After viewing a lot of costs for things such as guitar woods and other things, and noticed that the markup is indeed very high. You could buy a Master Class quadrouple A soundboard for around a hundred bucks. Yet insturments using even AAAA tops are likely to cost several thousand. The main thing though is the cost of ebony: it's not that high. An ebony bridge is about twenty bucks, an ebony fingerboard is about thirty bucks. The price difference between ebony and rosewood isn't that high, but you're likely pay quite a few hundreds before you get a guitar with these two features (except, one of those washburn acoustic guitars, AAA top and ebony bridge and fretboard, I can't recommend it since I've never even seen it in real life, but it's less than four-hundred USD on sale at musiciansfriend.com I believe.) I know that more epnsive instruments have other things than better woods and wood types, but it is worth mentioning in my opinion.
Anyone think that making your own guitar from purchasesd parts would be more cost efficient?
only if your time isn't worth diddly and you've built several hundred guitars already.
:D
You are paying for expertise.
Well, I don't know, many of the cheaper factory guitars are put together quite poorly. Not sure about the slightly higher-end factory ones, but is it really that hard to assemble the bracings, neck etc. together in say one full weekend or two? Just curious, because there are a lot of places to buy the parts available to the publics in small amounts, so I thought it might be a doable option for the average person no?
In a weekend?
No way.
In a month maybe.
There is so much to do, wood to bend, braces to form, tops and backs to glue, routing, finishing etc.
Take a look at Cumpliano's book on guitar building to get an idea.
You can also check out MIMF.
I had an elderly gentleman that worked with me years ago. He made acoustic guitars as a hobby business. He was very skilled at it and had a five year waiting list. I seem to recall that he made 3 or 4 a year and worked on them most of his free time.
Tim Madsen
Nobody cares how much you know,
until they know how much you care.
"What you keep to yourself you lose, what you give away you keep forever." -Axel Munthe
A really good, really experienced luthier working full time might make 30 guitars a year - assuming he jobs out fretboard inlays, and maybe finishing to others.
Guitars take an incredible amount of labor to make well.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
Finishing takes the most amount of time i hear.
aka Izabella
The home of Ovation guitars is only a few miles from my home. I have a good friend named Kevin who works there. He also builds his own guitars and does repairs for locals. He is very skilled.
Now I know this is exceptional, but he built a beautiful acoustic for himself. You would have to see it in person to see how beautiful it is.
But anyway, I asked him how long it took to make it and he told me 7 years!
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
I'm signing up for a class at our local woodworking shop. Unfortunately it doesn't start til October. Working 2-3 hours, two days a week with many premade parts you have a complete guitar by Christmas...unfinished.
The guitars are supposed to be sweet though. Not as well done as a pro luthier, but tone out the wazoo.
