Question for Luthiers

[snowblind56]

As a trained Luthier myself, someone asked me why I don't play customs that I built and why I play off the shelf guitars. So my question is, do my fellow SS.org Luthiers prefer to play guitars that they built or guitars that they bought? I know that some play both, but I am talking the majority of the guitars that you play.

 

[Erik Hauri]

Right now its about 50-50, and here's why.

Besides asthetics (woods, finishes, etc), the thing I most like to customize about my own instruments is the string spacing at the nut. I like a wider spacing than most off-the-shelf instruments. But I have a reasonably fixed number in my head, of different guitars that will fill out my sound. About 15 in all.

My "stock" collection is pretty much a Strat, a Tele and a Gisbon LP - so the ones I've built - or am building - for myself are the ones that are the furthest departure from those tones (baritone LP, 8-string fanned-fret LP, baritone Tele, 7-string Strat - and a double-neck Strat just for fun). I don't yet need to build a wide-necked 6-string Strat because - well, I can get by on the stock one until the higher priority instruments are finished.

This doesn't count basses - I've built 3 for myself and have no stock basses.

 

[Rusti]

Atm i have 1 strato and 2 guitars builded by me, i only play the guitars i builded and im not interested in buying other guitars. Right now im building my third guitar

 

[SD83]

Honestly, I only ever owned one off the shelf bass... the ones I would want to buy are far too expensive for me, the ones I could buy I think "why buy this if I can build something that fits my needs & taste much better?"

 

[snowblind56]

Honestly, I only ever owned one off the shelf bass... the ones I would want to buy are far to expensive for me, the ones I could buy I think "why buy this if I can build something that fits my needs & taste much better?"

I agree with this. If I played bass, I would definitely build my own, but for guitars I know that I am an Ibanez RG and Jackson Soloist diehard. I can't build anything that will come close to the how they look and play. I know people tell me that the ones that I built are great, but in my mind they don't compare.

 

[ViK-master]

Last time I had a shelf-off guitar was long ago.
I have a few of mine now but I don't really have much time to play so one at a time at home is enough.
As far as I do services, setups, some repairs, etc. I costantly deal with many other guitars of very different level and cost and I can hardly remember any I'd like to buy for myself even though I liked some very much.

 

[dpm]

I've got a few factory made instruments, but they're all mutilated, bastardised experiments now. I certainly wouldn't even consider buying a high end factory made guitar. Although I do play guitars I've built it's a kind of love/hate thing because I'm never 100% happy with them, the next one will always be better (in my head).