Boutique Handmade Acoustics

McSwaggerty · May 2017

Are handmade acoustic guitars such as Bourgeois, Lame Horse and Fairbanks etc, really worth 2 or 3 times as much as a good Martin or a Collings.....??

richardhomer · May 2017

Probably not in most cases.

I'd certainly never commission one - I'd only ever buy a guitar I can play before I part with my money.

Among the top five acoustics I've ever played was a 1973 Martin D35 - which was about £1300. Better than any Collings or new Martin I've played.

earwighoney · May 2017

McSwaggerty said:

Are handmade acoustic guitars such as Bourgeois, Lame Horse and Fairbanks etc, really worth 2 or 3 times as much as a good Martin or a Collings.....??

Depends. It's a tricky question to answer, it's all down to one's appreciation of the guitar itself and how much disposable income one has and what value it provides which is all down to the individual.

FWIW, I'd recommend making a trip to a guitar shop where it's possible to find them and try them out.

jellyroll · May 2017

Is a Martin worth 2 or 3 times a Takamine or a Faith? Is a Faith worth 2 or 3 times a Fender?

Is a Manzer worth 2 or 3 times a Bourgeois?

Lewy · May 2017

McSwaggerty said:

Are handmade acoustic guitars such as Bourgeois, Lame Horse and Fairbanks etc, really worth 2 or 3 times as much as a good Martin or a Collings.....??

"Worth" is complex as others have said. But I think it's fair to say that a really good player - by which I mean one who goes beyond just playing the notes and really takes responsibility for their technique generating tone - will generally find more worth in these very high end instruments. Otherwise they wouldn't play them (these types of luthiers don't give 'em away for exposure...there may be a discount but these players still pay a lot for them - and I'm sure people like Bryan Sutton could get all the free new Martins they wanted.....).

Jimbro66 · May 2017

McSwaggerty said:

Are handmade acoustic guitars such as Bourgeois, Lame Horse and Fairbanks etc, really worth 2 or 3 times as much as a good Martin or a Collings.....??

The short answer is that things are worth what buyers are prepared to pay. If not there would be no market to sustain a business. It's as much to do with choice and, to a certain extent individuality, as comparative quality.

jellyroll · May 2017

There is a video out there in which Richard Hoover of Santa Cruz makes the point that a factory will (and must) make every guitar to the same exact spec whereas a handmade guitar is made in consideration of the inherent frequencies of the piece(s) of wood that go into it.

Regarding the the point above re experts, I don't disagree but I don't think one needs to be an expert to tell the difference between an average guitar and a great one. I'm a case in point - terrible player but I know a highly resonant guitar when I strum one.

woody · May 2017

You will pick up a secondhand bourgeois for similar money as a collings,or maybe 20% more than a similar specd s/h Martin and they are really superb.there is a lovely example currently for sale on the classifieds here.

Lewy · May 2017

jellyroll said:

Regarding the the point above re experts, I don't disagree but I don't think one needs to be an expert to tell the difference between an average guitar and a great one. I'm a case in point - terrible player but I know a highly resonant guitar when I strum one.

If it was my point you are referencing, then I agree you don't need to be an expert to tell the difference, My point was that, typically, the the better the player, the more they can do with that difference and thus the "worth" increases in line with ability.

octatonic · May 2017

IMHO absolutely yes.
But it is a complex topic- It depends on the builder and what they are trying to achieve with their builds. I will be able to write more about this when back in the UK on Monday.

mgaw · May 2017

what you consider great etc will change as you progress, a "type" made by a brilliant luthier will always be better than more "mass" produced, for example if you fancy a vintage Gibson guitar you could do a lot worse than try a Fairbanks for example, its his thing and he is totally into that.

The small specialist custom builder can focus as narrowly as he wants and therefore excel within a specialist niche.

a Sobbell has a sound as does a Forster as does a Wayne Henderson etc etc

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