Official Luthiers Forum!

No problem Paul!

I'm lucky enough to have a close relative who is a well known guitar maker.... stupid questions go to him...in private;)

The only seasoned veteran of luthiery that I had access to (relatively close that is) moved 2 years ago He was great to bounce ideas off of or to ask advise of. So, now when I need help (we all need help sometimes, that's a given), I come here. There's so much information in the archives here, very rarely do I have to ask a new question, but sometimes it's good too, to see what changes folks have made over the years.

Again, being up front and honest with your customers is the best policy. Communication is big in our world and far too often, it's poor at best.

Things happen, it's the nature of working with wood. Things can break, we can have errors or our skills just aren't up to that of someone with more experience. That's also why we charge less

From the looks of things, Paul, you and Kyle are doing just fine and with the few reviews on the AGF of your guitars, I'm sure you'll continue to do fine. Don't be afraid to ask the questions you need answers for, because the only stupid question is the one not asked.

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

I hope some day to be able to build guitars of a quality good enough to sell. I actually have this crazy dream of one day making a decent living from it. I know, crazy talk. But there's time enough for that. I'm in no hurry.
Meanwhile, I'll keep posting. I posted pics of my first guitar here. I'm proud of it, but if I look at it I know that I've got a long way to go. Am I afraid someone will look at it and think negatively of my skills down the road? Truthfully, maybe a little. But, one has to start somewhere.
I try to look at it this way. If my future customers want to come here(and other places) and follow my progression as a builder, it will be easy for them to do so. Hopefully they'll see steady improvement, and kind of get an idea of my thought process in building a guitar. I think that could be invaluable, as I've learned that a lot of times what sets a builder apart to customers is that they have a way of relating to them. So I don't intend to hide anything. I am who I am, warts and all.
When I get to the point that I begin selling, will all these newbie posts I've made have any influence on pricing? Not in the least. By that time I hope to have plenty of pictures of completed instruments of the quality I'm looking for to point them to.
As has been said, what you put on the internet will stay there. Anybody can go pick through what's out there and find the bad or the good. If a potential customer were to pick through the old stuff and try to use that as a bargaining chip to get me to lower prices, I'd steer him to the newer, positive posts that showcase my current abilities. If he/she were to ignore those in favor of trying to talk me down with the old stuff, I don't think that would be a customer I'd choose to work with. As a builder, i want to work with people who's character is as good as mine is. Who knows, this kind of thing might help me weed them out of the crowd.
So I'll keep posting, good and bad, mistakes and triumphs. It's who I am.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

Ha! I did the exact same thing and I would have to say to Paul ya got nothing to worry about

I think I remember when I joined OLF that they had asked users to use their real names rather than 'avatar' names. I may be wrong about this It's been some time. But I do remember thinking that I didn't really like the idea. I think message board anonymity creates a better and more open environment for discussion.

As many have pointed, the key is transparency and honesty. Its about managing a customers expectations and these being in line with the level of knowledge and skill that you have - and naturally this relates to the price point as well. Looking at it from a customer perspective, the selection of a builder obviously be impacted on by your budget - the following dialogue with potential builders about your needs, your choices should be a two way thing... and as a builder honesty about whether you are in a position to fulfill those specs and ensuring your price point provides value is vital.

I would gues for most, those early customers will be friends/relatives for whom you build because you want to, so any cost will be relative. Word of mouth is often the best marketing tool, so integrity and honesty about where you are should be seen as a major plus. I have promised to build instruments for a few friends as part of my learning curve and to get feedback from a variety of players so that there is a balance in the critique - as such they are fully aware that I am still a 'junior' in this game, despite their 'positivity' over that 1st build - which is taken with a pinch of salt!

So unless you are trying to charge excessive amounts and pass off your 5th as your 50th, then I cant see why anyone should be worried by customers see you seeking advice - afterall most pros probably have stacks of books in the shop which they will refer to at times. I would feel more secure in my builder choice if I knew they had been honest from the start and were seeking advice that would improve teh final instrument.

Confucius say the admittance of a lack of knowledge is a demonstration of an abundance of wisdom







Ok so maybe he didn't say that but it doesn't mean It's not true.