Starting My Own Guitar Company

**Archie** · 08-10-2021, 09:08 PM

Hi Everyone!

I haven't posted on this forum much over the last 4-5 years, so I would like to start this thread by wishing all my friends and fellow members well.
I've often thought about you guys but have refrained from contributing due to other commitments.

During my hiatus I've been working and saving money, to start my own guitar business.
I now have a workshop and enough funds to equip it with the tools needed, to start production.

I will need a lot of help and who better to ask than friends and members here?

And with that...

Cheers!

**Donplaysguitar** · 08-10-2021, 09:27 PM

Are you a luthier?

**rabbit** · 08-10-2021, 10:15 PM

ArchtopHeaven,

All the best to you!

**TOMMO** · 08-11-2021, 01:57 AM

All the best wishes for your endavour!

**Gitterbug** · 08-11-2021, 02:25 AM

Anyone who ventures into building hollow-bodies (as I assume) is more than welcome and worthy of all encouragement. You will obviously have to rely on the home market for starters; Brexit didn't exactly help conquering continental Europe. The demise of the American industrially-made archtops has opened up opportunities for boutique builders everywhere. You probably won't start from the high end, given the relative proximity of e.g. reputable Dutch luthiers who can sell a carved archtop for the price of a good used Gibson laminate.

Judging from past threads, what many jazz guitarists would appreciate is a reasonably-priced, lightweight laminate build à la ES-125, maybe 2" rims and some attention to feedback resistance - i.e. a reliable gigging tool. One neck-mounted mini-HB like Schaller's AZ instead of a stingy P-90 might be my preference. I admit it's a bit of a Bermuda Triangle between Godin 5th Avenue, ever-improving Asian builds and the ocean of used archtops and semis out there. Any striking or unorthodox design features will help you stand out but also scare away some; guitarists are utterly conservative.

As for solid-bodies, there must be at least 20 pro builders in my small country (Finland) alone, all claiming uniqueness. From the distance of two meters, much of what you see and hear at guitar shows is seemingly identical Strato or Tele clones. Some of these well-trained luthiers make a living in symbiosis with schools, repairing beginners' guitars and changing strings.

**Archie** · 08-11-2021, 07:16 AM

Originally Posted by Gitterbug

Anyone who ventures into building hollow-bodies (as I assume) is more than welcome and worthy of all encouragement. You will obviously have to rely on the home market for starters; Brexit didn't exactly help conquering continental Europe. The demise of the American industrially-made archtops has opened up opportunities for boutique builders everywhere. You probably won't start from the high end, given the relative proximity of e.g. reputable Dutch luthiers who can sell a carved archtop for the price of a good used Gibson laminate.

Judging from past threads, what many jazz guitarists would appreciate is a reasonably-priced, lightweight laminate build à la ES-125, maybe 2" rims and some attention to feedback resistance - i.e. a reliable gigging tool. One neck-mounted mini-HB like Schaller's AZ instead of a stingy P-90 might be my preference. I admit it's a bit of a Bermuda Triangle between Godin 5th Avenue, ever-improving Asian builds and the ocean of used archtops and semis out there. Any striking or unorthodox design features will help you stand out but also scare away some; guitarists are utterly conservative.

As for solid-bodies, there must be at least 20 pro builders in my small country (Finland) alone, all claiming uniqueness. From the distance of two meters, much of what you see and hear at guitar shows is seemingly identical Strato or Tele clones. Some of these well-trained luthiers make a living in symbiosis with schools, repairing beginners' guitars and changing strings.

Hi Gitterbug

Yes to all of that. I am aware that starting out in an over crowded, shrinking market, is likely a terrible idea but I will hopefully be trying something a little different.

I don't see myself as wanting to be a luthier or ever becoming one. Learning to carve a top would be economically senseless. The time it would take to master v:s market competition, makes it a terrible return on my time. I'm a player with an engineering mindset and an ocd regarding quality. Those are my skill sets.

I have some phenomenal technology on my side and the experience of having owned or played nearly every jazz guitar of note.
Every time I've played one, I noted why it was good or why it wasn't. I've distilled that down into what I think matters to players as well as what made some more aesthetically pleasing than others (subjective).

I note this is also the experience and thoughts of many other builders. So I'm not unique here however I have one USP I think will be exciting and a potential game changer.

Cheers

**Archie** · 08-11-2021, 07:19 AM

No

**marcwhy** · 08-11-2021, 07:35 AM

Hey Archtop,
Congrats on your journey!
It would be nice to: share your name; contact info; website/FB; pics of finished guitars or builds-in-process; and, of course, typical price ranges, since "budget" is as critical as the specs for many of us!

Thanks!
Marc

**Christian Miller** · 08-11-2021, 09:50 AM

Sorry, are you based in the UK?

**Archie** · 08-11-2021, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by marcwhy

Hey Archtop,
Congrats on your journey!
It would be nice to: share your name; contact info; website/FB; pics of finished guitars or builds-in-process; and, of course, typical price ranges, since "budget" is as critical as the specs for many of us!

Thanks!
Marc

Hi Marc. All will come in time. I'm still in the processor tooling up.

Cheers.

**Rob MacKillop** · 08-11-2021, 10:15 AM

Hi archtop-heaven, long-time no see. Good to have you back.

If you are not wanting to be a luthier, yet are tooling up, are you getting instruments half-made in China, and finishing them off in your workshop?

**bananafist** · 08-11-2021, 10:55 AM

Good luck with your plans. I shall await further info with interest.

**citizenk74** · 08-11-2021, 11:26 AM

Welcome back, A.H. I wish you the best of luck!

**TOMMO** · 08-11-2021, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by Christian Miller

Sorry, are you based in the UK?

Since he gives his location as "England" I think so...

**Jabberwocky** · 08-11-2021, 11:47 AM

I dare say he might be from Arkansas.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/England,_Arkansas

**Christian Miller** · 08-11-2021, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by TOMMO

Since he gives his location as "England" I think so...

that’s kind of cool then. Don’t know of many makers in the UK

**2bornot2bop** · 08-11-2021, 04:02 PM

Don’t forget to continue doing what you were doing, buying used, buying low, and flipping that guitar. Good luck!

**Drifter** · 08-11-2021, 04:51 PM

Great news, wish you well, curious about your USP.

**Archie** · 08-11-2021, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop

Hi archtop-heaven, long-time no see. Good to have you back.

If you are not wanting to be a luthier, yet are tooling up, are you getting instruments half-made in China, and finishing them off in your workshop?

Hi Rob, nice to be back and see you too.

No all UK made. In fact it might be the other way round. I'll likely be looking for someone who will finish the guitar s for me.
I'm not a luthier and I'm not an expert in spraying nitros or other finishes.
I believe what I can bring to the venture is experience as a player and a collector who was and is always looking to improve things, if I can.

**Archie** · 08-11-2021, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by Drifter

Great news, wish you well, curious about your USP.

Thanks Drifter.

Well it will likely take a year or two to get going. It's big project.

It's actually the original idea I had when I was collecting back in 2014/2016.
I just had to go away and earn the money to set up shop. Some years getting distracted and here I am.

**Archie** · 08-11-2021, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop

Don’t forget to continue doing what you were doing, buying used, buying low, and flipping that guitar. Good luck!

Hey 2B, great to chat again.

Yes those days are over. I did what I did as part of the experience I needed in order to build this business.
I needed to play as many jazz guitars as I could. I simply had no other way of getting that experience.
It was a lot of fun but ultimately I felt it was becoming a little unethical. I felt myself becoming an Arthur Daily and that didn't sit right.

I never cheated anyone, I was honest to a fault and I always left some meat on the bone for when they came to sell but the market was getting crowded and the joy had gone.

Funny story. I had 5 guitars sitting under my bed for about 3 years until recently, as part of the final batch I bought in 2016.
I didn't get round to letting them go because I couldn't bring myself to get back on ebay and sell them.
A few moths ago I finally put them up:

1x Melancon Tele Pro T
1x Aria Pro II Herb Ellis (mij)
1x Guild SF2 (Westerly, red mahogany, mint)
1x Ibanez GB20 (modded)

They all sold in 4 days. It turns out I was selling them at 2016 prices lol

I'm not sure if you've noticed not being in the UK but there haven't been any deals or many jazz guitars coming onto the market at all. It's as if the whole thing has dried up, or my search parameters are all wrong. I still check almost daily out of habit but not a single thing worth bidding on has come up in nearly 2 years and the prices are too high.

I'm sure other UK members will have the same experience.