Official Luthiers Forum!

Thursday evening I got a call from a fellow in a nearby town wanting to find talk about guitars. He is thinking about getting a new guitar and had heard I build. When I askd him what he was thinking about he Asked If I had seen the Entertainment section of the Paper that day, I hadn't. Well he told me there was a picture of Toronto Based Blues singer Rita Chirrelli who is up in this area recording her new CD with a guitar that he loved and wondered if I had ever seen her guitar. When I informed him that I had actually made the uitar for her he realised that my guitars were out of hius range (he was wanting to pay less than $1000) but I decided to get that Paper. What a thrill to see a Half page picture of her in the recording studio working on the CD with my guitar. This will be the first CD Recorded entirely with one of my guitars and they are already calling it Juno award material. This is the kind of thing I need this week after having had the depth adjustment slip on my Laminate trimmer when cutting a purfling channel and ruining a guitar top.

I'm happy for you Richard, lutherie has ups and downs and does feel good in those moments that you're descibing . So way to go chum and have a great day!

A HUGE congrats Richard! I hope it brings much work your way!

Shane

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Canada

The applause, the roar of the crowd! All right!

Smile and the world smiles with you!   

Thanks guys, Yes Shane, I also hope this brings work my way. When I first strated getting some big names playing and endorsing my guitars I had a number or orders and thought it would take off. When My waiting list got to almost a year I went full time. Unfortunately going at it full time quickly got rid of my waiting list and forced be to go back to working in the real world. I'd still like to go back to working at this full time but question how much the endorsements help. I give a slight discount for actively touring musicians but it is hard to compete with endorsements from the big companies. I have one client that Plays one of my guitars all the time at home but officially he endorses guild. They give him a brand new guitar befor every tour and replace it during the tour if it gets damaged. HE has had many guitars damaged on tour so would never tour with a guitar he has to pay for. So HE endorses a guitar which in his words "sounds like crap" but when it is played throug the big systems at concerts no one notices. He hopes to record a new Album next year and will use my guitar but because of his commitments to guild he can't publisize that. So I really don't know how much it helps.

Congrats that is a nice honor,
I do a lot of repair work for some big guys in NYC but I am always afraid to go see them play. My fear is the guitar folds in half in the middle of the first song, dozens are killed and the artist is pointing at me from the stage with a look of murder in his eyes. Nothing like this has ever happened but ya never know
I have the same thing Richard, several of my clients have long standing relationships with some repair guys in NY so don't publicize the fact that I do a lot of work for them.
What they do though is a massive amount of referrals so it all equals out in the end. I am sure your clients do the same for you.
In any event bask in the warm glow of your accomplishments!
Evan

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http://www.NewYorkGuitarRepair.com

Do you have photos of this guitar?

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

It's a guitar I delivered late Last spring, started it's life by touring for two moths straight across North America and then after a month break it headed to Europ. An L-00 with Quilted Maple Back and sides, Adirondack Spruce Top, Abalone Rosete and Purfling and the I-Mix for electronics.
HEre are a few pics, more on my website.


Not the greatest pictures but that is always a problem for me.

Delicious, thanks for the snack! That is some beautiful quilt on that baby.

Way to go Richard, your guitar is an awesome one!Just went and saw your website, is it the one playing in the last mp3 link ? if it is, let me tell ya, that sound was bright all the most buddy!

Serge

The last MP# is my small jumbo, a big guitar with a real bright sound. The L-00 Has big sound as well but I find it more Bluesy, a deeper sound. It is neat how each of the models I offer have such a distinctly different sound.

That is Richard, you never know how the next one will sound like and it's probably one of the main reason we're all here!

That's one magnificent instrument Richard !

Must be a fantastic feeling having your guitar used on that recording . Congratulation mate!
So.... you go back to work cause things are quiet. Your back at work and guess what ?? Ain't that life though !
We all need a boost now and again ,and this is your one. Helps tolerate little things like router mishaps !

Regards KiwiCraig

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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Well done!