Official Luthiers Forum!

I don't feel comfortable callling myself a Luthier, but rather a guitar builder at this point. With the wood biz (anyone cutting wood will tell you just how busy that can keep you...Steve, Bob...chime in at anytime), my "real" business, four kids and Church stuff I really do not get to build as much as I want to. I do manage to pull myself away from time to time and get a little done. Here are two (my third and fourth) that I strung up about a month ago(I am slowly working on several others now), they will soon be broken back down for finishing. I am really posting them because I absolutely respect the work that so many of you do and I want to hear what you have to say.......as much as it may hurt . I went a little crazy with the red and feel like I didn't plan very well when it comes to color cooridinating. As for sound, I did achieve with both them all that I was aiming for (as a player I really like that ), one has great attack, very good sustain and the balance is even throughout the sustain. The second has a warm sound with the same characteristics with reguard to balance and sustain. The first is a Koa back and sides (200 yrs old, it came from a bar from a hotel that was tore down in 1920 in HI) with a red spruce top and brace wood. The neck came from a bar from a local Darryls resturant that closed after 20+ yrs of business here. The second is an EIR back and side guitar with a Carpathian Spruce top. I used pure (tested) white spruce for the brace wood which may account for the warmer tone. Both have alot of volume (maybe due to the larger sound hole...4 1/4") but the Koa has more. At any rate......here is the first one.....





Number 2



Ask me how the "Thumbnails" got there hint: make sure that the screw that holds the bearing on the router bit is actually ON !! The first one was easy to make, but the other two....

Tha is fugured Sapele in the rosette, on the heal cap and, of course, the "thumbnails"

Hey Brian,

They look good to me. That old Koa is neat stuff, and I really like the "fugured" Sapele rosette.

BruceH

Hey Brian..You are being too humble. These guitars are really nice. I love them.
Give yourself a pat on the back brother..Nice Job!
Walter

Nice guitars Brian, I hear what you're saying about trying to find more time to build. Think of it this way: When you're old and grey (or older and greyer) would you rather look back on your life and wish you'd spent more time with the kids and looking after your responsibilties and less time building, or the other way round? We only get to make these choices once.

I spend far more time giving horsey rides than I do building guitars, if that's gonna keep me in the ranks of the (very) amatuer guitar makers, then so be it. In any case, better to spend what spare time you have building guitars than sitting in front of the idiot box - so we're ahead of the game there.

Stepping off soapbox....

Brian, OK if you haven't built a Lute your not really a 'luthier', but come on they are great! Beautifully understated showing superb craft skills, exactly what a hand built guitar should be. By the way, that satin woody look is exactly the type of 'finished' look I want to achieve, a sort of aged patina rather than a shine, lets the wood be itself.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Brian I see you have more skills than just re-sawing wood. Very nice work. I like the old Koa too. Your right about not finding time to build. I'm home all day in my shop, kids are all grown and married and still no time. I promised myself at ASIA after seeing all those beautful guitars by Lance, JohnO, Matt G to mention a few and really got the urge to build. Havn't been able to yet. Bobc38564.2824421296

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Brian, the guitars are beautiful! You are really talented. It's amazing you can find the time to breathe with that work load. I also like the story behind the wood; it gives the guitar a life of its own.

Brian, go ahead, take the liberty to call yourself a luthier. Your work already says you are. In most crafts there are levels of accomplishment: Apprentice, Journeyman, Master.

We shouldn't think higher of ourselves than we should, that's delusion. We shouldn't think lower of ourselves than we should, that's false humility. The builder of the guitar should receive more honor than the guitar.

In this case, let me say, I'd be proud to own either of these guitars, they look really fine for early efforts. It's surprising to many of us to see how good our work really turns out. That's part of the special magic of being a luthier, building a guitar with a high goal and getting anywhere close to getting there in the end. Congratulations on these two efforts, friend, luthier.

Brian, You should be PROUD of that humility! Really, there is no shame in these pictures at all! If you promise not to tell anyone, I'll let you in on a secret....Lance, Time, Paul and all the others on this forum are actually aliens from a faraway planet where EVERYONE is a luthier!! So, there's no surprise that humans like you and me are still trying to attain their level of excellence. That said, I'd be glad to say that I made any of the instruments in your photos...consider skipping lunch...that adds up to 34 workdays yearly to build more!

Larry

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

Brian, they both look great to me! All your work looks clean and well executed.

What type of finish are you planning for them?

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Well, I would say those look like guitars to me, and nice ones at that. So call yourself a guitarmaker instead. Nice work!


Don Williams38564.6343287037

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"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."

Brian

They are really nice, I like the understated style that lets the wood shine through.

Great Job

Wow,
This is cool, thanks for the encouragements!! As for the finish, KTM-9 is what I have used on electrics with with good results and I am set up for that. Michael, I was wondering what I did with that set and now that you mentioned it I do remember sending it to a 98663 zip code !! Maybe you could build it with a sound port in the back......just kidding! I guess it is time to start learning inlay....I got the tools and the videos.....now just to find the time.....Larry, 34 days huh??? I could stand to loose a few pounds and the money I could save could go toward more wood because in ten years or so I might run out of what I have put aside and we all know that there is "never enough" and "it IS an investment, honey" ect.

I thought to be a luthier you had to go to a "Luthier school" where you build a guitar. When you have finished and built your guitar you get a certificate stateing that you are now a certified Luthier. On three different ocations I have met "Luthiers " from one such school who informed me they are Luthiers and then ask where I did my training. When they find out that I have no Formal training their responce is "Oh, so you're not a luthier." Sory, I have been a little offended by a few people. I'm also bitter I have never been able to afford to take any courses. Of course another student who completed the course at the same school has been in contact with me wondering if I would be interested in taking on an apprentice.