Ask a (hack) luthier!

I worked pretty hard with the paint guy to get him painting thin. Just enough poly to cover, then 2 coats of clear, sometimes 3 coats of clear (the candy apple red jr), then wetsand through the stages, then buff.
 
Thanks for the very informative replies Doug. I appreciate what all goes into building your high quality instruments, and frankly wish i could afford one.

About the only point I would disagree with is your comment about houses being worth whatever someone will pay for them. I know that my house was appraised by an industry professional, and it's value was determined by many factors including size, amenities, location and lot size, as well as by the selling price of comparable homes in the area. Sure, someone could outbid that price if they chose to, but no lender would finance a mortgage for much over the appraisal price. A custom built home would surely appraise higher than a mass produced track home, and the same goes for guitars. I wonder how a blind guitar appraisal system that somehow eliminated the company name from the equation would flesh out.

I will, however, keep the costs you listed in mind from now on when judging "hot or not" custom guitars. As much for justifying the prices some charge as wondering what corners were cut for some of the lower priced submissions.

And thanks for being part of the gang here:thu:
 
dougk said:
BTW you are smart to sub out the finishing. It's 2-3 WEEKS of my time. Honestly, there is a "luthier" that is held in high regards around here that simply is not. The bodies and necks are made by one company, they are finished by another and assembled by a third. The "luthier" simply does sales and presents the front that he is the builder when the reality is, and I've seen in person, he doesn't even turn a screw driver on the guitars. Now is this bad? Up to you really. Does he make more money for his time than I do? Absolutely. His job is simply to sell guitars and handle logistics.
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Is it Paul Rhoney?


Just kidding I love that guy
 
335clone said:
Thanks for the very informative replies Doug. I appreciate what all goes into building your high quality instruments, and frankly wish i could afford one.

About the only point I would disagree with is your comment about houses being worth whatever someone will pay for them. I know that my house was appraised by an industry professional, and it's value was determined by many factors including size, amenities, location and lot size, as well as by the selling price of comparable homes in the area. Sure, someone could outbid that price if they chose to, but no lender would finance a mortgage for much over the appraisal price. A custom built home would surely appraise higher than a mass produced track home, and the same goes for guitars. I wonder how a blind guitar appraisal system that somehow eliminated the company name from the equation would flesh out.

I will, however, keep the costs you listed in mind from now on when judging "hot or not" custom guitars. As much for justifying the prices some charge as wondering what corners were cut for some of the lower priced submissions.

And thanks for being part of the gang here:thu:
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I do agree in principle but if I price my guitars at say 10k and they don't sell... then they aren't worth that price in the eyes of the market place. Not that they aren't but you catch my drift :wink:

Now one thing- guitars cheaper than mine doesn't nessecarily mean worse or cut corners. K-Line builds a lot of great guitars right around 2k price mark. Why is he cheaper than mine? For starters, cost of living in St. Louis is much lower than California, he shares shop space with other businesses, subs the bodies and necks out to a certain extent and just pays less overhead in general. That helps him get a guitar out at a more reasonable price with honestly a better profit margin.

There are tons of ways to slice this pie and as long as you deliver a quality product, none of them are wrong.
 
afaic, hot or not has no bearing on price.

I can't afford a new guitar either way.

but I like what I like (and I like your stuff, Doug, though it doens't quite run to my metal standards. awesome for the punk rock & rockabilly stuff though!)


the fact is, I'm broke. when my elecrtic bill is more than I make in a month, a $3000 guitar is just a tad unreasonable.

that said, (and as I've said before), I get why they cost what they do.
I really do.

I just wish that ONCE, I could get one for $200 :lol:
in hot pink , with a Floyd/
one HB, one vol knob...

(HINT HINT) :wink:

I'm sure y'all get what I'm saying....

and either way, I'm more than happy to look at the stuff the smaller companys/builders are making.
no matter who buys, I win just by looking at them.

and Doug, that one you sold recently(ish) to Jaxn ( I don't recall his real name, sorry Jaxn)?

gorgeous.
 
wow, that came across WAY more douchey than I meant.
being that I didn't mean it to be douchey at all

sorry if it came across that way, Doug
not my intent
 
unreasonable for your budget* I assume is what you mean. :wink: Thanks for the kind words!

Shawns (jaxn_slim) gets necked tomorrow! Actually there's another MWGL member here who just bought one of mine a few minutes ago :grin:
 
oh yeah, of course
sorry, I sometimes think words and don't type them

SHAWN!
dammit...:lol:
I was close with Baxter.


oooh Mark got a NGD coming?


'd love to get one similiar to what Baxter got, but again, I'm a cheap bastard.
and with very little income.
but once the hotel has the bar & restaurant up and running, my cash will increase greatly.

then we might have a talk :wink:

jsyk, I LOVE glitter

so does my female wife who has a vagina :wink:
 
well, a McF (it's nice to type that when it's NOT a reference to a has-been action-figure company. no one but baimun is gonna get that) is a pretty damn good thing to have coming!

hopefully one day I can get one too.
already got the idea...

my two favourite Marks, coming toegther.

awesomeness will result, no doubt. :)

btw, I sent my Ma linke to the stuff you posted.

she said (and I'm sorry for this) "that guy is really sexy, I'd jump his bones"

my Ma is into her 80's
but hey, ya gotta take groupies where ya find 'em,. I guess...:lol:



seriously though, she really did like the tunes.
 
Peeker said:
well, a McF (it's nice to type that when it's NOT a reference to a has-been action-figure company. no one but baimun is gonna get that) is a pretty damn good thing to have coming!

hopefully one day I can get one too.
already got the idea...

my two favourite Marks, coming toegther.

awesomeness will result, no doubt. :)

btw, I sent my Ma linke to the stuff you posted.

she said (and I'm sorry for this) "that guy is really sexy, I'd jump his bones"

my Ma is into her 80's
but hey, ya gotta take groupies where ya find 'em,. I guess...:lol:



seriously though, she really did like the tunes.
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Thanks. And thank yer Ma :)
 
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hey Doug, lemme pick yer brain...


if a hack bought one of them kitsoff ebay, could I make a playable guitar out ot it?
 
Peeker said:
hey Doug, lemme pick yer brain...


if a hack bought one of them kitsoff ebay, could I make a playable guitar out ot it?
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We're gonna find out together, bro.

My kit arrives tomorrow. My only concern, since I want to replace the hardware, is that I've seen a couple posts on forums where the builder complains that the stop tailpiece has a post spacing of 80mm instead of the standard 82mm. Seems that everything I find in the aftermarket is either explicitly 82mm or just says "FITZ UR GIBSUN!!!"

Wut do?
 
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