Official Luthiers Forum!

I thought I would share some good news that I received today following some discussion about further orders:

"Thanks for the update,

You might like to know that these are going on our custom line R-Taylor guitars and people really like them including those building them.

Cheers

Chris"

This all started when our good doctor, Andy Zimmerman, had a walk about of the Taylor Guitar Factory. Shortly after that I got a call and sent Chris from Taylor Guitars a few sets. These photos were just shot this morning and sent up to me.





The problem now is that a significant increase in demand for this wood, coupled with record snowfall and a VERY long winter have resulted in me being very low in logs. I hope to be harvesting again in a few weeks but until then I will not be filling very many spruce orders, especially in grades like on the guitar above (I really like the silk on that guitar!). BUT, I will be offering some nice Bubinga and a few other back and side wood sets along with all of the other guitar building goodies I am trying to stock.

Anyway I thought I would share this good news, it helps me know that I appear to be going about things the right way, yet I do continue to improve my processes as I continue to learn !

Thanks

Shane

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Canada

What??
I wanted a couple more tops!!

Very nice silking!!

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

[QUOTE=peterm] What??
I wanted a couple more tops!!
[/QUOTE]

Me too!

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Canada

Me 2

Congrats Shane

Shane-
Let me add my congratulations to the pile...though this is terrible news for the small builder/amateur builder community, it's great for you. It must be nice to see your hard work producing such success.

Take some time to savour your accomplishment......then load the chain oil, gas, saw etc into the truck and get out there and get to work!!


Best regards

John

Darn you Andy

Congrats Shane --

Shane so what does this news mean for us little guys in terms of future availability?

Hey Anthony,

I remain a little guy as well!! I want to stay concentrating on high quality low volume, just not as low volume as I have been. I am not at all set up to do something like supply tops for Taylor's regular line and I don't think that I want to do that either. It means a whole different approach to this business than what I am doing. I have had recent discussions with George Lowden on an order schedule as well. I want to plan for the future so that I can make sure that I have wood for these regular orders AND have sets for all of the guys and gals that want very nice wood but only a couple of sets at a time (or even just one at a time). It really is you hand builders that supported the starting of this business and that is where I want to keep it, for the foreseeable future anyway. I do think that some of the higher end builders will attract more people to this wood (I do get regular enquiries) so I do need to increase production and not get caught short again next winter but I am hoping that I can get ahead of the game by mid summer to early fall. But it does depend on getting the logs and then getting them here!

A long winded answer, but I do really want to keep you all at ease, I have put everybody on hold, including these high profile builders, I can't supply something I don't have. And, I will have a few sets of 3A and lower around for a bit, hopefully until I get new logs..

Shane

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Canada

Sorry Guys. I was just pushing the greatness of the OLF and our sponsors.
I told them about Shane and his wonderful Lutz. They had NEVER heard of
Lutz. So I gave them Shanes info.

If Shane cannot get us any of this fine zoot than I will forever be sorry. I
would love it to always be available for our fine group.

I guess this is good for Shane.....

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

Shane, that is one heck of an endorsement. Congratulations!!!

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Great news for you Shane!Congrats man!! I am relieved though, that your future plans are to keep us "little guys" supplied with your wonderful wood! Thanks.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

I'm sure glad I bought 5 sets when I did!!!

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Shane I wish you every success I really do.

It's good to know that you'll still be selling to the lower volume builder. As much as you cherish good customers, we cherish quality suppliers such as yourself.

Todd, you captured the thoughts running through my head.

I say we make a pact to draw and quarter the OLF'er that introduces Shane's Lutz to Martin.

[QUOTE=ToddStock] I wonder if we will be chasing Lutz like red spruce and trying to sort the 'rich Corinthian Luttz' tops on Ebay from the real thing. Makes you wonder.[/QUOTE]

Well Todd....if you want the real thing you will always have a place to go . A place where there will be no guess work! I have an e-bay account but that is not the venue I have elected to build a business on, it is this community and the community of low volume high end builders that I want to work with. Hey, I get lots more than just business from you all, I am also building guitars and I love the exchange of ideas for the processes in guitar making. I get lots of help from my non-OLF customers as well, this a great community and I have no intention on going until I am kicked out!

One thing though, this aches in me a lot. The availability of spruce, of all species, should be of some concern. You can grow "old growth" rosewood and maple trees in 100 years and less. Deciduous trees are relatively short lived. The spruce I process instrument wood from is between 400 and 800 years old. I am afraid that once these trees are all harvested, that will be the end of it. Forets management practices see 60 to 80 year rotations in these parts so there will be no trees left to grow for centuries once the first are removed. My Province has vast areas of reserved lands for Parks and Wildlife which is great, and these areas will have old growth forests that will continue to cycle as a forest should but current (and hopefully future) policy is that the forest will be left to it's natural cycles. So any blow down trees will be left to maintain the nutrient load for those areas. Leaving us to observe and drool over the magnificent giants in these areas, but we won't be building guitars with them.

Those are my fears, so I try to do justice to the wood I have access to and am proud to know that many of these instruments have the potential to live for a few more centuries!

Shane

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Canada

Hi Shane,
            It really doesn't surprise me a lot that Lowden and Taylor are going for your Lutz.

I recently got my first of your lutz tops (through Your Aussie agent ,Tim Spittle ) , and I'm totally impressed .I can't see myself using much else in future.

I know the wood itself is fantastic, but I'm certain it's the care you have taken that makes them so very special.

I'm so grateful there is a guy out there ( you ) that cares so much about the product they are producing .

Bravo Shane and a well deserved


Cheers Craig

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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Thanks Craig, and thanks also for supporting Tim, he is a great guy! I wish you great success with the wood and look forward to seeing the result and reading what you think of the sound.

Thanks also to all of the others that have used and offered your comments on this wood and how it has been processed. I do really appreciate it all!

Thanks

Shane

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Canada