New Website Going Live

[Daniel Sorbera]

My new website wen't live today. Check it out.

http://sorberaguitars.com/

[GregP]

Looks great. If you start populating it with saleable guitars (as opposed to waiting for comissions and THEN taking more gallery shots), there's a decent chance that you'll generate a purchase or two (not everyone wants to wait for their completely personalized guitar) while at the same time providing more examples for potential 'full custom' clients!

Really professional-looking site. Congratulations!

Greg

[TeiscosRock]

Very Nice

I must say though, that I'm kinda disappointed that my favourite picture of the wenge guitar isn't in its gallery (the close-up of the neck/binding/fretboard that you used in the GOTM post)

[Daniel Sorbera]

I just kind of threw it up. (wow that sounded weird )

When I get some free time I'll get up much more pictures of each guitar.

[Doeringer]

Great start, has a nice and unique artsy feel.

[Mickguard]

Very elegant, Dan...love that photo on the opening page. I predict big things for you guys --so who's Christopher, your brother or cousin?

[Ben]

Looks really professional, nice site!

Why's all the text actually an image though? (if that makes sense)

[Daniel Sorbera]

Why's all the text actually an image though? (if that makes sense)

It's the way I put it together using Adobe Golive. Right now there is text underneath the pics so if your computer can't see the pics you can still see the text.

Chris is my older brother (18). I know I have not mentioned him, but we do this guitar building together, it's not just me.

Edited June 2, 2006 by Godin SD

[thegarehanman]

Godin,

I was looking through your site and had some issues with the text. It seems like in many instances, it appears as bold text behind the actual text. I took a screen shot for you to look at. I would just write this off as an internet explorer error, but this doesn't ever happen. Anyhow, for your viewing pleasure:

peace,

russ

[Daniel Sorbera]

Thats the text behind the picture. If your text size is anything bigger than medium it will peek out from the picture text on top (which is whats happening with you)

Click on your view tab in IE, than go to text size, and select medium.

That should clear things up

Edited June 2, 2006 by Godin SD

[Supernova9]

Thats the text behind the picture. If your text size is anything bigger than medium it will peek out from the picture text on top (which is whats happening with you)

Click on your view tab in IE, than go to text size, and select medium.

That should clear things up

Nice site, looks good, but what you've just mentioned is a big design flaw. If you're making a website selling artistic products, then the site should reflect that by being artistic, sleek, stylish. Having Times New Roman font peeking out from behind images is a big no-no.

I'm guessing the reason you used an image for the text is so that you can use a specific font?

Edited June 2, 2006 by Supernova9

[Daniel Sorbera]

Okay It's fixed.

The reason you need text on the page is so search engines will read it. I made the text very small and black so no one will see it.

[scottyd]

Hey i think its great! I hope you do well with it!!

[Scott French]

FYI: Black text on a black background will piss-off some search engines.

[Setch]

Text which is an image will piss off most people who like to have a degree of control over text size etc. Making a website doesn't have to be super complex, but you should go out of your way to make your site bendable to the whims of the viewer - not the other way round.

IMO, text, should be text.

[TeiscosRock]

. . . I just realized that the text are pics. . . It doesn't really bother me personally, but yeah it might tick some people off. . .

[Mickguard]

. . . I just realized that the text are pics. . . It doesn't really bother me personally, but yeah it might tick some people off. . .

I can see the text while the page is loading, then the graphics loading on top of that. It does not bother me. If there's a technical problem, that should be addressed, but otherwise...

People will get pissed off about just about anything, won't they? I say don't cater to the **** crowd-- you don't want someone that nitpicky for a customer, they'll never be happy with the guitar either. Makes a great way to weed out the problem cases.

Speaking of which... I like the way Zachary guitars is set up -- he doesn't do custom jobs (I believe) but instead only posts finished guitars for sale. The customers buy HIS guitars, not their own designs. Since you and your brother are still young enough, don't have a mortgage to pay, etc., I think you should go this way --stick to your own designs. Don't know if that was your intention already, just thought I'd pipe up.

In other words, in all cases, stick to your guns now, don't compromise, don't do things to please the rest of the world, follow your own vision. There's time enough for compromise later on, if it indeed becomes necessary.

[Ben]

People will get pissed off about just about anything, won't they? I say don't cater to the **** crowd-- you don't want someone that nitpicky for a customer, they'll never be happy with the guitar either. Makes a great way to weed out the problem cases.

Speaking of which... I like the way Zachary guitars is set up

That Zachary guy is in a place where he has a large enough 'fanbase' to be able to select his customers though.... if you are new and currrently unknown is it likely that you will have enough customers to be so selective?

[TeiscosRock]

People will get pissed off about just about anything, won't they? I say don't cater to the **** crowd-- you don't want someone that nitpicky for a customer, they'll never be happy with the guitar either. Makes a great way to weed out the problem cases.

Speaking of which... I like the way Zachary guitars is set up

That Zachary guy is in a place where he has a large enough 'fanbase' to be able to select his customers though.... if you are new and currrently unknown is it likely that you will have enough customers to be so selective?

I think sticking to your own guitars and having premade ones up for sale is a pretty good Idea. I don't know why, but I think I'd rather purchase a premade guitar rather than a custom

Then Again i'd RATHER make my own!

[Mickguard]

That Zachary guy is in a place where he has a large enough 'fanbase' to be able to select his customers though.... if you are new and currrently unknown is it likely that you will have enough customers to be so selective?

Depends on what kind of builder you want to be. If you read Zachary's spiel, he's obviously not the type who's going to share the glory.... I really like a lot of Zachary's ideas, think he's really onto something. And I like it that he sets himself up as a guitar company --along the lines of PRS, or Fender or whoever---with its own models and features.

On the other hand, I'm always impressed with the way Myka's collaborations with his customers turn out some pretty awesome guitars --if you haven't seen the gold top he made (still makes) a while back, you should.

And then there's Ormbsy --I get the feeling that a lot of his guitars start out with a customer coming to him for a custom guitar --but giving him the freedom to develop the design himself.

So like I said, it depends on who you want to be. I get the feeling though that the Sorbera building machine is interested especially in developing their own designs.

[thegarehanman]

Zachary always strikes me as a bit self righteous. I guess what gets me the most is how objectively he tends to speak of his methods. Just my $.02. Anyhow...I'm in the middle of watching benedetto's 4 disk set on building archtops. I really like his mentality about building. He realises that he doesn't do perfect work, but regardless of his mistakes, the work looks amazing. He doesn't look at any wood as "bad wood." Basically, he just alters his building methods to suit what he has.

peace,

russ

[Ben]

I get the feeling though that the Sorbera building machine is interested especially in developing their own designs.

I can see that that could be a much more fun way to work, rather than being confined to the requirements of your customer.

if you haven't seen the gold top he made (still makes) a while back, you should.

I've probably viewed every photo David Myka has on his site! I really like all his guitars.

Read a fair bit of the Zachary site too. They're nice guitars, but there is a whole lot of BS on his site to sift through, and he does seem to contradict himself sometimes; this guitar: CHANGED TO LINK TO ABIDE TO RULE I RECENTLY LEARNT is one of my favourites, but Im not so sure about how it fits in with his attitudes towards unnecessary decoration on guitars (eg PRS)

EDIT

(PS if anybody knows where you buy that 'busywood' stuff thats on that guitar top I'd be interested )

Edited June 5, 2006 by Ben

[rokeros]

IMO I don't get a zachary can get interest, I mean, the tech and research is great, but the shape? the headstock? its baaaadd! SO ugly! But yet he still inspires me like the way he designs his own pickups etc. Do you think he is quite well-off considering the no. of guitars he's sold?

[fryovanni]

"Zachary always strikes me as a bit self righteous. I guess what gets me the most is how objectively he tends to speak of his methods. Just my $.02."

A bit....

I wish a guy could say he is going to build guitars he wants to build and thats what he has for sale nothing else. Stop...

However then goes on. My designs are based on years of research and experience. The guitars speak for themselves. Ok, Stop now.

The we get to hear why this is hopped up super method A, and this feature is superior. Thats when the silly contradictions seem to pop up. Leave as much wood as possible in the body= Super hot, then Model X with holes drilled throughout (remove body wood)= Super hot. Just talked a bit more, and it turned into a cheesy sales pitch.

I bet he builds a hella nice playing guitar, and has sold a nice handful so they have appeal (I personally am not a fan). I wish he didn't have to have all the extra yappy sales pitch. It would make the mission statement more believable.

Peace,Rich

[WezV]

I think a large part of the skill in this game comes from being able to interpret peoples ideas on there perfect guitar into something that actually works and they are happy with. It also means you will keep getting new challenges so you can learn and develop as a builder.

I also enjoy producing my own designs and have developed a few that i keep coming back to because they are popular and attract attention. I am just about jigged up for them and i can produce them relatively quickly.

I think its important to be flexible and open to a challenge.