LGM Guitars Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 My buddy and I went out for a few drinks tonight and he started commenting on how amazed he was at the guitars I have done, and in particular, the Leviathans. So when I came home, I come onto project guitar and........... Tonight I was just looking at some posts, from amateur work to some of the greatest work I've ever seen. I feel I've come a long way with my guitars, but know I have much further to go as well. Seeing the cross section of skill levels and talent on this board is amazing. It reminds me of how far I've come, and yet how far I have yet to go. I see work that I look up to and only hope to acheive one day, and I see work that reminds me of how hard I've worked to get where I am, yet never forget the beginnings I had to go through. Seeing the dedication and practice of the newbie's reminds me of how strong the passion should be to excel at this type of art, and seeing the work of the pro's keeps me humbled and wanting to try even harder. So to all of you on this board, both pro's and newbies and all in between........ Thank you Jeremy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xebryusguitars Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 Thats very humbling LGM, i mean it. So whend you start building? I really wanna knwo your story because you have definitely gone far with building and to know if you begun with nothing to what you have now would be very inspirational. I agree with you, this website is as great as the people part of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsilver Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 Sometimes I get a little philosophical after a few drinks too. Seriously, thanks for posting that. I am at a tough spot on my current project and doubting my ability to finish it. Your post helped me regain my perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CudBucket Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 Hey Jeremy, I really love the Leviathan. I think it's entirely original which is super hard to do this late in the game. The guitar I'm working on now is my first but I aspire to get to your level some day. People like you are an inspiration to people like me and I thought this would be a good time to tell you that. Regards. David A. Frattaroli Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted November 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 Thats very humbling LGM, i mean it. So whend you start building? I really wanna knwo your story because you have definitely gone far with building and to know if you begun with nothing to what you have now would be very inspirational. I agree with you, this website is as great as the people part of it. Guitar building started for me in 2001. I was working as a tool and die maker and was getting stressed in that job, it was a good shop, I enjoyed it there, but I just think I was losing interest and putting in to many hours for where I was in my life. When Sept 11, 2001 hit, it affected me in so many ways. I fell into a serious depression. I lost my job at the tool and die shop. I had also grown into a very strong relationship with a woman from Minnesota. We met online, and she was planning to come to meet me, her flight would have left on Sept 13th. Of course she couldn't make it due to the WTC attacks. 2 of my best friends died in the WTC, she couldn't come up here, and I was in a depression. I stayed unemployed, I wasn't ready to go back to work. However, this wonderful woman who had touched my life so deeply also played guitar. Christmas was coming and I wanted to do something very special for her. So I built her a guitar. It was an acoustic guitar. I'd never done anything like it before, never built a guitar, never painted a guitar etc. I had a friend who builds acoustics and he taught me the basics. The result of that guitar is here http://www.lgmguitars.com/guitars/custom_acoustic/cl1.html During this time, I had been showing the progress of the build on Jemsite (project guitar didn't exist at the time) and I was receiving emails from people who wanted me to do custom work on their guitars. In April of 2002 I went back to work as a machinist again. I figured that was it with the guitars, just wanted to do it for a short time to keep me busy while I fought through my depression. However, the look in Chrissy's eyes when I gave her the acoustic, and the thanks I received from the people I had done some inlay for felt so great. After 2 months at the machine shop I was gone. I was actually fired, I really believe that my heart wasn't in it and subconciously I think maybe I was trying to get fired. I'm not a quitter, so just leaving wasn't really an option to me. I decided to try to make a go at the guitar business full time. Well, that was short lived again, I did maybe 2 small jobs and at the end of July I had the opportunity to move to Minnesota to work for a great company restoring vintage Waco Biplanes. Well, sadly after 3 months there they flaked on me and never got me a visa to stay, (basically I believe they were lying the whole time about the visa and simply wanted me to come down there, help them out of a bind, and then they had an easy way to get rid of me) I was back in Canada Oct 31st 2002. Took a little time off again as I was very down, having to come back here again after such a dream job. I did a few odd jobs here and there during this time and finally in August of 2003 I had moved into my current shop. Things had started progressing very rapidly, the jobs started getting bigger and I was getting busier. So, I've kind of been doing this off and on for I guess just over 3 years, but didn't get serious about it and start building complete guitars until August of last year. The 7 string Leviiathan was the first completely from scratch electric I had built. Previous to that I had done every mod you can imagine, built necks, painted everything, but had subbed out Ibanez style bodies to EKG guitars. Now I'm in full swing, I've dropped about $85,000 on my shop and tools since last August and just been praying that it is an investment I will be glad I made, not a regret, so far, I couldn't be happier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay5 Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 Thank you LGM for all of YOUR inspiration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluespresence Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 Great words and inspiration Jeremy! Your thanks is in the mail.....you should have it Wednesday. Enjoy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cracked Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 Wow! Thanks for sharing the story!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sscovill Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 Thanks for posting that LGM. As a newbie myself, it's nice to hear that. There's been a few times that I've felt that my posts weren't always welcome by some of the more established builders because they were too "elementary" in nature. I've sometimes gotten the short "check the tutorials" reply, which I've noticed other newbies getting as well. Sometimes the tutorials don't address a specific question and we need a bit more guidance from the guys like yourself. It's nice to know that this is still a place that newbies are welcome, encouraged and helped along the way. Thanks to everyone on PG who has helped me over the past year, and there've been a lot of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xebryusguitars Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 LGM thats great, I bet you're having a time of your life doing what you do. I didnt know that 9/11 could affect you say hard, im terribly sorry about that. Being 16, just when i started trying to build guitars I felt a surge and like a "calling" that this is what I wanna do with my life and I've never felt more sure. (I actually wanna raise enough to buy my own music store with my own little sectionr for my own guitars) Do you still keep in contact with the lady from Minnesota by the way?. Also did you learn to paint in thos 3 years because i know you can detialed airbrushing. heh 85k...money goes by quickly doesnt it? Ive invested $2000 . Well Im happy you've gotten over your depressiong because thats one of the hardest things to overcome . Well I cant wait to see how much more you progress. Keep doing great LGM, i love you work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 i didnt know you started soo soon LGM, your work is soo pro! i must say i have just completed my first guitar which i will call totally my own work. my 31 fret i worked with dad on to build skill. this one is mine i think its better, i just gigged with it, its awesome. its a RR V, and it will be unvailed soon. i have my eyes set on becoming a professional luithier, making a name for myself. glad your happy, hope it all pays off! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGHbuilder86 Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 Thanks for sharing your story LGM. It was a great inspiration to me. I couldn’t believe that you have only been building guitars for that long, I would have guessed about 15 years anyway. I think you have given me more overall help than anyone else on the forum, and I know you have on finishing. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 I too am surprised at how long (short) you have have been building. Your Leviathan is one of the best designs I've seen since PRS guitars came out. I wish you well on your continued journey and hope you go far. I'm sure you will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 Including me!? Thats real cool of you to say that bro... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 I have said it many times before and i know I'm not the only one, your work has inspire me and countless others here. I am striving to become better at this even if I can only make a body a month, (not easy with what the ARMY pays) , but I'm finishing my 1st body from scratch and plan on making one more during the holidays. Guys like you and Perry (Ormsby) are a few of the people I look upon to see what they ae doing t osee what I can incorporate to my own stuff, another one is Brian, but he is in a different level (thanks to him for this great site) without it I would probably still had a blonde Squier and a regular looking Epi LP. See you around on the site, Francisco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 I stumbled onto this site just a couple of weeks ago. Up until a month ago, the idea of making my own guitar never occurred to me. But I've become obsessed with it and this place has given me a lot of encouragement. For one thing, I've never really worked with wood before (I make sculptures and light fixtures from found wood, but it's not the same thing). I've never had a wood project interest me before...but making my own guitar makes so much sense. And I'm willing to learn by doing... And I like the cross of skill levels on this site--but what especially encourages me is the willingness of people to post their MISTAKES ...I find that really impressive. Especially since I'm at a point with my own first project where I know it's going to be impossible for me to get a decent result by myself...I don't have the right tools...and I'm too stubborn to go ask for help from people who do....the next step's going to be ugly (although it probably won't show much once it's finished)... So yeah, let me add my own thanks to everyone here. (sniff...weep...boo hoo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevan Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 idch- You should see the first electric that Les Paul (the guy) built. It's got more double-drill holes and off-center stuff than you can imagine....but it worked, and he dug the sound of it. If you get a chance sometime, try to dig up some pictures of "The Pan". It was enough to inspire Mr. Fender to improve on it....just like the rest of the members here are doing....turning the basics into something *we* like. Don't worry about mistakes. They happen to the best of 'em. I've seen botches from some of the top custom shops in the world; hell, PRS showed a botch on their DVD a couple of years ago (kinda cool to see a gorgeous PRS being bandsawed in half...heh heh). Mistakes are there for you to learn from. It's the first part of a lesson. And our lives are one big lesson. (Damn...I sound like my dad...) If your first project looks/sounds like poo, don't worry about it. So did mine. So did a lot of other people's. They kept going, as did I, and with lots of practice, on friends guitars (not our own! LOL), we're better than we were last time. I could get all deep an philosophical, but you guys know what you want to do....now go do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 I have seen "the pan". The show "Big" built the worlds biggest guitar and they had gone to guitar center for a BIG speaker and showed the host "the pan" along with some vintage strats and LP's. It was pretty cool. Sorry for thread jacking tho.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdguitars Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 LGM kind same story here. Was a Consultant got laid off after 911 and just messed around with guitars and whatnot. Started building cause I needed to get my mind off of things, not being able to get a job for a year and a half. Started working at the lumber yard and things just took off from there. Never had the guts/skills to go after this full time, but in a couple of years I think my skills will be much much better, at that point you never know. The peoples guitar here are awesome, look at setch and drak, they could both open thier own custom shop. This requires patience and the ability to say the heck with it and start over. I love seeing good work and good attempts, its not always the finished product but what you learned.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadmike Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 couldnt agree more with some of the comments on this thread. there are some amazing guitars on here built by true artists. as for me, im just a cocky little retard that has a dream... that sacred axe! not wanting to get too soppy or filisofical.... guitars rock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted November 29, 2004 Report Share Posted November 29, 2004 When I told my friends and family I was going to build my own guitar, they thought I had gone completely bonkers. Of course what they didn't know is that there is a small group of others out there......being just as bonkers as me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedoctor Posted November 29, 2004 Report Share Posted November 29, 2004 If you can take another story, here is mine. I started building instruments in shop class when I was 13 (yeah, I'm that old) and had fun making balaliakas and stuff. The real world took me to places that didn't allow such pursuits so I lived the daily grind military/corporate-style. Three or four years ago I realized I was a wasted, depressed alchoholic fortunate enough to have aquired my own machine/electronics repair shop. I sobered up through what I call my 12-fret program. Guitar after guitar after guitar. It has changed my life and made a human being out of what was left of me. Now I'm going to listen to the rest of you to see what is next for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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