Official Luthiers Forum!

.....are guitarists also???

I am interested, because of course, a love for Luthiery without playing the guitar is possible...probably rare, but possible...

I am finding that I am neglecting my 18 year habit of guitar playing for my build. My guitar has suffered TWO WEEKS of playing neglect, which is the longest I have gone without plucking those steel strings...I am getting kinda worried!!!!!

I play rhythm guitar only. I would love to play much more but I just can't find the time to practice. My band plays weekly so that keeps my fingers tough.

Guitarist here, too. I've dabbled in mandolin and keyboard and I keep threatening to learn the b***o to annoy the neighbors, but the guitar does it for me. I keep the archtop I built in the bedroom so it is handy to play... keeps me from going too long without playing.

I use to play a lot, but now hardly ever. Two small kids, work, school, building.... whew.... where to find time to play. I was never very good anyway

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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 play as much as I can usually something everyday. I play in a trio as well, and this time of year we play two or three nights a week. And I will also go out and play at a local open mic, or party of some sort...playing is a very important thing to me, I've done it most of my life and it's what got me into building. If you sing as well then you are lucky enough to be able to play complete songs and actually play for others! <G>
I live in a larger city, so getting out and playing and mixing with all the other local musicians really keeps me connected to the musical community. That's important too! Many of them own guitars of mine, and I have repaired and set up almost all of the other ones. <G>

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Mark Swanson
Swanson Guitars
http://www.MarkSwansonMusic.com

Ive played Bass since 1963. Electric and upright as well. I have always played guitar a bit, but only seriously for a few years.

Al

Sam, Don't worrie. It all comes back as long as you play once in a while. I played electric lead for many years and jammed all the time. Now, its acoustics once every other day and maybe jam with some friends once a month.
Like Paul,It keeps my fingers tough and focused on building better guitars too.. Hopefully.
Wade

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

I find that I am playing my guitar more seriously....but have slacked off on my piano.   

Wade is right, it comes back to you just don't give it up completely.

I'm sure you'll be just fine.

I play as well. Not as much as I did before building, though. I find that building sort of replaces playing, but not quite... Alain Desforges38932.7890972222

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

I play my Heshtone geetar and Ovation mandolin

Don't worry Sam, it's like ridin' a bike...

I love John How's signature, reminds me to tickle my baby every day!

I've played since I was 8 (I'm 36 now), and still play regularly every day. When I was in college I majored in classical guitar perf. while playing in a rock band on weekends to pay the tuition. To this day I still play classical every day, and break out the electric at least 3 times a week and crank it up. I'd say playing classical is like getting bit by the luthiery bug--once you start there's no turning back.

John

I'd have to agree with John. I started playing in 1965, was playing in bands pretty soon after that, professionally by 1968. I "discovered" classical guitar in 1972, as a result of listening to Steve Howe play the opening lick in "Roundabout" and being frustrated by it, and within a few months of studying classical, realized how trite and easy that previously frustrating lick had been. I was also a guitar major when I started college, but I got tired of being a poor, broke musician by the late 70s, went back to school and changed my major to Chemistry. Somehow along the way, I wound up with a couple of degrees in Linguistics, but I keep coming back to guitar, and it is almost always the classical I pick up.

Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

I’m a woodworking and musical dork. Skills in these areas are not in my possession. But that has not stopped me from some very pitiful playing of the ukulele. I have now built a ukulele (sounds great) and I’m gearing up to build a guitar for my Father. I have learned that time and care can help moderate a lack of skills.

Philip

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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.

I'm really a newcomer to playing, picked it up about 3 years ago. I have messed with wood all my life, so I figured I could build guitars and not have to buy any more expensive ones that sound sooooo good....well I have spent more on tools, wood, etc. than several nice guitars, but I'm having a ball building them and then getting to play them( or better yet watching someone else smile as they play your creation), now that's wonderful.

Greg

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Gwaltney Guitars

John D'angelico did not play the guitar.

I Play but not to a high level.

George Lowden Doesn't Play.

I play, but not at a very high technical level. I know enough to have fun, and I lead music at church sometimes as well as accompany. Mostly, I'm a bass player, but I'm sort of a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none (mando, banjo, drums, accordion...).   I bought a late 60's Wurlitzer electric piano several months ago and that's been a blast, even though I play very terribly on it.

I don't particularly care for instrumental guitar music... Is that weird for someone who aspires to build guitars?

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

I play and can play almost anything after 40 years of listening and trying to get stuff in my ear and out of the guitar. I don't practice much anymore, so I can play almost anything very poorly. I played jazz, rock, folk, blues, bluegrass and Country/Western. I played in a Gospel rock band and prog rock. I love all of it especially when someone else does it well.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Sam, I just discovered on the roll call thread that you are female. I'm always happy to see more women making guitars and participating on this forum.     

Anyway, I play, but not as much as I'd like. I look forward to playing more as my children get older (I actually just have one - a daughter - but we're planning for a second) and I get a lot more efficient at building guitars. I play guitar, and have been known to plunk around on various other stringed instruments. I also play hand drums (congas and djembe, mostly) and sing. Since I can sing while doing other things around the house, I do a lot more of that than anything. We sing all the time in my little family of three.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Mostly acoustic, some electric.

Craig L

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www.handcraftinlay.com

I have two bands. Latin and Bluegrass. I know that sounds diverse but they are actually very compatible.

I don't practice nearly enough anymore, I find. I do play guitar (an OK flatpicker, I guess, no Tony Rice!), a (very) little mando and banjo. Every week around here there are local pickin' jams I try to make it when I can. I play and sing in church somewhat regularly. Was in a local music ministry in Georgia for about 4 years before I left. Kind of a country/southern/bluegrass gospel thing. Haven't really found the right ministry opportunity yet since I've been back in Texas, but it's out there...

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

Sam
I am one of those who cannot play!!!!! It makes me sick to make these nice
guitars and really cannot take them for a spin.

I started playing when I started building and my building skills have clearly
exceeded my playing skills.

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

I have played (poorly) for almost 30 years... I've played in sevral rock bands and regular jam sessions then found the classical. I don't play it well at all but rarely play anything else now days.

I build more than play now but still play a bit each week. Sometimes more. I agree, classical is like herpes it never goes away even if it doesn't show up for awhile.