Major guitar compay's custom shops - is it worth it?

[Snake Aces]

Re: Major guitar compay's custom shops - is it worth it?

Vass gets it.

A cnc machine used to make the big cuts doesnt detract from it at all. Its that final shaping thats done by hand that counts. I know some and I dare say many production guitars now all the shaping is done by the machine a hand never touches the instrument until the strings are being put on.

I agree. I would love to have a hand shaped carved top LP-type of guitar. I have asked around and the one luthier I found who might be willing to take on the project refused to make a 24.75" scale neck. He only likes to make 25.5" scale necks and besides that his pricing was out of my range.

I will continue to play and enjoy my cnc machined Warmoth carved tops because they are awesome guitars. However, if I can ever afford a hand shaped carved top by a luthier willing to build it the way I'd like it I'd do it in a heartbeat.

 

[philthis]

Re: Major guitar compay's custom shops - is it worth it?

ok here is the deal......
Near me the G.C. built a brand new high dollar room in their new store. They got in 6 high dollar Fender Master Built strats $6500 bucks worth each one. Skeptical I played them through several high dollar amps with a few salesmen to test them out. 4 of them have the exact same hardware and electronics but all 4 play different. They really are Master built. I loved 1 out of the 4. Some rich "Farging Bastidge" bought it but I played it every week for about 2 months.
-Neck-quarter sawn all maple looked baked and oil finish with a custom profile-top of the line wonderful playability. Tuners vintage-frets 6505's
-Body-may have been baked but couldn't tell-Nitrous finish-custom electronics including on board preamp and pickups-body seemed fatter then a regular strat-same shape outline.
-bridge-was vintage with vintage saddles but the guitar stayed in key wonderfully-no issues-
-playability was out of this world good-all the little 10% extra's added up to %100 better.

my advice is this......Master built is just that-Master built. No two guitars are the same. For that money your going for the "Feel" as well as the features. If you can find one that feels awesome and you connect-you got a winner. If you want it custom made to your specs they can do that too. There is a price sheet and you can literally order what you want and they will build it. If you do that you will want to do your homework and find the features you like and have them build it for you but at that point you are saying.....I want a spec guitar with Fenders name on it to give it credibility cuz it wont be a regular strat anymore. Custom parts sound custom- not factory assembly line tone- but custom. There is a significant differance which you can hear especially well on your amps clean setting. It can be magic and sound even better.....or kind of "odd" and not quite rite. Be careful cuz Strats are modular and the sum of all parts make up one tone. A paticular bridge you select really does effect part of the tone as well as other things like vintage saddles and tuners. quarter sawn necks sound different too-yes regardless of if its maple or rosewood they still sound different so for that money you really must do your home work and know what you like.
A smart guy would play a few and decide what he likes or dislikes about them before he has one built. Its your money and they really will build you what you want. If a top notch American made strat already does it for you and has what you want then you will not find the value worth it. To me, if you happen to find a Master Built that already feels like a dream then get it cuz its a one off life long friend you will always treasure.

 

[DMR]

Re: Major guitar compay's custom shops - is it worth it?

Then those are the guys who don't truly deserve an instrument of that quality. If it's just to show off, that's not cool. I'd love a Ken Lawrence Explorer. Think any of those guys would pawn one off for $100?

I'd love a KL explorer myself. Personally, i've wondered if he ever gets tired of taking orders for them as he's always been primarily a bass guy. But I suppose getting those checks so consistently doesn't get old and makes up for having to make tons of Explorers for Hetfield fans. I just could never believe how often they ended up on the used market (often numerous times for the same guitar and they change hands like a hot potato).