Gordonov

This choice has caused much pain to my head.  A through neck bass and a 7 string guitar ; so different. The bass is grand ; I like short scale and have never played a neck through unit. The guitar is beautiful in simple concept, single pickup, good lines, wonderful. I would need them both in my band. How do I vote ? I cannot split the vote but I feel bad rejecting one over the other. I must pass - I cannot decide, For once, I shall vote "present".  This choice is more difficult than usual.

I feel not good for beat guitars even perhaps worn by use. Worse when caused by not care, drunken, clumsy other. I do not enjoy the copy of items. 1+1=2 I vote no for the relic .

Much different from each other !  Both guitars high desirable . My brain hurts to decide !

All as always wonderful. I am hypnotized by #4 because ultimate organic electric. Like Les Paul first attempt wood board with pickup. But this wood board marvelous . All wood here excellent. My weakness I know - beautiful wood. One control. Grand.

I find distress in the low number of voters April contest. Please to the readers to remember this fun idea. Examine specimens then vote all times. All entries are valuable and ought be seen.

So much to like of this short scale bass but I am most intrigue by flow of shapes and eyes to follow. Components and organics meld perfectly. The color and texture most appealing to tactile impression. Compartment hidden wonderful !

Graph shows 14 votes. Title shows 18. Where are 4 of others ? Builders ok to vote yet not register perhaps ?

Our factory operated by rule of 'let the tool do the work'. You are 100 percent correct about pressure and tool quality. If 110 percent were possible, I should say that !

Once again my head hurts because of choice I must make. All are magnifique. All are beautiful. I feel impress by absent of bridge saddle variety position of 7 string Lucifer. This must be very straight neck and body marriage. Little adjustment needs. Mathematics complicated with 7 strings.

Have you sections of alike material wood upon which you may perform experiment ? I think perhaps each person different so why not conclusion of experiment to produce different results with manual tool apparatus. Some dominate right hand and others the left. Wood of many types own even more of grain patterns with composition variant. Tooling of A-type may work more effect on Material-2 but not happy of Material-1. I like experiment and I hope you enjoy it also there is nothing to lose and much knowledge to gain I think.

I enjoy no fret-board dots of Green Anaconda. Allow long serpentine looks. For artist who need not look at fingers while playing. I know of the FIshman Fluence find them to be of good use.  First instrument of my life was 'cello no marks or fret player must learn touch tone position. More difficult over guitar I think.

Please may I to add that all instrument of this month are wonder of them self. Much brain and builder talent with every. I salute you. I hope you will enjoy the guitar I now near to end. I will share it with you when I have complete case and amplifier. Michaelangelo Buonoratti : "when it is finished".

I find myself to enjoy the Elephant. It brings to memory a 'Roden' bass I admired. The Elephant is more of careful concern type build. I like his heavy single electromagnetic pickup. I like the headstock pattern it is like a mystic ankh.

Favorite way to cause vision of old age guitar is build and buy and live for many years.

Hephaestus always a favorite god ; the guitar direct from the ancient ash. Wonderful piece above description. Yes.

This website full of help and good use. Guitar persons are of good humor want to help with problems. A few perhaps not so much, but no person big desire to keep secrets. Not true inside many other hobby.  Guitar persons are intelligent artistic person of sensitive and taste. Even so when we run or jump or throw thing or curse or drink private or public or smoke upon stage or mock the audience. Maybe to kiss unknown girls.

Would have prefer StewartMacDonald Company retain name. Stewmac much like a food dish. Not cute. Not professional.

I employ a central ground busbar not individual solder to potentiometer case. Busbar (copper slug) grounded in two places for redundant. All grounded component connected to it. Use of drill and tap, not solder. Mechanical fasteners. Component easy to remove replace repair no wire cuts. No poison gas from solder.  I work for high voltage industry for decades apply methods to low voltage also. Potentiometer case weak and contain of delicate instrument not good for heat ground or common purpose!

I wish for you satisfaction and pleasure. I begin to consider self a lazy person with view of your work.

On 11/14/2020 at 9:58 AM, PRSpoggers said:

Ah you're across the pond I see! There are a lot of luthiery schools in America. quite a bit near me (In Maryland where I live and where PRS is located) and there's quite a bit on the east coast but I think the best in the states from what I know is Roberto Venn. I personally would love to become an apprentice to a luthier or tech or repair man. I was told by PRS that I could email them back in a year (next August is when I can email them again) and see if I could get an informational interview with them, maybe with someone from PTC which is the PRS tech center.

I would love to work at PRS because I know so many people that have family or cousins or nephews who work at PRS or who actually went to school with Paul! I live about 10 minutes from where Paul went to high school!! If that's not crazy then I'm a monkey's uncle! My school is also located about 5 minutes away from where Paul started building guitars, which (here's a little history lesson) is this bar/concert venue called "Ram's Head". Now, Paul had a little workshop above Ram's Head when he started in 1985, and every time I go down West Street and pass Ram's Head, I always look up at those windows and remember that it all started there!

My good friend teacher wishes for PRS to place clear signature on products. Does not approve poor hand-writing.

On 11/12/2020 at 10:26 PM, curtisa said:

Repairs. They're a consistent source of income, at least compared to exclusively locking yourself into making instruments. Successful and ongoing employment from making instruments is only viable for a vanishingly-small fraction of the workforce.

As to how you 'get into it', I'd have to say you need to demonstrate that you are good at it. You need to be able to convince someone with a faulty guitar, or person with a guitar that needs something modified, or a person that has a desire to have a custom instrument built that you have the experience and abilities to execute the work to their satisfaction. That could be word of mouth, a portfolio of work, a reputation you've built up over time. You will need to acquire many skills that can only be obtained through training. Some things may help speed up the process though - being practical with your hands is good, being creative, being determined, having good interpersonal skills.

Conversely you need to be prepared to be able to recover from a bad experience too - that repair may not go right, the one-off instrument may not turn out the way the customer hoped.

Being as young as you are I'd say absorb what you can from your school years early; get good at maths, engineering and other 'relevant' practical subjects - woodworking, machine shop, graphic design. Later on maybe approach local music shops or professional luthiers and find out if they have any traineeships going that you can apply for in instrument repair. In your spare time get your hands dirty and be interactive with the guitar - pull it apart, put it back together, repair it, modify it, learn what all the adjustments do and how they interact with each other, set up your instruments, work with your friends to adjust/repair/modify their instruments as well. Arguably your 'informal' training you exposes yourself to in your spare time through experimentation will be just as important as any formal training you receive from a mentor or instructor.

Excellent advice sir. Sale of labor more suitable. Please suggest electriker school lessons. Converse with players and elder repair persons.

On 1/4/2021 at 11:40 AM, PRSpoggers said:

They have people for specific needs, but I feel like doing one thing for 8 hours a day, 40 a week would just make me hate it. My eye doctor has a nephew who works at PRS and he's a sander and she says he loves it. I still gotta look around

I become belligerent and unreasonable when 8 / 40 .  Attention span of two hours for all things. Work or pleasure. Job description this thread sander at PRS I fail every specification except education degree. Would not like job. Hate fumes and particles. Unable to stand 8 hours, Unable to see or focus well long. All fail. They must continue without myself.

Experience my examples prove pleasant activity not so very pleasant to become business activity. Person of great creation ability to be rare as person of business. Thing of enjoy transformation to bloody pain with accounts due, government tax burden office works, products dead time line, special equipment. Much more. No time do what you are good for and love best. I believe two best separate.

Carlin some time fun. Some time not so fun. Some time right. Not always I think. Beer not friend of guitar build. Alcohol bad when electrical tool and cut tool. Many injuries will be happening to builder.

Strange is the thing to see productive 2020 wishes. Year sad for many of persons. Guitar builder happy in usual spot not need lots of person near him. Wonderful internet guitar pieces easy to find. Pieces post to your house. Better 2021 soon for all I think.