar, I always recommend that they find someone that specializes in that style of instrument.
I always thought of the soundboard as the diaphragm of a speaker or the skin of a drum. It makes no sense to have it be heavy, dense and resistant to moving. You want it to vibrate evenly and magnify the sound. Tonewoods then are used on the body of the guitar to add the right over and undertones to make the guitar's unique voice (along with the bracing). That sympathetic resonance (if made corectly) is then magnified by the soundboard and made audible. The same is true of all acoustic string instruments, even pianos. This is what you pay for when you buy a quality instrument, the knowledge, attention to detail, fine tuning, refinement and the time it takes to perfect all of these elements. Sure, you can pick up an acoustic guitar for $50 that was mass produced in China and it will play and sound like a guitar but it's not anywhere near as fine tuned or refined and will always sound and feel inferior to a guitar built as an individual instrument rather than a production line statistic. As for the other topics, I suspect the main reason customers come in with this kind of request/demand is because they are spending a large sum on a custom built instrument and likely attempt to do research before they commit to a purchase. The problem is, there are 10,000 couch expert voices out there, my own sometimes among them, for every grain of valid advice. Great video.
Should change title to "How to not butt hurt your Luthier" I say that in jest and understand where you're coming from. I learned that lesson the hard way when ordering a pool cue from a respected builder. Give the professional just enough information to "guide" them to build what you want and leave the rest to them. Good video 👍
I think one instance where it‘s understandable for a client to ask you not to use a certain glue, is if they want the guitar to be free of any animal products (because, for example, they’re vegans or vegetarians), and that of course means no hide or fish glue.
I would like to know how you can afford to be wearing a t shirt in the workshop in the middle of winter! :o) Great video with great info as usual! :o) xx
USUALLY why I go with a certain builder is because I HEARD a fantastic guitar made by that person. After I explain what I do with a guitar, and possible tonewoods, my main concern is the neck scale and profile. As I explain, my fretting hand and arm has had a few injuries including improperly set broken fingers, trigger fingers, columnar tunnel, webbed fingers and Dupetyrns disease. (To many automobiles drivers running over blind pedestrians on sidewalks). Anyway the sound and neck are important. I know it's a challenge, but with good communication, I have not been disappointed. It's nice to know what bracing is used & glue. My main challenge is slotted pegheads: I can't see to restring the B and E strings. I have tricks for solid heads but not slotted. Thanks for the points
A good luthier experiments . Plays with bracing .. Plays with clamping... finds better ways to accomplish everything.. I saw a young luthier who made 3 tops for a guitar .... with different bracing ... He said he was also going to make separate tops with different types of spruce wood ... and others .... using the same guitar body in order to get the the exact idea of the tonal qualities without variations in guitar body.. Leaving out the stuff that's time consuming... like binding, inletting ... ect .. He said it was not going cost him anything but his time.. I wonder how he's doing today ... because to menthat sounds like an excellent way to really judge results vs making one .. selling it.. making another.... getting better at it .. yet once in a while getting a not so good one and trying to find out where you went wrong .. Wish I could remember him name .. because I bet he's a great luthier by now ... he told of other things in his plans .... I know I played one of his guitars and it sounded awesome .. and played so easy... and he'd only been at it a couple years...
It's just my opinion. And many luthiers will see it differently.. but Titbond has a proven track record.. and so do other simular gluesnfrim luthier suppliers.. How many luthiers have had guitars brought to them with the dovetail joint totally loose ... everytime....it's hide glue ..... or some cheap guitar from the 60s glued with a soft glue ... but 99 out of a 100 times it will be hide glue that was put on too cold or just didn't have enough bonding properties... On the other end of the scale I've seen it so hard to where you cant scape it clean with a card scraper or razor blade.. it acts like epoxy resin and won't steam apart.. Old Technology that's time has come and gone.. IMHO ...
Instead of weakening the Soundboard structurally by drilling Six 6mm holes in the Soundboard and Bridge, (close together), to accommodate Bone Pins on Western guitars why not use `Trapeze-Tailpieces´ like Django Rheinhart had on his guitar. Long-term, Pins cause bowing of the Soundboard or loosening of the Bridge, they seem like a crappy, acoustically inferior compromise with the structural weakening of the Soundboard with ensuing costs and early replacement being the result.
just dropped in to ask, 'where do you get your aprons?' I get gooned at the lumber yard all the time cause I wear an apron. I always tell the young guys, 'I don't do my own laundry, these aprons keep me clean to go to lunch,, and don't wreck my clothes.' Of course, I don't bother mentioning pockets, loops, etc.
If a luthier is arrogant he sure as hell better give me a perfect guitar. I'm unforgiving in that situation. My experience over the years says some are bullshitters. Short of playing a bunch of their instruments it's impossible to judge them at face value. You could ask for a list of 50 of his clients. LOL! That's never going to happen....at least objectively. You won't get the clients of a turd. And 75% of the players don't know if they have a great guitar...at least if it plays avg or great...every youtube video maker is an expert in their eyes.
I was make all solid rosewood, i know its not good sound like the other which have soft wood for soundboard. But so what ??i dont care. Thats my dream have all solid rosewood. As i understand, no one have perfect guitar. We have different ear. It just about subjectivity. Sometime i think guitar is just not about good sound. Man behind the still playing the rules.
A local exotic wood supplier had Paduk in their "thins" bin. When I looked at them, I notice they were 4" wide book matched sets. I grab a bunch and built a small body guitar - back, sides, top - out of them. It looks really cool. How does it sound? Well, to me, very articulate while fumbling through finger style or pick strumming at low volumes. Add a little attack to it and it gets real muddled without any substantial volume. Fun experience. I primarily use it as the guitar in the near-by stand to learn or practice new songs. Great video gents.
As a tech in a music store I worked on takamine dred that was all rosewood (soundboard too) built in 1983 and it blew me away. It wasn't the most lively for delicate fingers style but any mildly strummed chord leaped out with authority and clarity. And the headroom was unreal. I even tried to buy it off the customer and she refused. Highly suggest checking one out. Any one who prefers a gibson j45 over a Bourgeois Om would absolutely love the sound of an all rosewood done right.
I am constantly amazed by some of the ideas people come up with when they get sucked into the vortex of guitar building. I personally have helped out friends with my limited repair abilities and received some great and some very questionable results at times, 45 years as a player, not a builder. Requesting (or telling) a Luthier what to do with a build is like telling a mechanic how to fix a car when you don't even have a licence. Love your stuff... Oh and thanks for the subscribe reminder. I've been a fan for a long time and always forgot to make that CLICK !!
This is a good and helpful review of the materials in a guitar. One thing I appreciate is that there are a number of people who do things different ways, and there's great options for learning.
I think the answer on serviceability and glue makes a ton of sense. I guess glue could make a slight difference, but I honestly can't see why it would matter very much at all.
Anyway, good discussion and thanks for sharing it.
Two questions about the hardwood tops:
1. Could a straight-grained hardwood top potentially regain some ground on a softwood by needing less robust bracing?
2. How do you feel about the much loved all-mahogany guitars from Martin and others?
Thanks!
Mahogany is sometimes used as a top material. I have seen a number of higher end guitars with solid Mahogany tops. That said, hard wood like that is, as has been made clear in the video, heavier and thus makes a much less efficient top. Also, it's stiffness increases the potential for splitting, so I imagine that, in time, a hardwood top would likely split sooner than a spruce or cedar top.
Great topic. I am generally confused by luthiers and even big guitar companies that allow customization that is far beyond their standard product. It would seem that consistency of product would be important for their reputation, especially for a solo luthier.
Another excellent video; lucid and detailed answers for these inquiries. I continue to enjoy the 3 guitars that you have built for me over the past number of years. Getting to know you and your dedication to the quality and longevity of your creations, I felt that I never needed to second guess your decisions or your methods. Proved to be true!! Carry on my friend!!
Would love to hear you guys go into excruciating depth on bridge design.... What are the first principles behind bridge design? Why do so many traditional bridges rely on pins to anchor strings? Pins strike me as a weak design for several reasons... Multiple points of failure, can get lost, etc. I see some fascinating designs from Breedlove and especially Babicz that have eliminated bridge pins from the design in ways that supposedly promote more resonance. Would love to hear your thoughts!
I understand how rosewood wouldnt work for a soundboard but all mahogany and walnut guitars sound fantastic
Hi Chris...Good teaching skills! Love the acoustic volume of a Lowden acoustic. Lowden, Takamine, and others use pinless bridges. Have you ever explored possiblity of switching to a pinless bridge with a two piece saddle?
Something I've been a little curious about is how much the size/shape/location of the sound hole effects the sound of a guitar.
Question number two brings to mind a very reasonable point that a builder mentioned to me once when we were talking about things clients have requested. He said that if a client wants him to modify so many of his building techniques or his basic anesthetics in order to achieve some particular vision of a guitar that they have, perhaps another builder whose basic anesthetics and building style is already closer to their desired vision is a better option for them.
I've built 40 plus instruments, your comments in this video are right on. People who want to commission a guitar should listen and heed this advise.
Chris, Matt,
love the channel!
This channel is the main reason that got me inspired to attempt to build an acoustic.
I actually finished a OOO 12 fret kit from Stew Mac and it really came out better than I expected.
Sapele for the side laminate to practice. I really want to build a quilted Maple back and sides with a Ceder top (like the one you built) by the way it looks absolutely stunning!
My question is, if you are using an Ebony back and sides with a rosewood laminate does it take a different sound because of the rosewood? I would think that the rosewood wood changes the tone of the guitar.
Have you ever tried Brazilian Ipe for backs and sides, a lot of figure hiding in quartersawn pieces 😊
I have a question which is tangentially related to bracing style requests. If you have a player who wants a 12 or 13 fret guitar, does that affect your bracing? What if someone wanted a different scale length? I know that both a different number of frets to body and scale length can be comfort issues for certain players. But they would also necessitate a slightly different bridge placement if the body was the same size.
I’m curious as to how you would approach these dilemmas. I’ve recently started dabbling with steel string after exclusively playing classical for a few years. I am definitely more comfortable with 12 frets to the body, but the slightly shorter scale length is more comfortable. I have less pain and fewer problems with my wrist (I had a reconstructive surgery on my left wrist several years ago, so I try to be careful with the amount of strain I subject my wrists to).
Thanks for any insight!
Kyle…
The scale length, as well as neck-to-body join location, directly determines the placement of the bridge on the soundboard. The bridge placement, in turn, directly influences the design an placement of the main X-braces and bridge plate underneath. It’s necessary to create a full size drawing of every guitar you build that has a different combination of scale length and ntbjl, so that the bracing design maximizes both the structural integrity and the sonic desires of the guitar you’re building.
-joel
Your analogy for material selection for guitar is really interesting. From a luthier's perspective, how do you feel about the sound/tone of all-hardwood guitars like the the walnut line Taylor released?
As a side note, I find it fascinating how, with guitars, hardwood back/sides and softwood top have become the standard with few exceptions, while with historical and traditional folk instruments all-hardwood construction is in many cases the norm rather than the exception ( Appalachian dulcimers and the all-maple or oak Anglo-saxon lyres from the 6th century come to mind ). Do you think this is a result of the legacy of luthiers like Torres setting a specific construction methodology everyone coppied or perhaps an industry wide obsession with trying to optimize and squeeze out as much resonance and sustain in the modern guitar?
Great video. But I‘m amazed that there even is a need to do this video. If you‘re not a builder you have neither the knowledge nor the experience to tell a seasoned craftsman how you would have him build an instrument. Period. You wouldn‘t tell a surgeon how to operate on you either wouldn‘t you?
I‘m very lucky to have an acoustic guitar which was custom built for me. My luthier took me through the process of listening what I was looking for and then developing what kind of guitar would fit my vision. I remember the the selection of the different pieces of wood like it was yesterday. I told him that I have no idea what kind of wood should be used. And he smiled and said: „That‘s what you have a luthier for. That‘s my job to know.“ It was a wonderful journey we took together. I keep this experience very close to my heart.
Right now I‘m in the middle of this journey again. I commissioned the build of an electric guitar with a certified master luthier close to my home (Bonn/Germany) #essenceguitars.
If everything goes well, the guitar should be ready in March. The second journey up until now has been as good as the first. Another memory to be cherished.
The point that I‘m trying to make is: If you‘re in the most lucky position to have an guitar made for you by a luthier. Let him do his job. He‘s the expert. Tell him what you’re looking for and what kind of player you are. Ask questions (like about the use of rosewood for a soundboard), but do it politely. Don‘t go and tell him how he should build your guitar. Let him take you by the hand and follow him on this journey. You‘ll not regret it. 😊
Thanks guys. This is without a doubt the highest production quality answer I’ve received for one of my TH-cam comments.
Would you say that the bulk of problems arise from those people not knowing what will affect the sound quality or those assuming that they do? (I assure you that a simple text reply shall suffice 😀)
if you are going to keep bothering them with all these questions and requests, you could at least have the decency to subscribe to the channel. SMH
I think one of the reasons a customer will ask for specific specs is actually to have options in their arsenal. I'm going to a luthier because I want a ladder braced guitar. I already have 6 x-braced ones thats why I'm going to a luthier. So I can acquire a ladder brace that is of the luthiers caliber and voicing. Im asking you to make the best instrument you can within my parameters (and within reason) not because I'm chasing s sound but cuz I'm interested in the spec or the guitars made when that spec was standard. The logic being, since i cant just ask for oldgrowth Brazilian rosewood back/sides, why can't i atleast ask for a specific spec like anachronistic bracing? I'll take the sound I get if I know the luthier did the tucking the brace into the sides and not use excess glue or the bracing grain going opposite direction. I just want that in a 13 fret nick lucas with hyde glue and ladder bracing with a 5/16th string spacing.
Nice :) I’d be prone to asking for non-scalloped bracing because my best sounding acoustic is standard x non-scalloped, but… it a luthier can get a dry, mid forward guitar without woofy bass, that works :)
Would mahogany be an exception to not using hardwood for a top wood? I have a Taylor AD22e with a mahogany top. It’s a nice warm sounding guitar with very nice mids. There’s also some koa topped guitars out there.
Thank you for making this great video! Just a quick question about the first myth, why we 've never seen a rosewood guitar top while there are a lot of all-mahogany guitars in the market and they sound pretty nice? Is mahogany much lighter? again thank you for this video.
Been playing acoustic guitars for 55 years and ordered the brass saddle, nut, and pegs. Have no idea how it's going to sound. What's your take? Have you ever heard an acoustic with these brass items? I have an older Hohner with rosewood back and sides with a spruce top, best sounding acoustic I have.
Heavier fingerboard wood needs to be thinner then standard and paired with a light neck wood.
Like say, a quarter sawn Spanish cedar neck with a thinner then standard Brazilian Walnut (IPE) fingerboard will ring like a bell and have great stiffness while managing weight and balance.
Just my opinion for what it's worth.
The fastest sailboat has wing-like sail, impermeable. Strong plastic film with carbon fibre bracing and carbon fibre body might be an interesting choice for guitar.
I recently had work done on a bridge that was coming up. The repairman asked what gauge string I used. I have always used 13s and he replied that this was the cause of the bridge prying up. He said that 13s are simply too heavy for long term use on an acoustic. Is this true? I have switched to 12s but am not please with the result
what about mahogany soundboards? Isn't that a wood that is used for back and sides as well as tops?
what do you think about mahogany tops? istnt that a hardwood??
I’ve never been a fan of a Mahogany topped guitar. But many people do. For me, it’s just to thin sounding, and lacking of depth and transparency from Sitka, Cedar, or Adirondack.
Using the wet sail analogy, what would happen if you used directional carbon fiber? I mean, other than it’s not, wood.
Love your videos. Very informative. Wish I could afford/ be worthy of playing a piece of art such as yours. I'm too much of a novice player. Regarding this video, if spruce or cedar make such good sound boards, why don't you use them in the back and sides?
I'm really curious... has anyone built a guitar with a rosewood sound board? For instance, I have an all mahogany acoustic that is strong in the midrange, and is great for playing with a rock band. what would a rosewood guitar sound like?
Dumb? question. why not shellac the interior of a new build before glue up? would it not help minimize wood seasonal humidity issues?
How are you going to regulate humidity of a sealed piece of wood?
Then again, why would we need to if "perfect" humidity is sealed.
Ervin Somogyi shellacs the inside of his guitars. That would put it into the "good idea" column as far as I'm concerned.
Very interesting. Why do some builders provide very uniform grains and others use more wild grains? Are the sap woods or miscolored sections less stable? I like the wild colors and prefer a more natural look. Also, does the neck wood make a major difference or is the fretboard more important in the tone. Or maybe even what is the role of the neck wood in the tone of the guitar? Thanks in advance.
I ain't no Driftwood expert, but may be able to provide some clarity for you.
So different tonewoods for necks make a huge difference in tone of a guitar, you can imagine the energy coming from the strings are bring transferred via the neck to the body. Mahogany or Rosewood necks will have a richer deeper tone thanks to their wider grain. Tight grain woods like maple will generally be brighter in their tone.
Even fretboard wood makes a difference, maple will always have a more snappy sound due to its brighter qualities. Rosewood will sound deeper and rich.
When it comes to figured woods, generally they are considered less stable than your uniform grain wood. But providing the figured wood is at optimum dryness and kept to the correct humidity you should very rarely have any problems, probably have to make the odd truss rod adjustment, which is normal anyway. Its probably why roasted maple has taken off due to it's better stability.
Also, in acoustic guitars it's worth noting back and sides are generally reinforced with bracing, which would make it very stable regardless 😇
When can we get a tour of the new acoustic shed? Looking forward to some more of the 3003 ;-) year old guitar build!
And was it build out of tonewood? 🧐
What about koa? I've seen several guitars with koa soundboards. Is koa some kind of hybrid, when it comes to guitar construction?
Wow great stuff, back here in India that's like a PhD for a guitar builder,.,, Can't say luthier cos I haven't met 1 yet
Nice channel but it definitely deserves a better audio quality. Listening about sound nuances (and the nuances themselves) while the audio is below mediocre is disappointing. Otherwise, I really like it!
Chris, I see that you prefer to make your Bridgeplates out of a darker wood (Bocote or maybe EIR ?) instead of a lighter wood like Maple. Is this guided by your experience, or the customer's preferences? Very nice reasoning about why glues don't really matter. I have Hide Glue on three of my Martin's, and regular wood glues on the other four Martin's. I believe that the woods combination has more to do with the sound than the glue that was used. Very nice video!
Still, how does dried hide glue look? How does dried white glue look?
1% here, 5% there, and the compounding effect kicks in. Of not hard, then noticeably.
@@LegsON I don't believe I can attach a picture in the comments section. Maybe Chris can do a separate video on what dried Hide Glue looks like. It looks a little like Amberish-colored glass or dried Maple syrup. It definitely reflects the light.
@@ericecklund676 That was a rhetorical question.)
Exactly, hide glue is like a crystal, and white glue is like rubber.
@@LegsON Sorry, I was thinking how the inside of my Martin 000-28 Custom Authentic Aged (CAA) looks.
Think about it .. Honestly... do you think luthiers of 2 centuries ago would still use inconsistent hide glues if there were better options available ? Of course not . Hide glue and fish glue were what they had available at that time .. of course they would use Titebond original so they could do a neck reset or to be able to pull a back off with minimal damage. And they would use CA glue to repair cracks and fill holes .
With Hide glue you never know what you're going to get. Each animal is different or their hide was possessed different. Of course they would use Titebond 3 on the scarf joint because that's one joint you never want to see separate.
So when people request hide glue they are not taking advantage of the better technology. Sometimes user error can happen, like you let the hideglue cool a little too much or you didn't put enough moisture back into it. Ect ..
I'm a stickler for old varnishes because they do have way of seasoning over time and getting harder ...even though resins of today are stronger, they don't season so well.
00:04:19 "Not cut out for that." You might have missed the pun, but I didn't. Funny.
The rosewood is SO dense, it would take too much energy to cause it to reverberate/resonate like spruce. However, on other parts of the acoustic ( and electric ) guitar such as the fret board, back & sides, etc, the rosewood ( ESPECIALLY Brazilian ) has a bell-like ring to it. PROOF: Paul Reed Smith has an older video on his channel, where he takes a premium example of a 4" x 4" post of solid Brazilian rosewood about 4 ft long, stands up & holds the post at one end with fingers & thumb of one hand, allowing it to hang down freely. He then uses the knuckles of his free hand to rap the post at about the mid section, and I swear to you, IT RINGS LIKE A METAL PIPE!!! As a matter of fact, if you were blind folded and had no idea what was being rapped with knuckles, you would swear it was a metal pipe, I kid you not. It's truly amazing, and I encourage anyone to see & hear that video, if ya haven't already. Just enter into your youtube searchbar: Paul Reed Smith/Rosewood. That alone, should get you the proper video title to click on and see & hear it for yourself. This is exactly why Brazilian rosewood is so highly sought after for guitar making, and very expensive & hard to come by nowadays. But it's far too dense to make a good soundboard. I truly pity those who don't believe that "tonewoods make a difference in electric guitars". It doesn't on cheap, poorly constructed guitars. But with super high quality guitars that have superior precision joints, it absolutely makes a difference. Even with highly sought after tonewoods, the guitar MUST have precision joinery, in order for those fine tonewoods to properly transfer the energy & sing the way they do.
What about mahogany tops? Also, re: bracing, I hear the term "tone bar"...is that bracing or sound enhancement?
Mahogany tops work if you know what youre doing. Tone bars are bracing and sound enhancement I one. They are needed to keep the top from buckling under the string tension ( bracing) but played strategivally and scalloped to allowed certain parts to move more ( tone enhancement)
Yeah okay so I'm only an amateur luthier, and an inventor, artist, designer fabricator blah blah blah blah blah. But what I noticed you said doesn't seem to equate to what I've learned, so I was just kind of wondering like what are you actually saying? So, you're saying that Redwood, is going to be better in transferring sound cleanly and clearly through its structure than the very well-known wood called Spruce? the only allowable wood to be used in structures of aircraft? And this is due to its ability to have no knots no lines through it which allows the Resonance of sound to vibrate through that piece of wood with a pronunciation of sound that's been applied to that piece of wood through the strings stretched over a bridge on a saddle on the surface of that piece of wood which vibrates the sound out and down and through the harder structure which ends up being sometimes Rosewood and Brazilian Wood and whatever else one would use?
If you look at a violin , lets say a Stratovarius, look at the structure of it, look at the woods used to make it do the thing that a Stradivarius does, and you will notice that a Stradivarius has a upper surface of wood the face of the guitar the face of the violin, yes this curved face of the violin is made out of, spruce wood, because Sprucewood, is so tightly woven together that it doesn't have all the lines like all the other Loosely woven together Woods do, which makes this would particularly wonderful in making instruments, that are supposed to resonate sound, now at the same time the Spruce Goose, the aircraft, was also using the same type of wood, but why why would they use this kind of wood,? The reason is the same as that of a guitar or violin which also uses the resonance values of the wood, in the aircraft there are lots of vibrations that need to be kept under control, and the Sprucewood is the only wood that's allowable to be used in aircraft building because it does just that, it keeps the sound under control because of its structure, this is a great lesson this man is teaching everyone, all of the wonderful ways to build a guitar or other instruments such as this that uses wood to transmit sound, but that really really really really soft wood called Redwood which is also very nice wood, is not the same and can be damaged easily, but it smells nice. Okay peace beyond your house
Yes! I agree 100%. Great piece of content. 👍
I think its like going to a car mechanic..........go to a great mechanic and trust them to do it right.......they are the expert! great video ...again!!!
Can you do a full review video on those cheap-ass $50 full-starter-kit guitars on amazon? I bet it won't even score 10 out of 50
A good takeaway is that nothing is absolute! LOL One of my best (sounding and playing) factory built guitars was a mid 1980's Guild dreadnaught. It was all Mahogany. Top, sides, back & neck. Kept the Guild and sold the Martin D-18. The crazy Martin money sure helped with buying good sound equipment! BTW, if you can't trust your luthier to build a "Great Guitar", find another luthier!
How often have your clients "put a sour taste in [your] mouth" as you've suggested? Just curious about what precipitated the idea for this video. I thought it would be about why certain bracing patterns or other design features are not good build choices.
Great video!
Can you build a classical guitar?
people seem to like mahogany tops. Should you really consider the top material without considering the bracing structure? I find stipulations from customers about bracing a little silly. Most of these parameters are well established by makers, plus, a huge amount of tone comes from your hands as a player, so I almost always assume a client will be unhappy, because a changed bracing will fail in their hands, as they have no experience as to how it will sound to them. Good comment about the glue. I would not be able to tell the difference on that 'sliver of 1%', and I doubt anyone else would so your comment about maintaining glassy tone should be seen in that context. As you suggest, it's the purpose of the glue. I do know some builders use epoxy for fingerboard to neck joints, on the basis that other glues contain water and risk warping the FB. I never had that happen,and epoxy breaks to 'purpose' rule - supposing you need to remove a FB down the line. That is a world of pain with epoxy. Weigh that up against waiting a bit, seeing what happens and shooting the FB if you need to. A good reason not to fret off the neck, BTW.
I do not see any nylon (classical or flamenco) guitars on your website. You label one section of your site as "Acoustics", but that seems to be limited (by convention, I guess) to "steel string acoustics". (One could make a valid argument, I think, that nylon stringed guitars are also "acoustics", but perhaps that's not the convention.)
But I digress. My question is this, were a person to want a classical or flamenco guitar custom built, would you recommend contacting a luthier specializing in that type of guitar, rather than one specializing in "acoustic" (steel string) instruments?
Thank you, by the way, for hanging the classic 48-star flag in one of the two acceptable orientations in the background. I'm not quite sure it is proper to lean things against it, like a broom or other things, however. 🤨
Yes, luthiers typically specialize in either classical/nylon guitars, or steel strings. It’s very uncommon for a builder to be proficient in both types of guitars. The rare exceptions being builders like Ervin Symogy, who can build incredible sounding guitars, no matter what type of strings it has. The two types of guitars, are VERY different in building techniques, and it can take a lifetime to master just one type of instrument. That’s why I stick with steel strings myself. I’ve made a few nylon strings guitars, but it’s not something I’m a “master” at. If someone comes to me looking for a nylon stringed guitar, I always recommend that they find someone that specializes in that style of instrument.
I always thought of the soundboard as the diaphragm of a speaker or the skin of a drum. It makes no sense to have it be heavy, dense and resistant to moving. You want it to vibrate evenly and magnify the sound. Tonewoods then are used on the body of the guitar to add the right over and undertones to make the guitar's unique voice (along with the bracing). That sympathetic resonance (if made corectly) is then magnified by the soundboard and made audible. The same is true of all acoustic string instruments, even pianos. This is what you pay for when you buy a quality instrument, the knowledge, attention to detail, fine tuning, refinement and the time it takes to perfect all of these elements. Sure, you can pick up an acoustic guitar for $50 that was mass produced in China and it will play and sound like a guitar but it's not anywhere near as fine tuned or refined and will always sound and feel inferior to a guitar built as an individual instrument rather than a production line statistic.
As for the other topics, I suspect the main reason customers come in with this kind of request/demand is because they are spending a large sum on a custom built instrument and likely attempt to do research before they commit to a purchase. The problem is, there are 10,000 couch expert voices out there, my own sometimes among them, for every grain of valid advice.
Great video.
Should change title to "How to not butt hurt your Luthier"
I say that in jest and understand where you're coming from. I learned that lesson the hard way when ordering a pool cue from a respected builder. Give the professional just enough information to "guide" them to build what you want and leave the rest to them. Good video 👍
why not build the whole guitar from cedar?
I think one instance where it‘s understandable for a client to ask you not to use a certain glue, is if they want the guitar to be free of any animal products (because, for example, they’re vegans or vegetarians), and that of course means no hide or fish glue.
Dang, there isn't any dust in your shop. I use a leaf blower and open my garage door.
Koa??? Mahogany?
I would like to know how you can afford to be wearing a t shirt in the workshop in the middle of winter! :o) Great video with great info as usual! :o) xx
That’s Florida for ya! It’s almost in the 80s this week!
If you're going to a luthier to have a guitar built, the only thing you should assume is that they know better than you what to use to build a guitar.
I would like a guitar made of asphalt and crunch berries using bird glue, thank you, good night.
USUALLY why I go with a certain builder is because I HEARD a fantastic guitar made by that person. After I explain what I do with a guitar, and possible tonewoods, my main concern is the neck scale and profile. As I explain, my fretting hand and arm has had a few injuries including improperly set broken fingers, trigger fingers, columnar tunnel, webbed fingers and Dupetyrns disease. (To many automobiles drivers running over blind pedestrians on sidewalks). Anyway the sound and neck are important. I know it's a challenge, but with good communication, I have not been disappointed. It's nice to know what bracing is used & glue. My main challenge is slotted pegheads: I can't see to restring the B and E strings. I have tricks for solid heads but not slotted. Thanks for the points
Lurking?
LURKING?!
I was trying for a strut.
A good luthier experiments .
Plays with bracing ..
Plays with clamping... finds better ways to accomplish everything..
I saw a young luthier who made 3 tops for a guitar .... with different bracing ...
He said he was also going to make separate tops with different types of spruce wood ... and others .... using the same guitar body in order to get the the exact idea of the tonal qualities without variations in guitar body..
Leaving out the stuff that's time consuming... like binding, inletting ... ect .. He said it was not going cost him anything but his time..
I wonder how he's doing today ... because to menthat sounds like an excellent way to really judge results vs making one .. selling it.. making another.... getting better at it .. yet once in a while getting a not so good one and trying to find out where you went wrong ..
Wish I could remember him name .. because I bet he's a great luthier by now ... he told of other things in his plans ....
I know I played one of his guitars and it sounded awesome .. and played so easy... and he'd only been at it a couple years...
interesting indentation
It's just my opinion. And many luthiers will see it differently.. but Titbond has a proven track record.. and so do other simular gluesnfrim luthier suppliers..
How many luthiers have had guitars brought to them with the dovetail joint totally loose ... everytime....it's hide glue ..... or some cheap guitar from the 60s glued with a soft glue ... but 99 out of a 100 times it will be hide glue that was put on too cold or just didn't have enough bonding properties...
On the other end of the scale I've seen it so hard to where you cant scape it clean with a card scraper or razor blade.. it acts like epoxy resin and won't steam apart..
Old Technology that's time has come and gone.. IMHO ...
Genius
In Brazil, the brazilian rosewood market is ilegal , i wonder how can the united states have so many of these to build acustic guitars
Instead of weakening the Soundboard structurally by drilling Six 6mm holes in the Soundboard and Bridge, (close together), to accommodate Bone Pins on Western guitars why not use `Trapeze-Tailpieces´ like Django Rheinhart had on his guitar. Long-term, Pins cause bowing of the Soundboard or loosening of the Bridge, they seem like a crappy, acoustically inferior compromise with the structural weakening of the Soundboard with ensuing costs and early replacement being the result.
That's all good advice. If a customer wants to micromanage how his instrument is built, suggest that he build it himself !
just dropped in to ask, 'where do you get your aprons?' I get gooned at the lumber yard all the time cause I wear an apron. I always tell the young guys, 'I don't do my own laundry, these aprons keep me clean to go to lunch,, and don't wreck my clothes.' Of course, I don't bother mentioning pockets, loops, etc.
It’s a Garret Wade.
I know exactly what I want in an acoutsic guitar - but sadly I don't have enough money to have one built for me! Oh, the irony...
I see
So basically you are saying to customer should just get what you say they should get :D
Still saving to purchase one your guitars and then cut it into. 20k later and poorer, and two halves of a guitar.
I'm ready when you are!
So basically you are saying "Don't be a dickhead and pretend you know more than the professional"!
Great advice in all aspects life.
IF I WANT ONE OF YOUR GUITARS I NEED 300000 RAND
If a luthier is arrogant he sure as hell better give me a perfect guitar. I'm unforgiving in that situation. My experience over the years says some are bullshitters. Short of playing a bunch of their instruments it's impossible to judge them at face value. You could ask for a list of 50 of his clients. LOL! That's never going to happen....at least objectively. You won't get the clients of a turd. And 75% of the players don't know if they have a great guitar...at least if it plays avg or great...every youtube video maker is an expert in their eyes.
FOR SHAME, SHANE.
For. *shame.*
Inspiring and so full of love!! It would be easy for you to get your subs up with P R O M O S M!!!
I was make all solid rosewood, i know its not good sound like the other which have soft wood for soundboard. But so what ??i dont care. Thats my dream have all solid rosewood. As i understand, no one have perfect guitar. We have different ear. It just about subjectivity. Sometime i think guitar is just not about good sound. Man behind the still playing the rules.
I wish I could double up vote a vid, so on point!