Official Luthiers Forum!

[QUOTE=Don W] Ok, I confess ignorance....
What's a Whyte Ladie #7 ?    (white lady #7?)

[/QUOTE]

Yup. A banjo. I hate to say the word on this forum. Reminds me of a joke: what is the best kind of pickup to put on a banjo?

F-150

nonetheless, its on my "Do" list.

[QUOTE=Colin S] I realise that some people may consider me to be a European interloper on a predominently US forum, but this is the sort of remark that could be construed as grossly offensive and should have no place on this forum.

Colin[/QUOTE]

Colin,

read my post closer, it was not directed at you. It was posted to show your stereotype of classical players is as off base as any other stereotype. I realize I may be one of the few lifelong classical players on this forum, but your comment about classical players was just as stereotypical and is exactly what I was trying to highlight.



John

No, I'm sorry John but racial/national stereotyping is never acceptable and would certainly get me the sack from the university where I work. You would not, I assume say "All Afro-Americans are...." or "All Hispanics are...." Just as I would not propagate the usual "All Americans are...." stereotypes, even to negate a point. You can say "All steel string players are...." as that is within the confines of the forum and we can then argue the point on a factual basis.

If you read my original post you'll see that I said "All the classical players THAT I KNOW are the most finickety bunch" The key phrase being "that I know" therefore the statement was a statement of fact not of stereotying the whole classical world.

If you don't get that then I'm sorry.

ColinColin S38395.2211689815

_________________
I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Colby, build two, one steel string, one nylon classical, then when you are done, and sell both, you may know the answer.

I'd like to build a classical and I have just the person to do it for, but as yet, have barely considered them. Steel strings are more mainstream for sure.

Delving into bowed instruments is fun for me, but it appears similar in regard to clientel for nylon string guitars. There are no string orchestras in this town and no public school stringed orchestras either. All band. That sealed the switch for me to steel string guitar, I know lots of guitar players.

You have to consider your contacts and interest too. If you'd be happy owning either, build either.

Also, if you ask fifty steel string builders who don't make classicals, what's easier to sell? What dot do you think they might check in your poll? This is just a fun way to get a topic started I think.

So, now that you have all this distilled wisdom, What are you going to build Colby?

Colin,

I think John was merely using that stereotype as an example of something that would be ridiculous to believe, to illustrate his point. Maybe its not politically correct anymore to acknowledge the existence of a stereotype unless its to stop someone from using it, I don't know.

But it is still easy to take your comment about the classical players "that you know" as stereotyping - since you're probably aware of that stereotype's existence, and are giving examples of people who fit it.

I still see no harm in either one, no reason to be sensitive or offended.

Best wishes,
Joshua French

_________________
Instagram: @jfrenchluthier
Web: https://www.jfrenchguitars.com/

Joshua,

I'm sorry I just spotted you're posting about Vihuelas and baroque guitars. You may know that as well as guitars I like the challenge of building lutes. I've completed a 7-course lute and I'm about a week away from finishing a 10 course 64cm lute based on one by Wendelio Venere of about 1610. We have a very strong early music department where I work and I 'play' (meaning they put up with my attempts) in a small early music consort with some of the lecturers now and again. I am only allowed to play continuo as my lute playing (and music reading) is not up to the job yet! My policy now is to be building one guitar and one lute or early instrument at one any time. I'm torn between a Vihuela or a 5 course guitar based on one by Stradivari of 1700 for my next project.

Early music is very popular here as well and my wife, a very talented celtic fiddler, wants me to build her a baroque violin to play gut strung, I'm trying to get her to build it herself.

Any builder of quality early instruments has almost guaranteed sales at very inflated prices, although the work involved is far greater than with a S/S guitar. On second thoughts if I were building for sale it would be early instruments probably violins. My ultimate aim is a very ornate arch-lute but I think that will be many years away yet.

Colin


As a post script, David Hume the resident Luthier who looks after the Royal College's collection of historic and fine instruments (he actually gets to repair Strads!) builds his own copies of the Cremonese violins which are, tonally, virtually impossible to tell from the originals by even the most practised ear. These sell for about $20,000, not an inconsiderate sum but considerably less than the historic instruments and within the reach of the orchestral player and the graduate student. He advises me on my lutes.Colin S38396.3031712963

_________________
I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Colin,

Thats interesting. Here in Texas there is also a pretty big "early music" scene, but surely nothing compared to what there must be in Europe. Lute-making is a curiosity of mine, something I'll probably tackle eventually at least once, though there are many such things.

Thats quite helpful that you have David Hume to advise you on lutes. Things like these (Lutes, Vihuelas, Baroque Guitars) have much less info in the public domain than a standard guitar. The Lundberg book must be a great resource for the lute, but I have yet to read it.

I'd be really interested to see a picture of one of your lutes, if you care to post one. Its a most interesting instrument, even peculiar and mysterious in a lot of (good) ways.

best wishes,
Joshua French

_________________
Instagram: @jfrenchluthier
Web: https://www.jfrenchguitars.com/

Well, thanks for all of your help, It has given me a lot to think about. I have made a few steel strings and classicals before but I don’t think they are something I would sell. So I was just wanting to know how you all thought about selling them. Anyway, I have decided to build a steel string (Unless I change my mind again). I think steel strings look better and are more fun to build, plus I don’t play much classical music. I use my classical guitars for other fingerstyle guitar songs, like Chet Atkins music (black mountain rag). I’m going to order the wood this week or next week. I’ll post some pics in a new thread when it is finished.