Hanging around on guitar forums i often see discussions about the price of acoustic guitars. Topics such as “best guitar for $xx?”, or “Are $5K guitars really worth it?”, or “Who needs such an expensive guitar?”.
I want to ramble a bit about what you get at different price points, and show how all guitars are not necessarily created equal.
The pre World War II Martins are sometimes called the Golden Age of Lutherie. Guitars from that era can command six figure prices. I don’t know if it was the craftsmanship going on in the Martin factory, plus the availability of Brazillian Rosewood and Red Spruce at the time. I have never played any specific guitars from this era, but tons of players say they sound outstanding.
There are many, myself included, that say the present is the second Golden Age of Lutherie. They are now more independent and small shop guitar builders than ever before. When I open Acoustic Guitar magazine i see ads for a ton of builders i have never heard of. Thanks to the internet and the ease of information exchange guidance for how to build an acoustic guitar is readily available online, at certain schools, and in a myriad of books. And there are a ton of talented builders out there.
Acoustic guitars are generally manufactured three main ways.
Factories are the big time manufactures. Folks like Martin, Gibson, Taylor, Larrivee, as well as locations over in Asia. Guitars in factories are built assembly line style. Every top, back, side, brace, neck, and other part of a particular model guitar is milled to the same dimensions and thickness. They have found dimensions that work for a particular model, and each guitar that comes off the line for that model is crafted to those dimensions. These places churn out hundreds of guitars a day, so there is no time to evaluate each piece of wood for density, stiffness, or tap tone, and then decide if its better suited to type of guitar or another. For example, two guitar tops that look identical can differ in density and stiffness. A stiffer top might be better suited for a larger guitar that is going to be strummed hard, and a less stiff top will be better suited for a smaller guitar played by a sensitive fingerpicker. But in this type of production model there is no time for this. So with factory guitars some of them will be exceptional, some of them will be not so good, and most of them will be right in the middle. There is nothing wrong with that, I have played some great Martins, Taylors, Gibsons, and Larrivee’s. This style of large production makes it possible to get into a well made acoustic guitar for a much lower price point than a small shop or one man builder. Its all economics.
The next step would be a small shop. This can be anywhere from 5 to 30 employees, so obviously a much smaller scale than the factories mentioned above. Examples include makers like Collings, Santa Cruz, and until his recent downsizing, Goodall Guitars. The smaller scale here means more individual pieces of wood can be evaluated. Heavier tops will be thinned so they respond well for the desired instrument. Lighter tops might be set aside for a small parlor guitar. Bracewood will be organized by weight and density. Generally each worker in a small shop will have a bench, with different folks doing different parts of the process. The head of the shop will perhaps float between each station, checking work and making sure things are done correctly. Guitars from small shops are much more consistent, and due to economies of scale, generally cost more as well.
The final step is a one man shop, or perhaps someone working with one assistant. At this level its possible to scrutinize each piece of wood, and spend alot of time making sure the right wood goes into the right instrument. For example when i had my guitar built, i went to the makers shop, played for him, and we spent some time, going through his wood stash and finding a responsive top for my lighter touch. Its also easier to customize things at this stage, such as a custom neck profile, scale length, or string spacing. Accordingly guitars built by a single reputable luthier are usually more expensive than a small shop, due to the time and labor that go into them.
So those are the three main scales at which acoustic guitars are built. Factories have made guitars good beginner guitars available for as little as a few hundred dollars. For $1200 or so from a factory you can get good instrument, made with all solid wood, and ebony fingerboard and bridge, and something that will last you a lifetime. Get up into $2500 and you are looking at small shop guitars. To get a guitar from a single luthier you are looking at at least $3000, up to as much as you want to spend.
So that bring me to my next topic. Folks often say, why do you need a $3000 dollar guitar, my $600 guitar sounds fine, and i love it. First off, that statement is relative to the player and the sound they want. When i was first starting out i did not know the difference between a $600 guitar and a $6000 guitar. Being new to the instrument my sensitivity to tone, playability, volume, sustain, etc were not developed. Over the years as i have become a better player and experienced more guitars i have a better idea for the sound i like and what works for me. In the end i had to go to a solo luthier to get that sound, and felt fortunate to be able to be in the position to do so. I think you should keep trying guitars till you get the sound you want, whether its in a $1500 guitar or a $5000 guitar. I truly feel that small shop or guitars built by one person offer a remarkable difference from a mass produced guitar. The attention to detail with the wood and voicing just takes things to that next level, to me. I suppose its like anything else. My computer speakers sound fine for music to me, but an audiophile would scoff at my setup, saying i am missing out so much of the music. My Toyota Matrix gets me around fine, and i don’t feel i need anything else. Other folks are going to want the luxury of a high end BMW. Its all about what you like, and want to spend your money on.
Does that mean a beginner should go i and spend a $1000 on their first instrument? Probably not, i say pick up a decent beginner instrument and if you think are you are going stick with it get something better a year down the line. But if you have the expendable income then go for it.
I am just lucky i don’t play violin, cello, or piano. Those guys have to take out a mortgage for a professional level instrument.
Anton
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