RE: Building a Student Model (Full Version)

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Stephen Eden -> RE: Building a Student Model (Jan. 8 2015 9:35:50)

Thanks David, I hope you enjoy yourself here! There are plenty of build threads here. Mine is just a rough guide on the processes I use to build a guitar.

Tom - I see I am in good comapny then!

It does depend which level of factory you are trying to compete with here. These guitars retail at £1550 before VAT not cheap by any stretch of the imagination but is cheaper than alot of the high end factory guitars that you might see a learned student with.

I am working with one very well known UK retailer to market and sell these guitars. I see no reason for the idea fail. We have had a great start and take up on the project and we are only 9 months in.

My only assumption why you guys stopped competing with the factory makers is because you all got great reputations, could command a considerable amount for your top guitars and felt that the cheaper guitars were simply not worth the time any more.

One thing I have found is I prefer to build these one at a time 2 at a maximum. The enjoyable part of this build really, is seeing how fast it can come together. I would not want a production line feel to it, otherwise it may start to feel like a job! I get enough of that with repair work.

Anyway I really should be at work now!



Ruphus -> RE: Building a Student Model (Jan. 8 2015 10:09:10)

I suppose that you manage the speciality of building well AND fast.
That is a blessing for both you and your client, and there should be all reason in the world for such combination to yield succesfully.

Factory guitars only seldomly come close to the playable and sounding signature of a handmade, and if you can deliver even less expensive than glossy serial production, then manitou just ought to be with you. :O)

The idea is really pleasing, how students can have nice instruments for decent pricing.
All the best to your great project!

Ruphus



Echi -> RE: Building a Student Model (Jan. 8 2015 17:12:39)

Hi,
I enjoyed the post and have to praise your skills.
You have a not common organizing capability and the guitar looks elegant.
Just 2 words more about the market under 3000 euro.
Luca Waldner is actually offering a student line guitar (called Almedina) completely hand-made by him for something around 2800 euro. it's just a simple and traditionally made Torres guitar.
I refer this, just to say that to me it's quite striking the gap between the price of his normal model (8000 euro) and the Almedina. At the end the guitars are made by the same hands.



Tom Blackshear -> RE: Building a Student Model (Jan. 8 2015 17:53:07)

quote:

One thing I have found is I prefer to build these one at a time 2 at a maximum. The enjoyable part of this build really, is seeing how fast it can come together.


RE Brune and I both agree that a guitar, on average, can be built in 50 hours and shipped out the following week. But I have found that it gets old real quick and I find my self wanting to do it more perfectly with certain adjustments and additions that enhance the guitar's performance.

Certain aspects to the build can't be rushed. There has to be a coming together with an instrument and its maker, and this takes time.

The fastest I've ever built and French polished a guitar for shipment is 12 days.



Escribano -> RE: Building a Student Model (Jan. 8 2015 19:46:30)

Well, I think it is an admirable idea with some legs, but the price is going to be sensitive with the word "student" in it.



Stephen Eden -> RE: Building a Student Model (Jan. 9 2015 9:42:19)

Hey Ruphus, Haven't seen you post for a while. I must not be looking in the right places.

Thanks Echi and really good to see the Luca Waldner guitar. It looks like we have a similar philosophy on the build. The polishing on his must take a lot more time than I spend on mine. It looks high gloss and filled grain. I leave mine open grained and a less glossy finish. His are almost the same price as my top model though!

I understand Tom but disagree. I feel as long as I am having fun with the build I am one with it. It also comes down to the type of person you are. If I were to spend too much time 'fine tuning' the guitar I would lose sight of what the project is about and also would have to pass on the costs, making it out of reach for the people I am building it for. A lot of thought has gone in to this build. I guess you could say that I 'Fine Tune' the process.

Cheers Simon. You are right. It is just the thread that is named Student model rather than the guitar it self. Although I haven't come up with a name for the flamenco model yet though. I have only made one and the customer decided what to call it 'Solea'.



Stephen Eden -> RE: Building a Student Model (Jan. 21 2015 13:15:56)

theodoropoulos - I was doing the job today of shaping the sides ready to put the back on and remembered you asked about the template. I thought it might be helpful if you saw the template in action. The blocks underneath are spacers to raise it up to the correct height for a classical guitar as the template was originally made for a flamenco guitar.



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