Official Luthiers Forum!

From MN's own Peter Mayer

https://youtu.be/DNj6u07NJAA

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

We have a local Korean church that is popular with university students AND that has a very active music program. These guys get together and really, really get into it so much so that some of them have been capable of wearing stainless frets half way down in only 6 months.....! That's amazing and freaked us our when we found ourselves replacing frets, stainless mind you.... in only 6 months time.

One has to wonder if this church teaches abstinence.....

All of these guys have Martins and one of them also wore a hole in the top completely though his Martin in short order too.

These guys are torture testers for sure and really great guys too who we enjoy helping out when ever they need it.

I'm fond of telling them, the guys with the death grip, that I'd shake your hands but I need mine to make a living....

For me ,over these 40 years of repairs & making I have an eclectic
group of buyers.
The gray hair guys with money!

Parents that have a "prodigy " child.
So they think.

Real players that gig all the time-I accept payments.
But get a healthy down payment first.

Famous players that have a contract with a know famous factory maker.
That they do not like-but they're free.
And if it gets stolen -so what -they'll give me another.

Mostly it's "word of mouth"
If you treat a client well & make the guitar THEY want.
They spread the word!

No spec guitars.
WHY??
That's your idea of what a guitar should look like & sound like.

My 2 cents!
Mike

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Mike Collins

Tangent: I get different types of buyers and I make and modify a bunch of different types of guitars, but I have noticed a common thread emerge: my best customers almost always come directly or indirectly from repair work. I think being able to make a frustrating guitar that obviously the owner liked at some point into what he wants it to be today is pretty much the best marketing us little guys have the resources to get.

I've been to 3 shows at Woodstock with the fourth coming up next month. Every year draws more and more people. Chatting with the builders I know they are selling guitars. Not all of them but quite a few. Lots of people trying out guitars. Some really fantastic instruments at this show.Visiting with friends, meeting new ones plus the beautiful Bearsville site makes it a great show to attend. As for dentists and Dr's we have had many that build guitars tell us that it is there relaxation from stress filled days.

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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