Jalvis
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- Jan 24, 2012
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Stumbled on this video and thought you guys would enjoy the craftsmanship.
http://vimeo.com/44848452
http://vimeo.com/44848452
Birth of a Guitar
- Thread starter Jalvis
- Start date
Bob Gerritsen
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- Feb 10, 2012
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Yes, great video, thanks! The builder seems very methodical, he's got a nice thing going there.
That's not bad for a days work, huh? Always thought it would take ages to build something like that.
That's not bad for a days work, huh? Always thought it would take ages to build something like that.
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fritter63 said:
Have you heard of Dan Koentopp?
His work absolutely blows my mind. Perhaps the best I have seen.
tiralie
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fritter63 said:
I think donations for promotional consideration is a great way to build/expand your customer base. People like to see and touch work and other than word of mouth and repeat business there is no other way for customers to really understand your work.
I had never heard of Koentopp Guitars till this post. Thanks for the heads up. I looked up some of his videos on You tube to get a better idea of his background. Koentopp said his teacher said to him "If I can train you to see correctly, then you will be successful". Reminds me of a book called "Ways of Seeing" by BergerScott B. said:
Why, what do you like about his work?Scott B. said:
While I have never seen one in person, the Vimeo videos show some very sculptural shapes (arch top) with what looks like a flawless finish.
Tim
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Tim Raleigh said:
Wow Tim, I read Ways of Seeing in college. For sure.
Yes. I have a friend in nyc who is a very high level guitar player and recording engineer. He explained to me from a player standpoint what is special about these particular guitars. Guitars are tools to musicians, just like our tools are tools to us. For them, tone is the key. Its not about finding something slinky and easy to play, its about sound. Which I have been learning lately is very much a function of material selection, construction and finish. I really like Dan's selections and finishes. I wouldn't understand so much the tonality differences between his instruments and others, but from a function and form standpoint, I really like those guitars. And appreciate the craft.
A good luthier like that reminds me of the best cabinet makers I know. They do see things in wood and joinery that others don't, at a deep level, and right away. To be that good at it, at that level, it pretty much has to be your life. Like those few fortunate people who realize that they are on this planet to do one thing, and they were lucky it found them. His sunburst finishes are sick. I would pay him to let me come in and watch him finish those things.
Luthiery is a craft that has also been affected by mass production and commercialization. I know guys who have had very expensive 335's made custom for them by Gibson in the Gibson shop, and they will tell you that a handmade archtop by the right person is a higher level of instrument. Things like the truss rod length and location that affect how the action and tonality changes as the wood moves. A guy like Dan actually builds to those types of concerns. Its really cool to see. Its really interesting to see what those small shops produce. Some of them have waiting lists of like 6 years.
Todd and I are going to be touring a vermont based maker of acoustic guitars soon, that are considered to be quite highly regarded, kind of excited to see that.
Lbob131 said:
Probably saves you back muscles or something. I actually saw one builder who made a rotation mount so they could just slowing turn the whole hollow form (upside down from in the video) in circles, easier than going back and forth.
The way he planes doesn't make sense to me. You don't want to stop in the middle to switch your hands around. Easier to just tape it down with double backed tape, or make a small vacuum clamp jig. It looks in the video like he's going out of his way to do everything by hand in places where most people (myself included) have figured out faster ways to do some operations.
