Have you had a guitar made for you ?

Jez6345789

spark240 said:

Do all of these horror stories suggest that the mainstream guys are not doing such a bad job ?

I have played a few really impressive Luthier built acoustics and besides my general cynicism I am reminded of the tour I did around Martin a few years back the guy giving the tours name escapes me but he was the retired factory manager and knew everybody and was a mine of historical information. But he made a point in the custom area when he said meet Rita she will be carving the braces on your guitar she voices 100's of guitars a month and have to say she wielded her chisels like a Jedi master and as he said she is amazing and she voices more guitars in a month than most luthiers do in a lifetime. Yes a Luthier can obviously spend more time to really nuance things but it raises a good point is the Luthier master of all tasks but when most of the modern acoustic guys seem to make 8-12 guitars per year is their experience really that broad. When you compare that to say someone like D'Agelico who back in the day was knocking out something like 25 hand-carved Archtops per year.

I do think both aspects of guitar are great but I do think the better factories can make some pretty good guitars.

FelineGuitars

Shaking my head at this thread somewhat.

I've made hundreds of guitars over the years with very few issues.
 That's not to say that there haven't been challenges:

I know my builds take time because we have always done them alongside our repair work, but I have made that clear all along.

We did have to change paint finishers once because they were letting us down too much and it was causing stupid delays & having a knock on effect to our completion of the projects.

I have had wood go bad on me (which builder hasn't) and had to start again 

I have fucked something up and had to start all over again. 

I have had a jig slip and not realise a neck was off axis to the centre line by 1 degree but I rebuilt the guitar from scratch and apologised for the delay (I actually completed the other guitar alongside and given the player the choice of the two in case they liked the other one better) 

I have always been responsible, taken any losses on the chin (even if I've had to have a barney with a colleague or the paint guys) But always looked after the customer and done right by them. 

 Over the years had a couple of customers just disappear and stop communicating halfway through a build too, so sometimes the boot is on the other foot. 

 Had a customer buy himself an extra PRS during a build and have his wife all but cut off his balls/divorce him if he didn't cancel my build as he had too many guitars (it was running late and we honoured the situation even though it was upsetting). 

There are loads of other great guitar builders out there delivering great guitars without any upsets too.

FelineGuitars

Jez6345789 said:

spark240 said:

Do all of these horror stories suggest that the mainstream guys are not doing such a bad job ?

Rita she will be carving the braces on your guitar she voices 100's of guitars a month and have to say she wielded her chisels like a Jedi master and as he said she is amazing and she voices more guitars in a month than most luthiers do in a lifetime. Yes a Luthier can obviously spend more time to really nuance things but it raises a good point is the Luthier master of all tasks but when most of the modern acoustic guys seem to make 8-12 guitars per year is their experience really that broad. When you compare that to say someone like D'Agelico who back in the day was knocking out something like 25 hand-carved Archtops per year.

I do think both aspects of guitar are great but I do think the better factories can make some pretty good guitars.

A very interesting point 

One of the aspects of our own work at Feline is that we are doing so much repair work and in particular fretwork every day /week that when it comes time to fret and set-up one of our custom builds all our team are super honed to get that right.

richman6100

I've had three built so far. A Feline Lion, which was part built when I selected it. I spec'd the hardware, wiring, pickups and colour. It's flawless and I will never sell it. I've had Suhr build me a couple of T-styles too. One was based on an Alt-T pro, but after discussion with one of their luthiers, I had a belly cut added. I takes little, if anything, away from the semi-hollowbody sound compared to other Alt-Ts I've played. The other is a solid-body with two P90s and a belly cut. It's a beast. If I have any criticism, it's a bit heavier than I expected, but not Les Paul heavy.

hotpickups

Yep I’ve done it and have never regretted it. Key for me was to keep in contact with the luthier regularly. Plus I chose a luthier who is an absolute artist and makes a superb instrument. Prices for handmade stuff are eye watering though so it’s got to be researched if it’s really what one wanted etc. I did (over 12years tbh) and I do  

ToneControl

I would not commission an acoustic from anyone who hadn't built loads of ones like what I wanted already. Even then, the tonewoods can surprise you, I have 2 custom acoustics, and the soundboard on one is different to what I expected, after having another guitar with "nearly" the same combination already, but that was my choice, and it's not a significant issue for me

For a solid body electric, I would not demand such a long history, but I still think you need to play some they made earlier that you like, that they are sure they can repeat what you want

Describing what you want verbally on a large cost commission job, without having reference points is very high risk, I did it in the past with a neck, and with pickups, with disappointing results

As an example, I have tried some acoustics by currently very fashionable small scale luthiers that vary enormously in tone and responsiveness. If the luthier is still in the "experimental" phase, I recommend spending the cash after you play the finished guitar

WezV

Always a difficult one and the answer.

I only build a few guitars a year, but have done so for nearly 20 years now.  There have been points in that time where I have considered doing it as a proper day job, sent some guitars to shows, done more commission work etc.  there have been points I just happily build for myself and sell off one every so often.   Sometimes I have outsourced finishing, sometimes i have done it myself.

There have been failures, sometimes expensive ones.  There have been great guitars that just haven't quite worked for the people who ordered them, some that have been sold on and loved by the second owners (who probably got a bargain).  And thankfully there have been a lot of successes.

I tend to think of the builds in different ways

*Standard spec - Somebody wants something that isn't available off the shelf as a complete guitar, but can be put together quite easily with what is available, or uses the templates you already have.  the chance of success is high as everything will be proven to work, and even if it doesn't you can swap out parts later to get it there.  It can be standard spec to the builders own designs, or standard to the guitar industry.   You could probably go to any number of people who would build it with some success to a fairly predictable time scale.  Its probably going to be something that can be re-sold, but  still at a significant loss as the new owner won't pay extra for your mods 

*Modded spec - someone wants something fairly standard, but with significant spec changes that make off the shelf hard.  Maybe its a through necks strat, a les paul with strat scale length, or a junior with a floyd rose.   Maybe you want to try unusual woods.   Things start to become a less standard and take a bit of minor redesign.  These are changes you won't be able to alter after the guitar is built.  The resale market is smaller.

*True one-offs.  These are the risky ones.  Everything about them is non-standard.  You are essentially paying for a prototype to be built, and that can be expensive.  You simply won't know how well it works until its done.   The more non-standard you go, the more risky it gets.  A skilled builder can guide you through the risks, but that may also feel like they don't want to take on the more outlandish ideas or are not seeing the vision in your head.  they may produce a fine guitar, but there is no guarantee it will suit you as well as you hoped.  This is where most of my failures sit, but also some of my most successful builds.  You have to see them more as a process, it might not be over when the build is first finished.   Timescales can get out of hand. resale value is usually terrible.  

Important bits for a buyer:   
Try to pin your spec down from the start, but be open to suggestions from the builder. 

Research lots of builders and try their guitars if possible

Find someone who does something close to what you are after, then it becomes standard spec rather than a one off

Be up front with acceptable timescales (hopefully the builder will be too)

Size of the operation - a one man band may be more unpredictable, such is the nature of life. 

Out sourcing Vs in house.  Very few builders are perfect at everything.  They may chose to outsource certain bits, often finishing, sometimes things like inlay, or even the woodwork. Its done to ensure quality.   Its important to know which bits are outsourced, as these will be the bits where the builder has less control over the outcome.  lets say they outsource finishing and you describe what you want with some clarity, the builder gets it.  they then describe to their finish guy, he gets it... what are the chances it matches the buyers idea, what steps do you take to get it as clear as possible from 1st person to 3rd?



Personally, I love the idea of working with people on their dream design, but i'm uncomfortable being unable to guarantee success with those style of builds. The best ones are like collaborations, but that's no way to make money either.

These days I accept I am much more comfortable building the ideas in my head.  I can try things out and if they don't work I can just add them to the pile of half finished projects. 

vasselmeyer

I had a Telecaster made for me by @SteveRobinson. I told him what I wanted in terms of body, finish, pickups etc. Although it's a Tele shape and bridge, it's actually just a two-pickup guitar. My first love for guitars was Quo, and I got infected by the Telecaster bug. I was in a twin-guitar band at the time and the sound was pretty mushy as the other guitarist played an SG and I played a Les Paul.

It's got hot P90s and the volume and tone pots are push-pull which take out winds from the pickups to give me a thinner sound. It's got a lovely neck with a subtle V at the headstock end and big fat frets. It's a through-body Telecaster bridge with compensated saddles, but because it's P90s, and there's no base-plate, it's mainly for the look of the guitar and it's only half size. Originally I went for the traditional Telecaster control layout, but soon realised that on Tels, the pickup switch is in the wrong place, so Steve did some additional work on it and put in a toggle in the Les Paul spot and replaced the control cover with one from a John5 Telecaster. The finish is in blonde with Steve's own nitro and the neck had a satin finish.

Of course, when I got if from Steve, it was perfectly finished and set up, and almost perfect in how I wanted it to play apart from the change to the pickup switch. However, it's a working guitar and I've gigged it hundreds of times and I'd say the body is now naturally reliced and the neck has a gloss rather than satin finish. From the pictures you can see all the chips and dinks you get on instruments that are meant to be played, not just looked at. Steve's had it back to level the frets at least once, and there's probably enough fret left to do it at least one more time. I can honestly say, it's probably unique in its configuration so if I sold it, I wouldn't get much for it. However, with the gigs it's done, it's paid for itself several times over.

Currently, my main guitar is a PRS DGT, but the band I'm in now is just a three piece and the PRS suits the band more. However, I always pull the Tele out for a few numbers, because I don't want it to feel sad... It's probably my desert island guitar and it would be the last one to go if I had to sell up my guitars.

Creed_Clicks

A Fidelity on the way and a Tides aluminium neck in 2022. 

imalrightjack

@WezV makes some great points.  I have experience of two builds with Haydn Williams, one with mods to an existing model of his and another was pretty much his first of a new model (S-type), where I made many a request/recommendation and chose colours, woods, etc.

While neither guitar is the single greatest guitar I've ever played, that's because no such thing exists.  So, as others have said, getting a build to be the one is unlikely to get the result you intend.  Saying that, the first of these is my go-to for the band I play with.

I think ordering a custom build of an existing model makes a lot of sense, especially if you have played one before.

First one:



Second is the main one here:

Btrcu

Does a guitar built for you but to the spec of someone else's count? If so, then it's exactly what I wanted but it's more that I wanted something from a personal bucket list than an everyday player.

Had lots of input into woods, hardware, pickups, neck profile - everything really.

https://imgur.com/GBlhihF

https://imgur.com/mxPVClN

https://imgur.com/WHeOame

FelineGuitars

Nice Zappa tribute there

Btrcu

FelineGuitars said:

Nice Zappa tribute there

It is, even though I say so myself. Took ages to get all the specs together and the builder did a cracking job on it.

grappagreen

imalrightjack said:

@WezV makes some great points.  I have experience of two builds with Haydn Williams, one with mods to an existing model of his and another was pretty much his first of a new model (S-type), where I made many a request/recommendation and chose colours, woods, etc.

While neither guitar is the single greatest guitar I've ever played, that's because no such thing exists.  So, as others have said, getting a build to be the one is unlikely to get the result you intend.  Saying that, the first of these is my go-to for the band I play with.

I think ordering a custom build of an existing model makes a lot of sense, especially if you have played one before.

First one:



Second is the main one here:

I spent the morning with Haydn today and am looking forward to visiting him again in the summer to see the fruits of his labours

Handsome_Chris

I have had 1 guitar made for me which was a Vigier Expert.  It is the best strat I have ever had.  I wholly recommend going with a reputable company, for example forum fave Feline Guitars.

PhilKing

I have had a lot of custom guitars made for me.  You could say that I am always looking for something different, but that's not really true.  I just like guitars.  The first couple were made by a guy in Bradford called Niall.  He made me an all walnut set neck, a Double Cut Junior and a LP Standard.  I still have them all.  Will Black also made me a couple, a 5 string thinline bass and a 25.5" scale LP Custom.   I also have 6 Bravewoods, 57 Precision, 62 Jazz, 57 Strat, 57 Hardtail Strat, 64 HSS Strat and 66 bound neck Strat.  I also have one of the 20th Anniversary Feline Lions (#7)

However the one builder that I have given more gyp to than anyone is @WezV. ; He has been very patient with me on all of my strange builds.  We started a long time back and he has built me a John Birch style SG with a matching 12 String Mando Guitar, a "Less Pull" single cut Junior, A fretless DC style Bass, a Melody Maker size Junior, A fanned fret Firebird (with 3 Mojo Gretsch pickups), a thinline Strat, 2 different lap steels and currently has several instruments on the go, including a doubleneck bass and 12 string, a 9 String fanned fret acoustic and the latest DC junior with a bridge and middle humbucker.   In addition to this, he has restored my 1955 Les Paul Custom and my 1959 DC Junior.   I am sure I'm probably forgetting some other things he has done, but you can see how I have been thinking up guitars that I would like to have that are either slightly different to the norm, or just plain unusual.  

I have been playing a long time and have a lot of guitars and know what things I like, so going down the custom route is something that I don't mind and I am willing to risk that I might be wrong in what I am asking for.  I am also not worried about the resale value of them, as I am not thinking that I will sell them.  In fact they are all guitars that I like to use.

If you are new to this, I would also recommend going to someone who you can talk to and has a good reputation.   All of the builders I have dealt with have been wonderful and I have some fantastic guitars from this.

monquixote

A lot of people seem to get into the idea of having a 28 fret guitar with MIDI a substainiac, a P90, a filtertron and a lipstick pickup with a Floyd rose, 9 string, fanned fret in puce burst with the battle of Hastings inlaid into the fretboard thinking it's going to be the ultimate do it all guitar, but it ends up being this:

Danielsguitars

My advice would be pick builders that suit your particular needs or style, there's no point anyone coming to me for a fan fret or a pointy 7 string guitar etc, I'm firmly in the vintage vibe but modern takes on it, I have a new range coming out that'll be the basis of most of my new builds which are mostly lightweight set neck single cut builds, i do one off custom builds but it has to be things that I like the sound of.

imalrightjack

@grappagreen - What are you going for?   Are you local to him?  Exciting!

LastMantra

Thing about people having free reign with spec is it can end up like a homer mobile.