Official Luthiers Forum!

I'd class myself as a semi-pro. As with any craft occupation it's very difficult to make a decent living out of building guitars unless you're one of the lucky few. I have a part-time job to give me a regular income but the majority of my time is spent building.

Bob Benedetto said something to the effect that you will never build a great guitar if you only build one a year and the only way you will get to build a lot of guitars is to sell them.

_________________
Pete
http://www.petewoodmanguitars.com

I'm a hobby builder, but I build mostly commissions by now. I guess I'm lucky because I have played in bands and other musical settings since I was a young boy so I know a lot of musicians, plus I don't have a lot of local competition.   So the word spreads and at this point I have to turn down comissions since my output is so low. I look at it this way; if this hobby became my sole source of income (not very likely), not only would I go broke but I would have to find another hobby too!   I agree with Benedetto though, you probably have to build a lot of instruments to become really good. Oh well.

_________________
Rian Gitar og Mandolin

hobby, pro...it doesn't really matter imo. As long as you enjoy what your
doing is what matters. That said I've been "pro" (you couldn't tell by looking
at some of my first guitars) since 2000.

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

Definitely a hobby here, although I try to build at material cost for interested friends or others I come in contact with, as an excuse to practice and to keep them from piling up in the house. I plan to keep practicing (with maybe a gradually increasing margin above material cost) until I'm ready to retire from my real job, which for us academic researchers is a sketchy proposition anyway, since we are as likely to be interested in our research topic at 75 as we are at 25. I think it is other factors that make retirement finally look attractive. For me it would be getting sick and tired of chasing the financial support, and the thought of being able to build guitars full time! (Woo-Hooooo !!!!)

I have WAS bad, and with the price of wood being on an upward spiral the way it is, and supply spiraling downward to match, that's OK - I'd like to accumulate enough wood over the next five years to keep me in supplies forever. (A new fix from the Zootman is due early this week!)

_________________
Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

I am a professional sawdust maker if that counts? Ocassionally guitars come to life from the multiple piles I have lying around.

_________________
tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

I'm a part time builder, engineer by day, builder by night and am fortunate enough to sell my instruments.

_________________
Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

I am retired (twice) from other professions.

I am definitely a pro builder, however, I also have other things I do to make a living besides luthier skills. I am priveliged to also own a sawmill, so many of my woods come to me from sawing jobs and other wood working projects.

_________________
Reguards,

Ken H

To paraphrase Emo Phillips: Yeah, I'm a great luthier*.............I bet!

All hobby, all the time! They call me: MR. Hobby; Hobby-Long Cassidy; Don't worry, be hobby; Hobby Trails; The Hobby-Meister; Yabba Hobby Doo; The Hobby-nator; and of course, in Washington D.C., The Hobby Lobby.

Oh, and it's a re-saw party at Ken Hodges' place!!!



*He said "lover"

i'm a pro repair (10yrs) but hobby-ist acoustic builder...in fact i still havent built my first...there - i said it...my secret shame is out. i'm a busy lad tho, more fret jobs and set-ups than i could shake a mahogany stick at.

its hard to make a living building acoustics, but thats the long term goal :) or more likely retirement goal...only 40 yrs to go!

i feel like an amoeba amongst giants here - v frendly & knowledgeable giants tho...

_________________
www.theguitarrepairworkshop.com

I build as a hobby. I guess I'm one of the few here who have no aspirations to sell anything, though the instruments do start to accumulate. I have given away half of what I've built. When a possible commission comes my way, I stear it over to one of the excellent builders I know.

I turns out that recommending a builder to someone requires more than a little thought. Is the buyer the type of guy who take an inspection mirror and counts the grain lines in the braces? If so, I'd send him to one builder. If he has budget issues, I'll send him someplace else.

I`ll second Mr. Browns motives.
                       James
Hesh, what is it with all these polls.Is it election time?

_________________
James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

I do this full time for a living. The word "PRO" sounds a bit egosentric to me but I guess when one does something for money, that makes them a pro.

I would call myself a hobby musician, who likes to play my home-made gits.Still experimenting with woods and bracing, and am usually delighted in what I've built so far, and learning learning learning, forever! Alan.

Hobby

Mike
White Oak, Texas

I guess I am in the professional hobbyist category since I have sold a couple and am currently working onthree commissioned instruments. I know that I am far from being a professional based on what I have seen here and the last GAL conveiton but, the quality of my instruments seems to be at least acceptable to those that are buying. Most of what I do charge what I think is a fair price. Most people realize how much time I put into one and thay don't mind paying.
Bob
Felton, Ca

Hobbiest I am glad my regular job supports my hobby and allows me to keep it recreational I would be sad if I ever felt like I had to earn income from building guitars, because I never want it to become work

Hey Hesh, You forgot the "Wannabe" catagory! That's all I qualify for.....for now!!

_________________
DES - Shepherd, MI

I am a retired pro. After 200+ guitars I got tired of dealing with customers that could not make up thier minds. Like DEVO said what you want is freedom from choice. I am a hobby guy now and build what I want when I want. If you like it fine buy it.

I am now the crabby artist. If I have too many guitars hanging around I give them to some needy kid that has an interest in guitar. I get a lot more satisfaction out of that than some cigar smoking middle aged bozo that is going to buy a guitar for $5,000 and let it sit in it's case.

I am getting back into it again and realy enjoying it. I gave away a realy nice sparkletop Les Paul guitar to a young lady ( She is handicapped and mentaly impaired) and she played Roy Orbisons Pretty Woman for me and it was worth all the $$ in the world.

Sorry for the rant

I'm not a pro, nor a hobby builder. I'm a first time student for Tony Karol's class, which is one night a week for as long as it takes; the journey is more important than the destination. My real hobby is the collection, restoration, and customization of fountain pens. (If you can believe it, there's an internet community larger than online luthiers.) And I say “first time” student because I've already come to realize just how highly addictive instrument building is, and that becoming a perpetual student in Tony's workshop is a distinct possibility. (For my MA I want to try a folding or detachable neck travel guitar in Adirondack/Cocobolo, and maybe a spruce/hog harp guitar for the PhD.)

I've wanted to build my own guitar ever since I started to play one 40 years ago at the age of 10 but have never had the, um, stability in life to create and sustain the suitable work space and equipment to do so. By so generously offering to share his wisdom and expertise with folks like me, not to mention all them neat tools and jigs, Tony has been a blessed godsend. And I must say, the OLF is a virtual treasure trove of inspiration and encouragement, although I'm not sure how healthy it is to spend so much time with all you enablers!