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Comments
Adam
I will say this: Around 12 years ago I had been playing other guitars (- think well-respected small-workshops) and decided to "go for it" and bought a Sobell. Overnight the amount of time I spent playing steel-string went through the roof. My playing and enjoyment benefitted tremendously (and I pretty much gave up electric - haha). A really top-flight guitar is well worth the investment. It changed my guitar-playing life.
Since then I've had 5 Sobells; still have one (a 2009 madrose model 1). There are definitely other builders out there that make instruments in that category but few do what the Sobell does - incredible clarity and separation that is impossible to overdrive (rather like an archtop). Ultimately I grew away from that sound and moved towards something more vanilla, but when I fancy that type of sound, it has to be a Sobell.
“First and foremost - It’s a tool for making music”
the first sentence spoken by Dana Bourgeois in this video a maker I particularly respect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=HMGtTD4bH-w
yup, says it all in a mater of fact workman way, cause thats what he does (very well), he makes ‘tools’ / instruments for us to get creative develop playing technique and computational skills and make our own music on.
I'm sure I caught a glimpse of one (Sobell) being (lightly) thrashed last night by some retro folk hipster on a hogmanay show last night.
btw - spell checker don't recognise hogmanay - ah the erasing of culture.
Probably the best "how we make a guitar" video I have seen:
I OD'd on that stuff back in the 00's doing the building course - one persons vids stand out in my memory, our own Nigel. like DB above refreshingly matter of fact and b*s*t free. I found his vids quite therapeutically relaxing.
From a building point of view things that get my attention is the 'jigs' and ingenious ways of going about 'procedures' to maximize accuracy and repetition.
Oh and their tools
Not many about, but when bought used, they are often better value over here since few people are aware of them
you a smile of satisfaction!!
I agree there's diminishing returns with acoustics over the approx. £3K level. At this point the subjective judgement of the player kicks in. If you look around you can pretty much find what you want musically without paying more.
(I did once pay £4K for a classical but that market's different.)
i.e. Some makers sell top-notch instruments starting at £3k, whereas others start at £5k, usually it's because the brand name is stronger