Official Luthiers Forum!

Nice stuff, Hesh.
BTW, I thought twice before looking.
Coe

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Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

I want to ask a question thats might sound like Im trying to be a jerk... but I don't mean it that way... so dont take it that way.. ok?

Why buy pre-made necks. Obviously there the time savings, but isn't that kind of the point customing building? What the advantage? Why do the pros like your self some times go with premade. Just trying to understand, I'm not saying your wrong, or shouldnt or anything like that.

oh and they sure do look nice!

[QUOTE=Hesh1956] I thought that post title would make ya

This should last me a good part of 2007!

[/QUOTE]

Ya mean like winter 2007?

Good stuff there, Hesh! I looked at the bargain basement, but I already have a stash of Martin necks which I'll be using on a few "lab" guitars. Thanks for the heads up!

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

as Someone else that uses necks by John Watkins. My advantage is I can buy them cheaper than I can make them when time and material is is counted. I also have sever C.T.S. and carving is somewhat painful process for me. but even if this was not the case the economics make since. And the quality of these necks are fabulous!!!!!!MichaelP39065.4504050926

Thanks Hesh. I kinda figured it would be somthing like that!

Those are great looking necks. I wish I could use them, but my necks that I am building lately are a little different configuration. John's quality, options and prices are amazing. The fact that you can get access to tooling that you would never be able to afford(I am speaking as a hobbiest) is wonderful.

To add a comment about using these necks. Those are by no means complete. I would say they get you maybe 40% of the way to getting a neck put together. You still have headstock shaping, tuner holes, fretboard, frets, fine tuning of the back profile, final fit adjustments, inlay?, binding, nut, finishing and so on. Plenty of work to make or break the playability of the neck.

Peace,Rich

Hesh-
Very cogent answer to the question about making necks!
Thanks.
One of the great benefits of being 'amateur' is that we can do just about what we want, just for the fun of it. It's only if we start selling guitars, advertising, etc that a whole pile of other issues (warranties, what's 'handcrafted'?, etc) pile up.
I'm going to keep giving them away (or keeping them-as if I needed more) for a while.
BTW (off topic) I think your idea of having the finish sprayed on 'out of house' is an excellent idea- keeps the smells and chemicals in an industrial setting, not at home.
John

[QUOTE=Hesh1956]
I am not a pro but a hobbyist who enjoys guitar making to the point of an obsession......


[/QUOTE]

Cmon Hesh! you mean to tell us that there arent any plans on the horizon for starting to commission build for people?
I mean obviously you love it, and heck your getting better than pretty darn good at it.
I just assumed that you would be making the shift, Ive been wrong before though.
Cheers
Charliewood

No. He is saving up until the day he can open a guitar store.     

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

They look great Hesh,

And good point Rich about having enough left to do on these to claim some ownership. That and the fact that John has just dropped all listing across his site by a further 20% for OLF members makes his pre-made neck, clamping cauls, kerfing clamps, fret cauls etc an absolute bargain. See the Welcome (AGAIN) John Watkins post for details, me thinks that this be too good to miss.

Cheers

Kim

Hesh, i like your approach better, that is surely what i'll do too unless a commission would help pay for the subsequent project but let's say that when i'm ready, there won't be much commissions for me, just creations for sale.

Hesh, your thoughts on commissions coincide with mine, at least for my foreseeable future. From past experience, I would rather do *my* thing and then if someone else wants it they can try to talk me out of it I'm sure my wife will let me keep even more guitars in the front room <crosses fingers>...

Think it's about time you called yourself a pro, Hesh. You could quite easily sell all of your "hobby" guitars for the going rate. I was actually stunned when you said it was a hobby.

I thought you DID build to commission!!!! O_O

Great points on all fronts Hesh!

I too have carved a couple of necks and did not enjoy the process either time, they turned out OK, but for the quality, consistency and workability of a Watkins neck is hard to beat.

I also picked up a couple of necks on the Bargain block and man o man what a bargain.

Mike

Hessh,
How much is Watkins selling his necks selling them for???
Sale priced??
Thanks for the info Brother,

walter

I ordered my Watkins neck a few weeks ago and am really excited about
it. I did it because....

- A neck blank is $40, and I'm not sure how much the walnut laminations
would be.

- I don't need to thickness or joint the laminations. Good because I don't
have access to those things.

- John's necks come with a neck angle that's pretty close to what the final
angle will be. With his hardware installed and his neckblock, the fit will
be perfect.

- And all for $100! Laminations to my specs! Heck yeah!

They won't work if you're making an archtop or electric, or a 12th fret
neck to body joint, but they work for what I'm doing!

Thanks to this thread I've ordered another of Johns excellent necks, as well as several of those new kerfing clamps. For an unspecified limited time John's offering an additional 20% discount to OLF'rs on all merchandise. In addition to the already great discount price I saved and additional $21. What a DEAL!! Enter the promo code "OLF" at checkout for the 20% discount.

CrowDuck

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Chris Nielsen
Soquel, CA.

Man, I was afraid to open thi one I thought Heshie was back!

   Your logic makes sense bud! You've got some nice pieces of work there!Billy T39066.003287037

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Hesh isnt going to open a guitar store .. its going to be a HeshTone Guitar Museum .. come see-um, and play-um. Kind of like DisneyLand for guitar nuts (like us)

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"