Up And Coming Luthiers?

[Jarvis]

Just a click and you have so many choices of who you want to build you a custom....

Who do you think are the up and coming luthiers which you think in the future would do well? and why?

List them down guys.......

[preston]

I'll be interested to see what repsonses you get, as well.

Years ago I was into competition shooting and by asking around at regional shoots I was able to come up with a short list of up-and-coming gunsmiths, just like you are doing for guitar builders. These guys weren't well known and were approachable and willing to work very reasonably. Six months after I chose one in Pennsylvania to build my pistol, he got the notoriety that he deserved in some national publications and suddenly his waiting list went to two years backlog with a corresponding price hike.

From what I've seen, this forum and those like it can definitely play a role in 'star making'. The problem is a lot of this type of thing turns people into "shooting stars". A bright, flaming, meteoric rise and then - apogee. A relatively small cult following and the masses are on to the next 'great thing', leaving you with a unique product which you should learn to appreciate and keep for your personal use, because quite often, unless the builder has phenomenal success and sells his name to a much larger company, the guitars are simply nice oddities that will never fetch the price paid when bought. (yes, I know there are exceptions to every rule). I haven't gotten the bug for a hand built . . . yet. I'll just make do for now with these old mass produced things from Bob and Kurt.

[antsdmb]

I really think the luthier world is really saturated right now. That's a great thing for us buyers, but not so good for the builders. I went through the process once already, and just signed up a second time for another, both w/ different builders. Obviously those two builders get my vote(s) because I did as much research as I could and felt these were the two best options for my personal situation. Gosh knows there are tons of amazing builders out there.

My Vote:

Kent Hamblin (amazing fingerstyle instruments)
Paragon Guitars / Rob Bustos (hugely taking off)




Mark

[Guyute]

I'd add Matt Mustapick to that list.

[Nelson]

Michael Bashkin out of Fort Collins, Colorado. www.bashkinguitars.com

He is building some truely wonderful instruments.

Another is Victor Guitars www.victorguitars.com Ed Dick and Greg German who run the repair shop at Old Town Pickin' Parlor in Arvada, Colorado build these. I played one a few weeks ago and it was a really fine instrument.

[muzz76]

I agree that the market is pretty saturated now. The internet has allowed people to get noticed really easily and I find the younger builders more savy with their internet presence than the veterans.

I think that often the best 'new comers' to the scene are builders who've been doing it a long time and are getting that notice at the peak of their careers.

I will say that I think Oskar Graf is an absolutely sublime builder who's yet to get what he deserves.

[CamelbackCinema]

Do you think luthiers should give a sort of resume? I am not really talking about where they were educated or what kind of official awards they have gotten but more along the lines of "I do this to my guitar which has this effect on the sound/playability/quality". And just go down the list. I know, most luthiers do try to explain step by step and give you an update but this is after the fact you've commissioned his/her services.

Just an idea. I mean since the market has so many great luthiers, it is mind boggling to even know where to begin. I really do believe that technique plays an ultimate role in how a guitar will end up sounding no matter what kind of wood you use (such as a Ryan rose/cedar vs. an Olson rose/cedar vs. Wingert rose/cedar).

[preston]

My personal opinion is it would be difficult to shell out 2G's or more to someone whose work I had never had in my hands, regardless of how many glowing reports you may read. Why ? Because everyone's wants, needs, expectations, and interpretations are different. What works for me and I think is wonderful may not be right for you. Choosing a guitar, if done properly to help you progress and develop and showcase your skills, is a very individualized process. ( Although many of us just go glassy-eyed over Koa or Cocobolo or some other eye candy that may or may not be in our best interests, depending on what it's formed around) The only way to know is to lay hands on it. If the builder is a gem and has a real talent for it, he will know what questions to ask and observations and suggestions to make, based on what your style, physical makeup, and stated tastes are.
At least, that's my take on what I would look for, even though I've never had one built.

[jhchang]

I think Hamblin is already an well established luthier just like Sheppard. This thread is talking about 'up-and-coming', not the greatest luthiers, right? So how can Kronbauer be missed?

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Nelson

Michael Bashkin out of Fort Collins, Colorado. www.bashkinguitars.com

He is building some truely wonderful instruments.

Hi Nelson...
Have you played the Mahogany/Cedar OM yet?

I second the motion for Michael Bashkin as an up and coming builder...
I was at Michael's shop yesterday and played one of the nicest OMs I've ever seen heard out of his shop. He really has the ''OM and GC'' sizes nailed as a world class builder. He built my last handbuilt, and it is amazing - definitely on a par with my Olson.

I often record Michael's guitars for potential clients, and my regret with the one I played yesterday (Malaysian Blackwood/Italian Spruce) was it had to ship out yesterday! No time to record it.

For those who are fairly new to the group or the hand built acoustic guitar scene, there are two events you should be aware of National scope that ''lay people'' are invited to attend and play guitars at.

1 - Healdsburg (next in 2007)
2 - Newport (August this year)

There were over 130 hand builders at Healdsburg with over 650 hand built instruments last year for several thousand attendees to play to our heart's content. I had a group I wanted to experience, and spent the better part of three days either playing instruments or in the mini-concerts.

I probably played three dozen guitars for 10 - 15 minutes each. I also tried to speak with the luthiers to get a sense about them and how they work with wood.

The market may seem saturated, but most builders are a year backlogged - or more. If the market were saturated, they'd be out begging people to buy their instruments.

So how do their instruments end up at dealers? Dealers commission and buy them and resell them.

[Nelson]

Larry,

I've begged Bruce (the owner) to put me in his will. That little OM is truely a dream.

[mtmikey]

i guess some of this comes down to what you'd call up and coming. i can name a number of luthiers who have been at the game a while (10yrs or so) but still, imho, haven't gotten their due in terms of wide appeal. i think the following folks are doing absolutely stunning work, but maybe haven't received wide acclaim due to various (ad budget, build list and time to build vs. life matters [their "other" job], location, coverage, specialty, etc.):
david d. berkowitz
michael greenfield
sheldon schwartz
paul mcgill

and i'll agree that every graf guitar i've seen has been amazing.

i really like the builders who take chances and try to innovate. for players who want or need something a little different, they're a godsend.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Nelson

...I've begged Bruce (the owner) to put me in his will. That little OM is truely a dream.

Hi Nelson...
It is a dream guitar. One of the best I've played out of Michael's shop in the past 8 months. It spoke to me.

I'll pass on to Micheal that he likes it...I'm not sure he's communicated that to Michael.

[ericcsong]

We have a couple awesome luthiers on this board such as Kevin Gallagher at Omega guitars and John Mayes as well. other guitars that are real neat are Doolins, Osthoffs, and Tony Vines.

[CamelbackCinema]

What are we defining as up and coming? 5 years or less? Or just luthiers that command great skill but lack the spotlight?