Official Luthiers Forum!

I'll start the day with a question I'm personally interested in...

What handmade guitars do y'all own, including the ones you have made yourselves? (I just have my own, and a couple Taylors)

Mine is a Martin style MC-28, rosewood, spruce, mahogany, & ebony.

Disassembled is my 1st HD-28 stew mac kit. Sold 2 other Martin kits a few yrs ago.

Have a prosperous and productive week all!

I have three made by Joseph Jean Trinidad. Two drednaughts and a classical based on a Fleta.

Oh yeah that's my label.

I have 5 guitars now. 2 SJ's that I made, 1 custom Santa Cruz F model, 1 Tacoma Dreadnought, and 1 classical cordoba. I'll be working on a new one this summer.
Tracy

Its a long list and I consider most as factory guitars. Marting EMP-NS, 1964 Guild D40, Alvarez Yairi DY-40C, Gibson LGO, Taylor 310 CE, Takamine EF235SRC and 12 string, Tacoma DF18LTD, 2 Martin D Kits (mine), 2 Rocker A's (OM and D) under-construction. Its always fun to play them all and notice the different sound from each. The Guild has by far the best sound or at least the sound I'd like to achieve. As you will probably notice, I have a preference for the dreadnought style, even for finger picking. I thought buying was expensive until I got into building.

_________________
Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Right now I have a Seagull 6 string. YUCK! But I can't build fast enough to keep myself in a nice guitar. I had an offer for my personal guitar that i couldn't pass up and I told the guy that it was my personal guitar, thus leaving me without a guitar at all. So in the deal he threw in his seagull. It's really not THAT bad it's just very "factory-esque).
I've got 4 gassing out right now. Two commissions and one going to Healdsburg. Hey that leaves one for me. Yippee!@
On the electric side, I've always had my eye on a Gretsch silver falcon....hmmmmmm...dream.

[QUOTE=Don A]   I thought buying was expensive until I got into building. [/QUOTE]

Hey Don, I thought the same thing, but it's been "too late" for a long time (I know we all think the same thing on that issue )

Hmm- well I have 3 personal acoustics that I built, #1 was for my first daughter #2 for the second - they’ll get them when they appreciate them #3 is a cedar topped SJ that I made last year - its what I use as my around the house beater - I also have 2 electrics from the Long hair Rock band days - a black strat shaped Charvel, and an Explorer shaped Ibanez. Both stink of bar smoke! STILL!

_________________
Support the OLF! Bookmark our STEWMAC link Today!
Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I have the first two guitars I started on, a Yamaha classic and a Sigma flattop acoustic. I later bought a DeArmond starfire (just like a guild starfire). I eventually bought a Gibson Les Paul Studio. Next came my first good acoustic, a dreadnought Tacoma and thats all I bought until I started building.

I don't own any guitars I didn't at least assemble myself. The best electric I ever owned was a Mexican Fender Strat, which was soon relegated to closet living once my warmoth parts strat was put together. Probably worked out this way because I know I can almost always build something for quite a bit less than I can buy it (now that I've made the investment in tools, that is, and if we're talking electrics) and because I started building at 17, only about a year and a half after I started playing. That's not to say it'll always have the fit and finish (well, mostly just the finish, to be honest) good factory guitars have, but it'll play the part, and feel nicer than 90% of the guitars in the store (body and neck carve). I make 'em custom fit for me, after all.

The acoustics are a different story. I was considering a Larrivee or a Taylor for a while, but then I went and spent the money on wood, and started building them instead. I don't regret it for a moment, though.

I have my #1 which is an OM. I'll never sell that one. Mostly because no one would ever buy it.

I have a mandolin that I built.

A Martin SP00016R that was my first "good" guitar.

A Shinano model 85 classical that I traded a microphone for. It's not too bad but has an nasty intonation problem on the G string.

I have a Yamaha FS-110 that I bought new in 1973. I love this guitar and still play it sometimes.

I also have a Mike Ramsey Banjo. This is the only non-factory instrument that I've ever bought.

I have a Harmony by Heath Silloette. This is a strat-ish solid body. I bought this in 1969 and assembled it myself in 9th grade. No wood working just soldering and installing parts.

My wife's guitar is a Gamma Dread. There is no label inside and I don't know anything about it. It is a weird one. It has an adjustible bridge similar to a Gibson. It also has a zero fret. The tuners are closed back but not sealed. They are just dust covers. The body is rosewood and appears dark enough to actually be Brazillian but Brazillian was already getting scarse in 1975 when she got it. So I doubt it.

I've never sold a guitar. They just keep accumulating

I have 3 acoustics that I have built 2 OM's and Dreadnought, Yari DY1K, a Yamaha 1972-FG260 12 string, and a 1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom

I am building a dread and OM for myself.
I also have a Martin D35 and a Tacoma DMsomething

I have a Juan Hernandez Concierto classical. I bought it last year, and love it. No steel string guitars at the moment. I sold my Taylor to finance the classical purchase! So, I need to finish one soon. I hope to buy one of Joshua's classicals someday.

Jeff

I have a Hauser model classical built by David Schramm, a Gurian acoustic from about 1974 which I'm slowly restoring, a Ramirez model I built (my 1st), a Hauser model I built (my 2nd), a solid-body Ovation electric, a dulcimer I built, and about 15 guitars worth of wood just sitting around waiting for me to complete.

Cheers!

John

I have a Bourgeois Maple Slope-D and on the electric side a John Suhr...plus one that I built.

I have an OM I built in Maple and Engelman that started as Martin kit, an old Gibson archtop that was may dad's, an Alverez Yairi WY1BK, and a Beneteau OOO 12.
I don't have the room to build right now but there will be more as we all know this building thing is habit forming!

I don't own a guitar.... seriously.

_________________
John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Geez... I hardly even own one of my own. Of course, I have the luxury of being completely surrounded by guitars 24/7. Half built, half repaired, etc etc etc. I've got a cool handmade Archtop (from the Netherlands) here to own until I refret it ;)

I have made a decision to make myself one guitar a year though.

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

[QUOTE=John Mayes] I don't own a guitar.... seriously.[/QUOTE]

Hmmm. Maybe you try to build one, that's what we do here!

I've got a Gallagher Dread, a Martin custom shop 12 fret 00, and a John Calkin cedar / Koa. Useful guitars all.Steve Kinnaird38468.635775463

_________________
From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

A ziricote/cedar SJ of my own build
A mahogany/euro dread made by LoPrinzi (sort of - long story)
A '59 reissue flametop Les Paul
A Takamine classical
Soon to have a cocobolo/addy SJ of my own build
The Better Half (Mary) has an Alvarez all-koa (plywood) dread.

Oops...and working on an acacia/italian spruce OOO-14 for me, and a EIRW/redwood OO-12 for me too.
And a square-neck flamed/birdseye maple Resonator is in the planning stages.
Don Williams38468.6703472222

_________________
"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."

I am building two for myself to keep.... out of Koa that is 200 years old. Came from a hotel bar that was tore down in 1920. The tap and workability of this is not like any Koa that I have known!!