Shawn Brock -> RE: Castillo or Navarro, or something else? (Nov. 19 2011 16:55:35)
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@ RNJ: This is interesting information. You are the first that I have heard report that Salvador is making inexpensive or student instruments. I have only known 3 others who have visited his shop, and they reported that from time to time he had others working for him. His father was for sure working in the shop as well. There is an interview with him in a local news paper, and he used the term, "my family's workshop." I also understand that he orders neck blanks and pre slotted fingerboards. According to my source, that is as far as he goes with pre-fabricated materials. Again, the others never reported on a student line of instruments by Salvador. If such guitars were being made at his shop, I guess that could explain the high numbers that are turned out. I should email him and ask about the student instruments, would like to get 1 for my son. Speaking of the numbers: I also know a few other things. I know that Salvador works some long hours. A friend who has visited him 4/5 times talked about Salvador working until as late as 9:00 at night. This friend is an American luthier of note, and gets over $6000 each for his instruments. He makes 1 instrument a month, and that is it. He also does a lot of repairs and set-ups during a months time. At this point he has built over 200 instruments, and has reported to me that he could in fact build a guitar in a week if he buckled down, and this would be also while he continued his repairs and set-ups. This is not taking time for finishing though... My experience with various other American luthiers has been about the same... Another thing that this luthier has reported to me about Salvador is the fact that he works smart. He said that Salvador would spend days where he would only cut tops and so on. He said that Salvador would polish guitars 2/3 at a time, and he would have a 3/ 5 day period of the month where that's all he would do. While waiting for the finish to cure, he would be starting on more instruments. After the finish was cured he states that Salvador would apply the tap, string it up, and go through with final fret dressing, intonating, and some fine voicing/ sanding of braces. When I asked my luthier friend as to why he didn't operate this way and crank out more instruments he said, "I don't have to. I like to work when I want to work. If that means I don't work on a guitar for a few days that's fine. I can afford to take days off, or work short days with the prices I get for a guitar." If a person only wants to make 12 or so guitars a year, I for one see nothing wrong with that, but that don't mean that a person couldn't build more if he wanted to. I'm not saying that the makers of Paracho are the best in the world with the best prices... Its obvious to see that a few have world class reputations, and there are good reasons for that. I have played plenty of Condes which weren't worth the pouter it would take to blow them to hell, but they have that $10000 and up price tag. I have owned more than 100 guitars in my life, and can except what's good and what is bad. More than once in my life I have spent $5000 or more for a custom built instrument only to be disappointed. Some of it comes down to who you would trust. Is a guy who has made 50 guitars and getting $6000 each for them better than a guy who has made 400 guitars for $2000 each? It would depend on the guys I guess... Never the less I have seen that a lot of musicians play the $$$ and not the guitar. They think that if something has that big price tag that it must be better. That's why people in this country are still paying $5000 or more for Gibson mandolins. I mean, come on! Why would you pay that price for something that was cut out on a CNC machine? In the end its up to a person where they want to spend their money I guess. Some will buy a Chinese made Conde for $3000, others will buy a Chinese made Kenny Hill New World for $2000, some will pay $2500 for a Paracho guitar, some will buy a great American or Spanish guitar for $6000, and some will buy a horrible American or Spanish guitar for the same $6000. I can tell you this, I would rather buy 3 Castillos for $7500, than any 1 guitar for the same price, and I have played them all! Shawn Brock
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