1st Day As A Full-time Luthier Today

[mikevirok]

I am excited to start my new full-time job today as a guitar luthier today!!! I am a bit worried about making enough money to compare with my past job as a pharmacy HR manager/ IT specialist, but this is going to be a much better preparation for what I want to establish for myself in this life. Here goes everything!!!

[mammoth guitars]

Good luck Mike.

[verhoevenc]

Where is it?

Chris

[ToneMonkey]

Best of luck dude. Let us know how it goes.

[johnsilver]

Here goes everything!!!

Go for it dude! And all the best...

[erikbojerik]

Best of luck!

Let us know if you're still a luthier when you roll out tomorrow.

[brian d]

Goodonya Mike! After seeing that last entry of yours in the GOTM comp, I'd say you have what it takes to set yourself apart from others.

Good luck with it.

Brian.

[mikevirok]

Hey everyone! I just wanted to post a little update following my first day on the job -

THIS IS THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD!!! Unfortunately, it's going to be a rough road for the first few months before I establish a steady client-base. I did a few store-stock set-ups yesterday, including a $5000 vintage Gibson hollow-body (which was wild to even have on my bench for a little while). The pay is reflected on how much I can get done in a week, so I need to build up my speed, since my know-how is there already.

To answer the question of "where" posted earlier in this thread: I am an independent contracted luthier for Raritan Bay guitar Repair in Freehold, NJ who places me at a Guitar Center as a separately functioning repair shop for both customer and store jobs. I am not an employee of either company, rather I am a contracted worker. I eventually will do work from home as well for some friend pieces that I have as well as continue to build guitars once I get a larger place to work (other than my apartment!).

So, that's that. I'm still kicking, and I have a long way to go until I'm "well-off". But Still, I'm happy with my choices to pursue this career.

[ihocky2]

Great to hear. Good luck with it.

[Sean O]

Hey everyone! I just wanted to post a little update following my first day on the job -

THIS IS THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD!!! Unfortunately, it's going to be a rough road for the first few months before I establish a steady client-base. I did a few store-stock set-ups yesterday, including a $5000 vintage Gibson hollow-body (which was wild to even have on my bench for a little while). The pay is reflected on how much I can get done in a week, so I need to build up my speed, since my know-how is there already.

To answer the question of "where" posted earlier in this thread: I am an independent contracted luthier for Raritan Bay guitar Repair in Freehold, NJ who places me at a Guitar Center as a separately functioning repair shop for both customer and store jobs. I am not an employee of either company, rather I am a contracted worker. I eventually will do work from home as well for some friend pieces that I have as well as continue to build guitars once I get a larger place to work (other than my apartment!).

So, that's that. I'm still kicking, and I have a long way to go until I'm "well-off". But Still, I'm happy with my choices to pursue this career.

Aye, which GC? I live pretty close to Freehold. I want to be a luthier when I'm a bit older, but my dad doesn't want me to, he says it doesn't pay-off.

Anyways, good luck mate.

[GodBlessTexas]

Hey everyone! I just wanted to post a little update following my first day on the job -

THIS IS THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD!!! Unfortunately, it's going to be a rough road for the first few months before I establish a steady client-base. I did a few store-stock set-ups yesterday, including a $5000 vintage Gibson hollow-body (which was wild to even have on my bench for a little while). The pay is reflected on how much I can get done in a week, so I need to build up my speed, since my know-how is there already.

To answer the question of "where" posted earlier in this thread: I am an independent contracted luthier for Raritan Bay guitar Repair in Freehold, NJ who places me at a Guitar Center as a separately functioning repair shop for both customer and store jobs. I am not an employee of either company, rather I am a contracted worker. I eventually will do work from home as well for some friend pieces that I have as well as continue to build guitars once I get a larger place to work (other than my apartment!).

Cool. BTW, if you're an independent contractor, you desperately need business insurance to cover any damage that might happen to guitars in your care. The GC or Raritan Bay insurance won't cover you. Having a $5000 guitar on your bench is cool, but having something bad happen to that $5000 guitar on your bench could really hurt you financially.

Anyway, good luck!

/IT Consultant

Edited September 5, 2007 by GodBlessTexas

[mikevirok]

As far as the insurance thing goes: I am covered underneath the company plan (I was assured that by them).

[mikevirok]

I want to be a luthier when I'm a bit older, but my dad doesn't want me to, he says it doesn't pay-off.

If you are good, it will pay fine. This is a job that YOU are in control of your own success by how well you serve the customers. The better you are is directly related to how "well off" you will be.

[Sean O]

If you are good, it will pay fine. This is a job that YOU are in control of your own success by how well you serve the customers. The better you are is directly related to how "well off" you will be.

Yeah, even now, I read as much as I can on the basic topics, practice cutting scrap wood as often as I can, and I read up on the most commonly purchased guitars.

[rhoads56]

I want to be a luthier when I'm a bit older, but my dad doesn't want me to, he says it doesn't pay-off.

If you are good, it will pay fine. This is a job that YOU are in control of your own success by how well you serve the customers. The better you are is directly related to how "well off" you will be.

Well, not really. I know a guy who does a great refret. But, it takes him two days. He charges less than i do, and i can do six in that time, easily. Quality difference? none. Price difference? $250 for two days work, versus $1800? for two days work. Sure, i dont generally get six refrets in a week (maybe 1-2 a fortnight), but im not taking 2 days for each one either...

The quality of your workmanship is only a small factor in the success of your business. WITHOUT quality work, you can still make a living, and there is at least one or two guys who i know that survive quite comfortably, because they have the OTHER factors of their business sorted. They know (for the most part) their limitations, and pass of any work they know they cant do. On the other hand, i know of a couple FANTASTIC repairers/luthiers who have been in the business for more than 20 years, both struggling to keep their heads above the water financially. They have fantastic hand skills, but no business skills. I also know of a few who have started within the last five years (in the very same city), and now employ staff because of their workload, and have constant spare funds to improve and expand their operations.

Im not saying you SHOULD go into business if you dont think you have the skills, im saying skills are only a part of the big picture.

OTHER factors:

How quickly you do the repairs, and what type of repairs/lutherie you do (i guess this could come under skills)

How, when and where you market yourself and your service/products

If you run your business from home or not, and if from home, how it is set up (yes, this plays a huge part)

Location of your shop, compared to population density, musicians stomping grounds, etc

What your overheads are

What other services you provide as 'extras'

Who you work for

etc etc

If this is what you want to do for a living, then treat it like a business. There is a reason some people can build up a national hotel chain from scratch, and others struggle to run a trailer park.

Mike, lets see some workshop pics!! I know what its like to work inhouse, the areas can be shockingly under prepared, but we have to work with what we are given. Make sure you take your tools home, or lock them in a tool box. They WILL go missing, slowly, one by one... trust me

[GodBlessTexas]

As far as the insurance thing goes: I am covered underneath the company plan (I was assured that by them).

Cool. If you've got it in writing, then awesome. I've known people who learned the hard way about business insurance coverage, and it was not pleasant.

[GodBlessTexas]

The quality of your workmanship is only a small factor in the success of your business. WITHOUT quality work, you can still make a living, and there is at least one or two guys who i know that survive quite comfortably, because they have the OTHER factors of their business sorted. They know (for the most part) their limitations, and pass of any work they know they cant do. On the other hand, i know of a couple FANTASTIC repairers/luthiers who have been in the business for more than 20 years, both struggling to keep their heads above the water financially. They have fantastic hand skills, but no business skills. I also know of a few who have started within the last five years (in the very same city), and now employ staff because of their workload, and have constant spare funds to improve and expand their operations.

There's a book devoted to this called "The E-Myth," which explains why most small businesses fail in their first years. It boils down to essentially what you've just said. Being good at what you do is only a small part of running a business.

[erikbojerik]

As far as the insurance thing goes: I am covered underneath the company plan (I was assured that by them).

Cool. If you've got it in writing, then awesome. I've known people who learned the hard way about business insurance coverage, and it was not pleasant.

I'll venture that's GBT's nice way of saying a hard truth....MAKE SURE YOU HAVE IT IN WRITING. You won't hurt any feelings by asking for a copy of the policy. A heck of a lot of "assurances" are made every day that (intentional or not) don't correspond to the actual written policy, and only the written one will hold up in court.

Now back to your regularly-scheduled lutherie....what kind of hollowbody was the Gibson? What year?

[rhoads56]

What insurance is needed? They guy is a luthier, he can FIX anything that goes wrong, remember!

[Vinny]

Congrads Mike!! and best of luck to you.

I was curious as to what length of warranty are given with the repairs you perform? For instance if its a 6 month warranty and a guitar comes back within that period with a problem related to the original work, who pays? are you doin a freebie?

Reason I ask is because Im in the Automotive Repair biz and everything is put in writing. -Vinny

[Sean O]

What insurance is needed? They guy is a luthier, he can FIX anything that goes wrong, remember!

Not if it falls off his work table and splinters into a large amount of pieces.

[rhoads56]

Seen it happen, and seen it fixed. I guess it depends on if you are a LUTHIER, or a TECH (or, maybe a HACK). NEXT!

[Mickguard]

Seen it happen, and seen it fixed. I guess it depends on if you are a LUTHIER, or a TECH (or, maybe a HACK). NEXT!

Interesting...so, you mean, there's a difference between a true luthier and a beginning guitar tech?

[marksound]

Seen it happen, and seen it fixed. I guess it depends on if you are a LUTHIER, or a TECH (or, maybe a HACK). NEXT!

Interesting...so, you mean, there's a difference between a true luthier and a beginning guitar tech?

Obviously there's a difference. I'm none of the above (hopefully not the HACK part ) but I can fix a lot of stuff. The guy more than likely is confident enough in his ability that the inevitability of warranty work is a no-brainer.

[GodBlessTexas]

As far as the insurance thing goes: I am covered underneath the company plan (I was assured that by them).

Cool. If you've got it in writing, then awesome. I've known people who learned the hard way about business insurance coverage, and it was not pleasant.

I'll venture that's GBT's nice way of saying a hard truth....MAKE SURE YOU HAVE IT IN WRITING. You won't hurt any feelings by asking for a copy of the policy. A heck of a lot of "assurances" are made every day that (intentional or not) don't correspond to the actual written policy, and only the written one will hold up in court.

Bingo! It used to be you could conduct business with a handshake and your word, but in the US today, I take all assurances in writing or I don't take them at all. Furthermore, with insurance, all their insurance company has to do is say "You're not covered by their policy," and you're hosed. And don't think that hasn't happened. There is a reason why you are being hired as an independent contractor: it severely limits the legal liability of the company that hired you and hires you out to others if something bad should happen by you or on your watch. I'm not saying these things to be a pain in the butt or rain on anyones parade, I just don't want you to end up in a situation where you could have easily and cheaply stayed out of it with a little prevention. On that note, I've said my peace.