New Luthier Tips du Jour video - Tips for Builders

[Robbie O'Brien]

The newest Luthier Tips du Jour instructional video is on Youtube. The topic is meet the player Steve Devries, This is part I of an interview with Steve at the Healdsburg Guitar festival where we discuss what actually makes a guitar marketable. This is valuable information for all luthiers making instruments for sale. Subtitles are available in both English and Portuguese and you can translate them into any other language by using the CC option on Youtube.
As always, comments and discussion are welcome.
Enjoy!



youtu.be/

[Nick]

Thanks for another great video Robbie, your whole series of Tips du Jour really are becoming assets to the luthier community, thanks for sharing them with us.

Most of my builds are made for customers so they pretty much dictate the various options you mention here so I don't have that 'marketing' hurdle to negotiate but still some valid points. It's funny to note though how 'regional' choices can vary, the satin look is becoming quite popular here in New Zealand, I always feel a satin or oiled guitar looks & feels more organic & makes me want to pick it up. We've always prefered the 'less' adorned look where as Americans, on the whole, prefer the more glitzy look (look how much chrome you used to put on your vehicles! ). Somebody of Laskin's talent would be out of work in this country I feel. It is an interesting phenomenon.

[Robbie O'Brien]

Thanks for another great video Robbie, your whole series of Tips du Jour really are becoming assets to the luthier community, thanks for sharing them with us.

Most of my builds are made for customers so they pretty much dictate the various options you mention here so I don't have that 'marketing' hurdle to negotiate but still some valid points. It's funny to note though how 'regional' choices can vary, the satin look is becoming quite popular here in New Zealand, I always feel a satin or oiled guitar looks & feels more organic & makes me want to pick it up. We've always prefered the 'less' adorned look where as Americans, on the whole, prefer the more glitzy look (look how much chrome you used to put on your vehicles! ). Somebody of Laskin's talent would be out of work in this country I feel. It is an interesting phenomenon.

Thank you Nick. Yes, it is interesting how things vary from region to region. There is more great info to come in Part II and Part III.

[Allen]

Top notch stuff here Robbie.

Almost all my work is custom one of's and I've only ever had one client ask for a satin oil finish. Every single other has had no worries in paying the premium for high gloss. And that has certainly gone across into the ukulele market that most of my work is in now. For my spec inventory I've been using a satin finish in most cases in order to keep the cost of the instrument down (keeping in mind ukulele's compete at a different price point than guitars). Perhaps I should rethink this.

I'm looking forward to the next parts to this series. Good viewing indeed.