Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin Gallagher
PMC,
Don't fall prey to the old "it's all about tone" ploy to get you to buy guitars that are poorly or sloppily crafted and poorly finished.
Any builder who is worth their salt in this industry has gone to great lengths and has made huge investments in both time and finances to build their skill in every aspect of the craft.
Believe me, sloppy joints in binding, poorly fitted necks and other components are just the obvious and more visible indications of either a lack of skill or a lack of concern for and attention to detail on the builder's part. If they won't take the time to make sure that the visible joints are very clean and as close to perfectly fitted as possible, what would ever lead anyone to believe that they would take the time on the joints inside the guitar and between the components that are responsible for the creation of its tone through the free transfer of vibration. Sloppy and poorly fitted on the outside usually is an indicator of the same being present throughout.
I've never bought it as I've heard builders say, "Well I'm not worried about the purfling miters or the finish on my guitars since tone is what I specialize in and that's been the main focus for me as I've developed my skill as a builder. Fit and finish don't matter and my customers are more discerning, educated players who really know quality when they see it". That's laughable and is the biggest crock of trash that a builder can possibly offer in defense of their lack of discipline and attention to detail and their poor workmanship.
I know one builder who is really a novice at the craft and has only built a few guitars, but he touts himself as world being renowned and claims to be receiving world class accolades from well known artists. His guitars are an absolute mess in most respects and look like the beginning luthier's instruments that they are, but his aggressive and shameless, not to mention deceptive self promotion has paid off as people are beginning to believe it and are waiting for guitars that will likely prove to be huge disappointments to them when they get them.
Just because someone lists themselves among the very best in the world....no one else has to until the guitars that they're building does it for them.
A great looking guitar with very nice detail achievement in every respect will likely have great tone if the builder has any level of experience. There are plenty of great looking pieces coming out of shops of entry level builders who haven't cut their chops fully yet in the tone department.
So, I guess my point is that the appearance part is the easy part to develop to a point where world class results are being achieved....the tone part is what really takes the time. One is more mechanical since it takes advantage of great tools, lots of jigs and fixtures and good general woodworking skills while the other takes advantage of and cannot be accomplished without the intuition and insight that can only come from numbers of guitars built and exposure to more and more guitars repaired and listened to closely to develop a sharp sense of what works as well as what doesn't work when it comes to creating great tone, response and balance in a guitar.
Too many times I've seen posts from guys who are initiating commissions with young builders who have only a small number of guitars under their belts and want to validate their purchase by claiming that the guitars are as good as those coming out of the shops of builders who have multiple times the number of guitars
to their credit.....and at a fraction of the price! I've played guitars from many of the new guys that are very nicely built, but still reflect an undeveloped tone or a lack of the results that can come only with time and the type of growth that comes with it and nothing else. It makes the player feel better that they're getting a guitar built from the very same woods, with the same finish and a similar design as that of their much more expensive counterparts, but the diffrence is readily obvious in most cases and the fact remains that they are still getting what they are paying for.
Regards,
Kevin Gallagher/Omega Guitars
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Kevin - Thank you for laying it on the line in such a clear, objective way as this. I am one of those builders who is just finding his way, and I would never think of trying to sell off one of my guitars, so far only built from kits, as being anywhere close to the equal of those of any accomplished builder.
Folks who have built only a few guitars, like me, have a tendency to be over-impressed with their own work, simply because they are surprised that it sounds better than they expected it to sound. Also, it is a human foible to be more forgiving of our own errors and shortcomings than we are of those of others. I confess, I am guilty of this. Probably most new builders are, whether building from scratch or kits.
Thank you for putting into this thread and this forum a sense of balance. Here, more than in any other forum, it seems as if the fashion of the day carries too much weight, and when one guy is impressed by a particular guitar or a particular builder's claims, he is able to sway the others here who are so prone to GAS.