Official Luthiers Forum!

Anyone had communication with Shane from High Mountain in the past couple of weeks? I've had trouble getting replies from him, both email and by phone.

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michael propsom
www.propsomguitars.com

I managed to get through this morning. He is a busy dude, but I've always got what I needed....

You just gotta catch him at the right time. He works full time I believe, in addition to cutting tone wood.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

Has anyone here received any tops from him since the middle of April?

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michael propsom
www.propsomguitars.com

I have given up on obtaining Lutz because of Shane's poor communication
His current business model appears to be that of looking after a select group of favoured existing customers and ignoring everyone else.
If you do actually get a reply to an email, it will fob you off to some future time and then communication will cease.
This has been my experience and that of friends trying to place orders.
I know the background story, but this way of operating is just wasting everyone's time and energy.

Unfortunately this mirrors my experience with Shane. I really love the Lutz spruce Shane cuts and I've built lots of guitars from it, but I've almost run out. I bought quite a bit from him several years ago and have been trying for about 18 months to buy some more and have been unsuccessful. Maybe he'll see this and come through with some spruce. I certainly hope so as it's really great stuff.

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Jimmy Caldwell
http://www.caldwellguitars.com

I know that you can get beautiful Lutz from Mario at sprucetonewood.com

He has been really good with communication for me. I can usually find exactly what I want whether it be colorful or pure white. Give him a shout and let him know what your looking for and he will help you out.

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http://Michaudmade.com

I think Mario's online right now at his forum.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

I had the same problem, on the swapalooza, when I placed my order shane said that if I would wait an extra month, so he could send sets to someone else , he would throw in an extra top set with my purchase for my inconvenience . Six weeks later after several e- mails the lutz arrived , but no extra set as promised. I paid via paypal an asked shane, where is the extra set ??. No reply. Sorry I don/t do business this way. I will find someone else to do biz with in the future too much BS to deal with.

Yes he is, and I hope all is well with him.

If this thread had been about Mario, it would be 4 pages long already!

Mario is a great guy as well, I just dropped in on a whim, he sold me a great set for $40.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

I also bought some really nice sets from Shane and quite a bit of bracewood from Shane at the Swapapalooza.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

I can understand how it's frustrating for many of us to not get the business service we hope for from Shane. However, his business is like most of our businesses, based on a passion that must be snatched as best one can from the demands of actual life. I know you can build a guitar a few hours here and there, but sourcing, felling, trucking, cutting, grading a tree is probably a larger endeavor than most of us can really identify with.
So as far as I'm concerned, I'll support him as best as I can. I'm sure he would love nothing more than to ditch his day job and survive (and provide for his family) on his passion. Just like all of us....

In the meantime....well, I wouldn't mind another box please when you can get it to me....

I personally appreciate having guys around who know how to process tops.
I go to guitar stores and look at the guitars, they ALL have long grain runout.
None of the Lutz tops I've made guitars from have had long grain runout, to me that makes it worth waiting for if someone's a little hard to reach due to whatever.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

I guess I'm just too impatient, I've only been waiting 24 months for Shane to resume communication.

Sheesh....
What's the rush?

Canadian time? Well, with the way everyone's talking about this stuff, I can't wait to get my hands on some!

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Pat

Thanks everyone for your collective input. Just got an email from him yesterday.

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michael propsom
www.propsomguitars.com

Ya'll ever notice how Shane never has a harsh word for anybody?

As for me, he's my goto guy for harp guitar tops. Great stuff.

Mike

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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As often as this topic comes up, I will not be doing any business with him. There are to many quality vendors out there who give prompt and courteous customer service to deal with stuff like this. We all have our personal problems, I don't let mine interfere with my business.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

sounds like a description of my many auto mechanics.....

I wish Filippo's comment wasn't true.......but unfortunately, it is.

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

From a consumer perspective, the only problem with Shane is that his combination of product and grading practices are unique and have resulted in a situation in which the demand outstrips his ability to meet it. He is not a full time processor and vendor of Lutz spruce…he has a day job too. And as Filippo rightly pointed out, Shane has had more than his share of personal problems recently – the overwhelming, life changing kind.

I too have experienced difficulty reaching him, but I understand why and it has always been worth the wait. The spruce I have received from him is stellar and is graded in the manner we can only wish all vendors graded their spruce. No hype, no BS, no red or wavy grain in the “master” sets.

I wish I had as many Canadian Lutz vendors contacting me as I do Canadian pharmacies.

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Pat

Apologies to all, That was not my style.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/