Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Nephilim on November 02, 2011, 07:08:12 PM
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Well as the title suggests, I'm wanting to get a custom made guitar.
I know there are a few Guitar Luthiers on this forum, as well as people who can recommend good ones. The thing is, I actually want to work very closely with the builder on this guitar, rather than just lay down a spec and wait for it's production. The reason for this is because I want to get everything right, as I want to build the perfect guitar. The only thing I'm certain on at the moment is that I'm having a C-Bomb/Cold Sweat combo. As well as Graph Tech Piezo/Midi capabilities. I kind of want the 'Ultimate' guitar. But I don't want to sacrifice tone to make way for the Piezo/Midi, as this would only be an extra for acoustic tones and tracking down random sounding instrumental parts.
If anyone is interested in working with me for this guitar, please feel free to contact me. Hopefully someone I can spend some time with at first, discussing things, throwing ideas backwards and forwards; hopefully getting ready to start with the final specs sometime early next year.
Cheers, Mike
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The reason for this is because I want to get everything right, as I want to build the perfect guitar. (...)I kind of want the 'Ultimate' guitar
I don't mean to be pessimistic, but I seriously doubt this will ever happen - but I guess you know this already... Strange enough, I currently have about the same dream of the "perfect, ultimate" gear, but it's about the amp part, and I pity the amp tech that will work on this project :mrgreen:
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The reason for this is because I want to get everything right, as I want to build the perfect guitar. (...)I kind of want the 'Ultimate' guitar
I don't mean to be pessimistic, but I seriously doubt this will ever happen - but I guess you know this already... Strange enough, I currently have about the same dream of the "perfect, ultimate" gear, but it's about the amp part, and I pity the amp tech that will work on this project :mrgreen:
Yh I know it won't be the perfect guitar haha. I'm just meaning it be like I want someone who I can work with on a personal scale, rather than someone who just takes down specs, and makes it. I kinda want someone to care, and advice me on things right down the necks contour etc.
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I highly recommend Mr Jonathan Law of Feline guitars, the amount of detail he's let me go into on the design of my own guitar is incredible making it a complete one off.
Not only that but I really appreciated that he'll give you good advice on which direction to go, what works and what doesn't or suggest something you may have not thought of - and having only played it in half built stages the workmanship is phenomenal - and he's a thoroughly bloody nice bloke too.
Also the other guys on this forum like Wez and so on but I have no personal experience of them.
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Yh I know it won't be the perfect guitar haha. I'm just meaning it be like I want someone who I can work with on a personal scale, rather than someone who just takes down specs, and makes it. I kinda want someone to care, and advice me on things right down the necks contour etc.
None of our "resident" luthiers would just blindly make a guitar to a list of specs. Rest assured that they'd take the time to discuss the details and offer plenty of advice, both before and during the build. After all, they've got plenty of relevant experience to draw on.
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And I'll pre-empt the luthiers here, but I'd be willing to bet that the majority of their customers are wanting to have lots of say in the design, to the get the perfect guitar for them. When I got my custom built by WezV of these very forums, he worked very hard with me to tailor the guitar to what I wanted (very patiently, I might add!). I firmly believe you'd find the same experience with any of the luthiers that hang out here: they've all put some seriously impressive work up for us to ogle from time to time.
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I saw some pretty impressive and innovative designs made by luthiers on this forum. I'm sure they listened careful to the clients wishes.
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I'll echo what has been said here by the other guys
Getting the specs right is v important and essential to iron out at the beginning of the project
Often we do help by both suggesting things and sometimes by steering some customers away from wild flights of fancy which will result in a guitar that would lose it's charm all too quickly.
You will find that it is only natural for makers to want to work within or close to their areas of strength - as they will know what works well in that area and will have expertise and confidence to make a great guitar.
What you will also find is that most luthiers , once they have worked carefully with you to get the spec down to the last micro detail , will want to be left alone to a greater extent to make the guitar.
You do have to find someone whose existing work you like the look of and who you can get along and work with , and ALSO that they will be happy to work with you (yes it cuts both ways).
Sometimes you may have to realise that no one guitar can do everything and that sometimes it is better to have a guitar that excels in one area rather than being mediocre in all areas - remember a camel is just a horse that was designed by committee, according to that famous quote
I actually turned down a few guitar projects over the years for certain reasons:
1) a customer who kept changing the spec once the build had started .
They were still developing new bold ideas (and quite a few crazy ones) once we had already nailed down the spec that we were supposed to build.
2) A customer who kind of wanted or felt a need to "re-invent the wheel" and completely redseign and restyle the concept of a guitar from the ground up using first principles. This might have taken years of man hours doing untold amounts of R&D all for one guitar and as I wouldn't be then repeatedly be making this guitar over and over, then I deemed that it would not be a good use of my time - especially as I have other customers to take care of as well.
3) A customer who wanted to micro-manage me and every hour of my day or week- it was like they thought that they would become my boss ( a very strange thing to put upon a self employed person).
4) A realisation that the customer didn't really know what they wanted and that it would lead to ultimate dissatisfaction with the build no matter how perfectly executed it was, as whilst a Les Paul was great last week , this week they want a tele and next week they fancy a strat.