Guest Luthier Series - Matt Artinger

[Matt Artinger]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Kevin--

I did go to Red Wing Tech in minnesota and did get certified in guitar restoration and repair, but it still was more of an 'idealistic' environment, and didn't teach me nearly as much as the real world scenarios I learned afterward. Maybe you can do a bit more research into an apprecticeship with someone out of state?

I'm 32 btw...but got my feet wet for REAL for the first time when I was your age.....so sky's the limit, and as long as you're determined, you'll get there....I think alot of why I really succeeded so young was stubborn determination actually, haa,haa!!

 

[Matt Artinger]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Hi Erik!
Thanks so much and I'm glad we're getting the chance to chat, and that I'm getting a chance to introduce you to my instruments!

Hmm...my favorite martin....I'd have to say an OM-42 would be my fave...I've always gravitated to orchestra models over dreadnaughts ;-)

 

[Matt Artinger]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Hi Firebird!
Back to the acoustic shape--I'd say the OM hands down, and although it's exceedingly rare (i have just a few sets and am sitting on them like fort knox) Brazilian rosewood back and sides and adirondack top......built with hide glue like the martin authentic series....that would be godly!

 

[Matt Artinger]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Firebird---as for padauk...YES..I have used it on some of my earlier basses, but have never incorporated it into a guitar....the main frustration with padauk is the way it tends to 'bleed' into lighter woods when sanded or hit with solvent....It has some pretty potent color!!!!

 

[MikeM]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

There is tons of debate over what has the largest influence on the sound of an instrument, but in your opinion, on a traditional solid body guitar, what has more of an impact on tone, the neck and fretboard or the body? I like most people have always thought the body but as I have researched this more I am starting to wonder if the neck is not equally or even more important..

Also obviously you use very high grade materials, what makes timber good tonewood?

Thanks
Mike

 

[Matt Artinger]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Hey Mike,

I deal with this same debate all of the time, but the more guitars I build, the more I realize that the answer is ALL of the above. The guitar is a series of puzzle pieces, and depending on how you combine and stack those pieces determines the end tonal result. From neck material, to neck construction, to neck joint, to body material, body weight and density, fingerboard material, even fret compression makes a difference!!!

As for what makes timber good tonewood....I think alot of it has to do with consistency in the grain pattern and consistent density of that particular piece of lumber to transfer sound...some woods are soft, some are hard, but they all share that level of 'continuity' in their grain structure....does that make sense?

 

[MikeM]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

I believe Ron Kirn has the same view as you I am still on the fence though!

Yes it does, thanks!

 

[Matt Artinger]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

The main ammo I can use to back it up with Mike--

Just recently, I had a request for a cocobolo fingerboard...all elements of the guitar were the same but it was the first time using that particular fingerboard material, and when completed, the guitar sounded like one of my guitars, but I could hear a noticeable difference....was it better or worse? Neither...but suprisingly different! I hold the theory that I could swap out any one of my 'normal' materials and hear a difference, but my ear has been so trained at this point to recognize the sound of my guitars that I may have a more sensitive ear than most.

Glad my description made sense on the lumber front...I feared it might have been a bit too 'artsy-fartsy' as an explanation, haa,haa!

 

[firebirdV]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

I think I have been moving towards smaller bodies as well. They seem especially suited for my current styles which are mostly fingerpicking and slide playing, although I prefer a good national resonator for slide guitar myself (I was lucky to be born in a household with 3 nationals).

I have only played one padauk guitar, a concert size with a spruce top, but I really liked it. Of course guitars are dependent on a great number of factors, so I can't attribute the sound entirely to the tone wood, but there was something about this guitar which was unique that I really liked. I had no idea that the wood was so hard to work with though.

 

[tc]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

I dunno if someone already asked this but...

What drove you to take working with guitars to the next step? It isn't anyone who goes from say, screwing around with a guitar's setup to sitting down and planning a build. It takes some guts and some kind of spirit or drive that a lot of people don't have...

Did you take any sort of formal education on the subject?

Thanks!

Edit: Just read the thread....delete the last question haha

 

[firebirdV]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

I don't think I'm going to be around until this is over, so I would like to thank you now for doing this.

 

[Matt Artinger]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Hi TC!

I think most of it was attributed to being young and full of the kind of stubborn determination we have when we're young!! I never gave a second thought to how difficult it possibly could be, I just plowed through it..haa,haa!!!!

As for formal training in guitarmaking, I'm mostly self taught, and alot of the first instuments I made were complete disasters, but as in anything, I eventually learned not to repeat the same mistakes. The funny thing is that even after 500 guitars, it still takes a bit of fortitude not to repeat any mistakes!

 

[Matt Artinger]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Firebird---

Thank YOU so much for participating and it's great to meet you!!!! If you haven't peroused the gallery pages on my website, please do, and let me know what you think!
Matt

 

[tc]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Ok I figured since most people are asking tons of technical questions about guitars I'd just step back a bit for a second...

Who made you pickup the guitar? Favorite records? Guilty pleasures (music wise)? Most underrated players? Overrated players?

 

[baritone]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Hi there. I was wondering what kind of bracing you use for the body on your full-hollow models.

 

[Matt Artinger]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Hey Baritone!

I use somewhat of a non traditional approach with my hollows, with the primary intent of eliminating feedback. Rather than having a free floating top and back that are fighting each other and exciting themselves at different frequencies, I tie them together with a soundpost under the bridge so that they act in unison. I also 'box out' my pickups with lightweight spruce to separate them from the sound chamber itself, and allow them to be shielded inside their cavities. Both of these elements have made a HUGE difference in the performance of my hollows without sacrificing the open woody tone associated with most hollows!

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Hi Matt.

Welcome to the forum. You have some mightily impressive instruments on your website!!

On average, how long would the process take from a customer's initial contact with you, to the completion of the instrument?

If you had to have another luthier build a guitar for you, who would it be, and what type of guitar would it be?

Who would you most like to jam with?

 

[ex-250]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

BTMN....e-mail me later and I'll scare up some pics for you!

wow, i also really wanna see this. BTMN, be sure to post those pics.

Matt, have you done any flying V builds?

 

[Matt Artinger]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Tc...Haa,haa!!

Well, as for what made me pick up the guitar, I was at JUST the right (and impressionable) age to see the inception of MTV in the early 80's, and although it's embarrassing to admit now, I was in awe of all of the crazy painted, crazy shaped metal guitars being flashed all over MTV at that time, and became absolutely hooked....My first few guitars were made of cardboard at about 5 years old!!!

As for favorite records, my stepdad was a Grateful Dead taper in the 70's, and had a HUGE collection,so the dead, allmans, steely dan, etc were always playing in the background around me growing up. I'm still well within that realm now as an adult, and have always gravitated toward the 'jamband' scene musically

As for the most underrated player I've ever heard and seen-------don't laugh----Prince...that dude can shred, and has more bluesy soul than anyone gives him credit for. Another guitar player that didn't hit my radar until recently is Frank Zappa...I've always known him for politics and goofy lyrics, but yet again---a man ahead of his time

Overrated players-----I shouldn't go there, E-mail me in private and I'll dish to you, haa,haa!!!!

 

[Matt Artinger]

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Re: LIVE NOW - Guest Luthier Matt Artinger

Hey Stevie!

Thank you SO much! Right now, with a deposit secured, my earliest start date for a new guitar would be for late december, early january, with approximately 22-24 weeks of build time to completion.

If I had the choice of any other builder to make me a guitar, it would be John Monteleone, and rather than dictating anything about what I'd want, I'd give him free range to suprise the heck out of me...and I know he would!
As for who I'd most like to jam with...I have an ecclectic answer of two people who are on opposite sides of the music spectrum...I'd say either Warren Haynes, or Amos Lee..