Official Luthiers Forum!

With the current situation of the market today, the internet, dealers etc etc

Does the place where you live has a real influence on your chance of succes as a guitar maker (not as a repairman) if you still go to major guitar show and others (assuming you'll be selected)?

e.g: living in a very small village pretty much in the middle of nowhere, making it pretty much impossible for a customer to give you a visit.

And is there a particular strategie to have with the dealers?

Aerith;
I think location is important more now then in the past
when players would search for guitarmakers -EXAMPLE-
"Greg Smallman"!

I live in a very small country town -but the internet has been great for getting more players to know about me and my work.
If you can, do the Montreal Guitar show !
It's great !

Go for it !
Mike

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Mike Collins

I wouldn't change states to promote my career but I'd probably choose to live on a paved road.

I started building at my home in the Vermont countryside. Sounds idyllic but even my good friends in the "city" (Burlington) were convinced that they needed 4-wheel drive and a Sherpa escort to visit. In winter, that was almost true! I managed to sell some guitars, around 175, before I moved to a large city (Seattle). But that was in the heyday of custom guitars, during the 90's and early 2000's, when anyone anywhere could sell guitars no matter what. Being in a vacation area helped, as did Vermont's reputation for craftsmanship. Long before I'd sold a guitar close to home, I'd taken orders from San Francisco, St. Louis, Chicago ...

Things are a bit different now ... I do find that it's easier to sell when people can see your product. That's especially true before you have a reputation and some instruments around the country but even after 19 years and a couple hundred guitars, I'm selling more locally than ever. It's a very personal business. As a friend with 30 years in the business said to me, people want a piece of the builder as well as a guitar.

Shows are essential, whether you're in a city or not. Montreal, Healdsburg, anyplace good musicians gather. Even if you don't sell or take orders at the shows, being there is a sign that you're serious and are willing to be compared directly to other, established builders. It's also your opportunity to meet and greet, and give potential customers the opportunity to decide if they want that relationship with you.

Pierre,

Your reputation matters far more than your location. Determine what you want your reputation to be: type of instrument, tone, design, quality, price, etc, and build that. Get good at it and start showing your work. Take in the responses seriously, what the public sees in your work is often not what you thought that they would see!

There are great luthiers all over the world,many living in places where you wouldn't think of finding them.

BTW, there are one or two little villages in the Vaucluse that are dear to my heart. I would love to find a way to spend more time there!

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
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Thanks for sharing you thought about it. I am a bit concerned because there's quite a few chances that I might end up living in the middle of nowhere in Thailand (several reasons made it almost like an obligation although I love this country). I guess if you have a good reputation, AND an access to internet, I guess that would still be possible, but you need to make your reputation first, and that's what worries me the most. Guitar shows are definitly a MUST in my opinion, whatever your reputation's "level".

Which village are you talking about? As a matter of fact, I grew up in the Vaucluse (Monteux and Carpentras)

Lacoste et Bonnieux!

I went to the art school in Lacoste in 1983. I took my family back to visit 2 years ago and we stayed a week in Bonnieux. I felt like I was dragging them there as they expressed no great enthusiasm. After her first full day there, my wife (qui est une française) wakes up in the morning and the first words out of her mouth were, "You know, I could live here..." So I had no choice but to kiss her. Now we look for ways to go back.

Its funny, I was in Lacoste for 4 months and looked across the valley to Bonnieux every single day and never once set foot there.

There is a local luthier, Daryl Perry, who builds world class classical guitars. Many people would think that Winnipeg is the middle of nowhere! He started his career before the internet and is very busy.

I wouldn't be too eager to get to the guitar shows just yet. Start locally, show to local musicians and music festivals. If you build any classicals connect with the local guitar societies, too. You only have one chance to make your debut, make sure that you are ready. Its tough to get a bad impression out of the public's mind. You might want to visit a guitar show first, before showing, just to get an idea of the standards and customs of the show, this will help you prepare.

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

I think location affect things. For example if you are a custom guitar maker from China it's hard to get any business because there are so many other makers offering it for much less, and China has a reputation for cheapness and lack of quality control. So even when promoting over the internet people get put off just because of where it's made.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com