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I started this business because I love woodworking and music and I believe that I can produce guitars that are pleasing to the ears and to the eyes. My guitars are completely assembled and finished by myself and I pay great attention to every detail of the process and I am extremely picky about the most minute detail of each step of the construction.

With that being said and known, I have an ethical question for you all who have this same ethic:

Would you allow someone else's inlay work to be placed on one of your guitars?

Inlaying is it's own art form and this is one area where I am not the strongest, but improving. There are things that I have been asked for that I just cannot provide because I know the limitations of my abilities and because of this I know that I could turn to a master at the art of inlaying to produce the inlay that is required. So far, I have turned down this idea because I dont feel that the whole guitar is completely *my* handiwork.

Any thoughts on this?

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Reguards,

Ken H

I see no moral issue with having someone else inlay one of your guitars. Folks like Paul Bordeaux, Craig Lavin and Larry Robinson make a living inlaying other builders guitars.

If someone loves your guitars and wants it adorned with inlay I doubt they will care that someone else did the inlay work for you.

yes.

you use tuners and strings made by others. more than likely your woods, nut and saddle blanks, veneers and purflings are also processed by others.

using inlay from an artist is decoration, and has, or should have, no effect on the instrument capacity to make music, which is, after all, what you are responsible fore.

Yes! with out hesitation.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

This subject comes up from time to time.
Everyone has their opinion on what constitutes a "handmade" guitar.

Some people sub out part or all of the inlay,complete or partial neck fabrication,bridge fabrication,parts processing ( joining and thicknessing the plates)side bending,rosette making and finishing and still consider the guitar handmade by them-it's up to you what you consider "handmade" or made by you.

Some people even are"ghost"builders.Someone else makes the whole guitar to their specs and they put their own label on it.
If you look in the archives you will find several threads on the subject.

I don't see anything wrong with having inlay done by someone else, nor any other task for that matter. After all, most guitars are made by a crew, not a single person. I don't think it is so much an ethical question as what do you like to do; I like to do most things myself because I find it interesting, not because I think I should.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

What's unethical is not being open about your process.

Nobody expects you to make your own tuners or strings or fret wire, and that sort of thing normally goes unmentioned unless you _do_ make your own. Cutting fret slots, and even carving necks, are getting to be in that category.

But, if you claim to make 100% of the guitar, and then sub out things like the inlay and finish work, that's a lie: you're passing off someboy else's work as your own. As ToddStock says, there's no problem with making those things 'features' these days: you impress the customer with the idea that you'll do whatever it takes to make the best possible quality instrument. If you're open about it, then it's up to the customer to decide whether they want what you do.

Some folks just like the notion that all of the steps in making that instrument were done by one person, even if they used some machines to do them. They are not so concerned about the fact that the inlays, say, are not as well cut as the best out there, but are rather more interested in having a work or art produced by a single individual.

Other people are much more interested in having the cleanest and prettiest instrument they can get. Many don't really care whether the inlays were cut by you, Grit Laskin, a CNC machine, or an unknown person in China, so long as it looks good and they can afford it.

If you're open about what you do you'll attract the customers who want that, and I see no ethical conflict with that aspect of things.

Ken,
Just because most of us would and have used other's inlays in no one means that you should.   If you feel that it is somehow wrong for you to do that, then don't.
This is your decision and I think you should follow your own moral compass on this.
Either way you decide works for me.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

[QUOTE=Hodges_Guitars]

I started this business because I love woodworking and music and I believe that I can produce guitars that are pleasing to the ears and to the eyes. My guitars are completely assembled and finished by myself and I pay great attention to every detail of the process and I am extremely picky about the most minute detail of each step of the constructionp.

[/QUOTE]

I think that most will agree there is no problem with ethics. The consumer is paying you for your skills of process and detail to bring all the parts together and create an instrument. I don’t think many would care about the small details but are more concerned with a blemish free product that produces an above average sound combined with playability. If that isn’t what they are looking for they would just go down and buy an ok guitar for a few hundred dollars and be done with it. Instead they want the best and are willing to spend their money on it. If the best product can be produced from parts created by others then so be it.

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aka konacat

If you think my playing is bad you should hear me sing!
Practice breeds confidence and confidence breeds competence. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in practice.

Agree with above
Hesh - Lacey can inlay my guitars anytime

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

You dont grow your own trees do you? ..... I would agree with Koncat you
want your geetars to be the best overal product they can be along with
pleasing your costomers. I would have to say if doing everything yourself is
really important to you, and If you have enough on your pallet that you can
turn down intensive inlaywork gitters then stick with what is important to
you. I would have no problem letting someone else do inlay art on my work,
but I would also like to keep learning and get better at inlays.

Yes, you gotta give the customer what he wants and if you can't do it all, there is no foul in letting someone else do that. I often by inlays to install in my guitars. I haven't yet had someone do an inlay for me but I wouldn't hesitate to let someone do something like that if it was beyond me.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

     I do inlay for other builders on a regular basis and there's certainly
nothing wrong with it.

    I've done inlay since the 70s and have done alot of pieces...some
proprietary to my guitars and others that have become readily seen on
thos of a few other builders. I've done work for small builders as well as
limited edition runs for some of the big guys.

    There are alot of builders who can build a beautiful guitar, but just
don't have the skills necessary to do inlay of the the same quality as their
instruments.

    I've looked at some guitars from well known builders that are stunning
and of the highest quality in every respect, but they refused to have the
inlay work done by a skilled inlay artist. In many cases, the inlay quality is
novice or fledgling in quality and detracts from the overall appearance
and visual impact of the guitars.

Regards,
Kevin Gallagher/Omega Guitars

It would only be dishonest to claim somebody else's work as your own. It would be a rare client who would be upset to know I subcontracted the inlay.

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Greg
http://garibaldiinstruments.com/

If the inlayer is a real artiste, maybe his name should appear somewhere on the label.

give credit where credit is due... If you don't do the inlay let the client know that the inlay is done "out of house".

When I finally figure out that I have no talent for (insert "no talent" skill set here) I will tell potential clients that X or Y is not done in house.

Assuming that I ever have someone that is willing to pay for anything I would build.