Richard Jernigan -> RE: When is top wood too weird to be a top? (Oct. 24 2022 19:21:03)
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ORIGINAL: estebanana ...were there actually teaching positions that would gratify my mind and my sense of integrity, or obsessive demand for integrity. Which is a burden more so than a personal attribute. And privilege to even obsess over integrity. ------ I derive pleasure at giving the market place the finger by not exalting the fetishization of the ‘exotic’ or rare woods. ------ it’s not that I really have anything against rare rosewoods, except that extracting them is an unsustainable environmental act no matter how guitar makers justify it; politics are important and guitar making isn’t immune to criticism. ---------- I give the finger to the marketing and also acknowledge my own survival depends on marketing. I have been acquainted with around a dozen successful guitar makers, who have enjoyed a varying range of commercial success. All have been individuals who, in my perception, exhibited exceptional integrity. I have liked all but one of them. Every one of them has had to deal with conflicts between their personal prefernces and the marketplace. Even Jose Ramirez III, the most successful commercially, complained that the flamencos would not put up with any departure from tradition--although he sold many more cedar topped flamencas than spruce. When I asked Abel Garcia about wood for back and sides he seated me upon a stool, and sat a little higher on another, across his workbench from me. Abel published a book on guitar making woods. His ten minute lecture reflected his knowledge and expertise. He concluded by saying he could make me guitars of the same quality from Indian or Brazilian rosewood, Palo Escrito or Cocobolo. He likened using Brazilian rosewood to "putting jewelry on the guitar." I replied, "Maestro, I am old school. I would like Brazilian." Abel took me to his temperature- and humidity-controlled wood storage area and showed me the most beautiful straight grained quarter sawn Brazilian I had seen in twenty years. I chose a set. Then I asked him which he would have chosen. He indicated a slab sawn set. "¿Porqué ese juego?" I asked. "Es mas blanda." Stephen, your thoughts prompt me to analyze my choice. Playing a guitar is an emotional experience. Favorable (or unfavorable) experiences form preferences. I had played a number of Brazilian rosewood guitars, from Ramirez III, Bernabe Sr., Contreras Sr. which gave me great pleasure, and I owned a couple at the time I spoke with Abel. The sound, looks and even the aroma of these instruments all were influences on my choice. Successful luthiers are the experts on sound, playabiity, durability, materials and other practical aspects. Each has his or her own preferences based on individual experience and preference, which are inherently subjective. Successful dealers are the experts on what is likely to sell, and what the cusomer may be willing to pay. Their evaluations are to some extent subjective, but I believe commercial success depends largely upon objectivity. To the extent that luthiers and dealers may depend upon one another, or are their own dealers in fairly high volume like the Spaniards I mentioned, compromise is likely to be required. I know at least one successful luthier who appears not to depend upon dealers at all. I would never buy a guitar from him because of his offensive behavior. Not dishonest, not lacking in integrity, just offensive. He's the only successful luthier I know whom I don't like. But his success indicates that a maker of good instruments with some reasonable social skills might be able to succeed with little compromise to his or her ideals. RNJ
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