Official Luthiers Forum!

I got an email from me dear ol' mum last night, tipping me off to an estate sale this weekend where they'll have a bunch of tools. "Like you need any more tools!" she commented. I thought I'd share my reply:

Well, unfortunately, a luthier can never have enough tools. There's even a name for this compulsive malady that affects most of us: Tool Acquisition Syndrome (TAS for short). It's almost as dangerous as the dreaded Wood Acquisition Syndrome (WAS), which has driven many a luthier to ruin. There is no known cure for either condition. Another malady, which is equally hazardous to guitarists, is Guitar Acquistion Syndrome (not surprisingly, GAS for short), but fortunately there is at least one known cure for this disease: becoming a luthier.

Best,

Michael

_________________
Live to Play, Play to Live

Need new forum category-group therapy for each and all. I'll need three sponsors. Now that I think, after typing,(unfortunately a regular thing for me) this whole forum deal IS group therapy. Thanks to all.MT

Let us know what you come away with Michael. Resistance is futile of course.

_________________
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

See, curing one out of three is pretty good if you ask me!   

_________________
I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

The beauty of forums like this is that a guy like me can live vicariously through the rest of you. I get to read everyday, always green with envy about the cool tools and great wood and wonderful guitars the rest of you are buying/building. Fortunately I have a wonderful girl who understands my obsession and even supports it. Someday I'll catch up to the rest of you.

_________________
Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

When they advertise tools, sometimes there's good wood tucked away in the back corner of the garage or shed.

I recently purchased some lovely large mahogany and walnut boards. I had to dig for them, though. They were buried under a stack of plywood and scrap drywall in the back corner of an outside shed.

_________________
D..

WAS, TAS and GAS are the most subtles attacks on human beings, makin' them live a wide array of emotions, dreamin' wide awake day and night but seeing a person as sick as a luthier, his face full of sawdust and grinning from ear to ear because of that same disease or malady, makes you wonder if one would want to go back to his pre-lutherie days!

[QUOTE=Alain Desforges] See, curing one out of three is pretty good if you ask me!    [/QUOTE]

Ah, but therein lies the tragedy, don't you see. Once one becomes cured of GAS, one falls victim to TAS and WAS, for which, sadly, there is no cure.

Best,

Michael

_________________
Live to Play, Play to Live

[QUOTE=Dennis E.] When they advertise tools, sometimes there's good wood tucked away in the back corner of the garage or shed.[/QUOTE]

Oh Nooooooo!

Now you've gone and done it, Dennis. TAS and WAS at the same time. Resistance is futile!

Best,

Michael

_________________
Live to Play, Play to Live

     One can cure a luthier with T/W/GAS easily! I always brine with 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup salt per gallon of water, and stick in a smoke house for at least a day. Smokey, tender, flavorful.

Perfect cure everytime! Billy T38911.6479398148

_________________
Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

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

[QUOTE=Hesh1956]
Actually TAS has not hit me (yet) and I have the advantage of having no where left to put tools......

[/QUOTE]

If you have TAS and space becomes a problem then that's when you switch finding small expensive hand tools: Auriou rasps, Lie Nielsen Planes, Japanese chisels, Sharpening Jigs, Shapton 12000 grit Waterstones, and then there's vises and clamps, measuring tools like Starrett rulers and squares..., the TAS affliction knows no end, space is never a problem, besides, you can always upgrade.

[QUOTE=Billy T]      One can cure a luthier with T/W/GAS easily! I always brine with 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup salt per gallon of water, and stick in a smoke house for at least a day. Smokey, tender, flavorful.

Perfect cure everytime! [/QUOTE]

Billy, do you use hickory or mesquite for that?

_________________
Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

[QUOTE=Michael McBroom] [QUOTE=Alain Desforges] See, curing one out of three is pretty good if you ask me!    [/QUOTE]

Ah, but therein lies the tragedy, don't you see. Once one becomes cured of GAS, one falls victim to TAS and WAS, for which, sadly, there is no cure.

Best,

Michael [/QUOTE]

Indeed, I was just thinking about a rarer mutation of GAS, that of CAGAS (Collectible Antique Guitar Acquisition Syndrom)... But that's too terrible to talk about in polite society. In fact, I might already have said too much...

_________________
I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

[QUOTE=Hesh1956]Actually TAS has not hit me (yet) and I have the advantage of having no where left to put tools...... [/QUOTE]
Hesh, I think you're in denial! Guys, it's time for an intervention...oh, never mind. I'm talkin' to the wrong group for that. Anyway, Hesh, you don't have too many tools; your house is too small!

Another thought: Aren't all guitarmakers GAS pushers?

Even the Doctors have no cure and are subject to the same depravation that leads to dependance , Andy? Serge Poirier38912.0032986111

[QUOTE=Alain Desforges]
Indeed, I was just thinking about a rarer mutation of GAS, that of CAGAS (Collectible Antique Guitar Acquisition Syndrom)... But that's too terrible to talk about in polite society. In fact, I might already have said too much...[/QUOTE]

Oh, this is indeed terrible! Terrible and tragic, I tell you! And you're right. For this maladay, there is indeed no cure. I even know a fellow afflicted with this thankfully somewhat rare condition of CAGAS. His house is slowly filling up with 19th century guitars, and his wife is contemplating murder . . .

"But Honey, these guitars are investments!" I can hear him saying. Undoubtedly true, but how often have we ourselves used the same tired old line, "But Honey, all this tonewood is like money in the bank!" Yeah, like we'd ever spend it. Except to buy more tonewood.

Best,

Michael

_________________
Live to Play, Play to Live

I have non of those afflictions.

Unless being a BRW Junkie is considered related.

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Hesh, I promise to be good.

So don't pollute Bob's pic with my face. Where I come from, that just ain't right.
That would dishonor Bob!



Don Williams38912.5678703704

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

[QUOTE=Hesh1956] ...my lunch hour that I spent at Woodcraft..... [/QUOTE]
Heh. Hey, how did you get out of there in just an hour?

[quote=Joe]Billy, do you use hickory or mesquite for that? [/quote]

I use two woods! Spruce over rosewood - make'em suffer!

[quote](You did ship my order already so you can't spit (or worse) in the box right?) [/quote]

    Huhm! Maybe that's the intersting figure one see's in all this fine wood! Pa-too-ee!! And your's seems to be the most highly figured of all Hesh! Photoshop gives you that extra edge in luthery! Huhm!

_________________
Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

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

I'll admit that I have it much worse than any of you, for I suffer from
TAS, WAS, GAS and the MOST dreadful of all BAS. (Banjo acquisition
syndrome) The rule and my hose is, and I quote, "If you come home
with another banjo, I'll kill you!"

I’ve tried the investment scam, but to no avail. I've even tried to get
one for the wife to teach her top play. I got the confused look for
about five seconds followed by the phrase "that’s bull....” Yes, it was
honey!!

Thanks for the vent..... Time to check EBay for all those 1920's
Gibson’s.... Vegass.. Orpheum’s..... AHHHHHH


Louis

_________________
- Louis Freilicher

Oh No! Not another learning experience!

Hey Louis, I've got a friend that has a pre-war Mastertone he wants to sell...

-Mark

_________________
Pullman, WA

The more I know, the more I know I don't know.

trippguitars.com
OR
Find me on Facebook

Mark,

Your killing me....!!

Louis

_________________
- Louis Freilicher

Oh No! Not another learning experience!