Official Luthiers Forum!

Do you have a "Benchmark guitar" in your shop to compare to a new build?

Chris

I have a benchmark price for guitars. I do have a steel string, classical, and several electric guitars of my own make that I use regularly for 'show'. But a commission could either be an attempted copy of that or a totally new design. The guitars that I personally use have been used as benchmarks for customers but it's usually not a direct copy but rather a variation on the theme.

It probably is a good idea to have guitars in shop so people can get an idea of what you are building. The very best guitar I ever built is in the hands of a customer of mine that was based on one of my builds that I cherish for myself. A Spanish guitar with a cedar top. I had the pleasure of playing this guitar a few years later and was only so pleased to hear how she developed.

The danger? Is your benchmark guitar so good you cannot replicate it?

Was speaking to a pro building friend of mine recently, and the main problem is that everytime he decides to build a 'shop' sample' for potential customers to try out, the first one that comes in and plays it then decides to buy it and not have to wait for a new build!

I said, why not just refuse to sell it but like so many makers for whom this is their full time occupation, if someone is offering several £k then and there, its usually impossible to refuse... says alot about the quality, but carrying 'stock' is usually never an option.

Not to mention it costs money that you will most likely never get back to build those samples, as you build a few of them the cost really adds up. Also my shop simply doesn't have the space for all these loose guitars lying around (without a case and stuff, they cost money too).

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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

That may not be as useful as it sounds. Guitars mature and change over time and new guitars don't sound like they should until they've been strung up and played at least a little while.

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
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