Why do You Build ?

[PhilHill]

I've been considering this lately. First thought is that I build because I love to, and that's true. But I've gotten to a point in life where the list of what's really important grows smaller. I used to obsess about every little detail. I'm too tired for that anymore, don't get me wrong I take pride in my work my Dad would come back to life and smack me if I didn't, but I have come to realize that certain things need to be just so, but life will go on if the rest isn't perfect.
Anymore when I build a guitar important things are; Does it have what it takes to "speak" to a player. , Does it have a unique voice and spirit within it?, Does it play well and is it comfortable to play and will it stay that way. Can someone look at it and not say "Who made this crap?", When you take it in your hands and hold it will it feel like an old friend or a WalMart special?, These are what's important to me now a days. I don't really want to make Objects D' Art or Museum pieces. The finish doesn't have to look a thousand miles deep, a couple of feet is fine. I want it to look like a person created it for another person. I worked thirty + years as a machinist for my day job, I know that precision can be important, but too much precision results in sterility in some things. I don't want sterile, I want a comfortable friend I can conspire with to make music.
Any body else have thoughts on the matter?

 

[BroccoliRob]

Uh, it's fun and i can get ops and other stuff big companies dont offer

 

[PhilHill]

Uh, it's fun and i can get ops and other stuff big companies dont offer

That's quite true, personal customization is nice. And, after all, what's the point if ya can't have fun!

 

[aussieowner]

I like working on guitars, so there’s that. It’s fun to go through the showcase and look for bargains, then build a custom guitar for less than custom shop prices. Fender Telecasters with fancy tops go for $2500. I built my quilt top Tele for around $1000, with the the specs I wanted. Sounds and plays great.

 

[mayfly]

I build because I cannot get the instruments I need any other way.  No one out there makes a guitar the way I want it.  For me the instrument is a tool to express music as I hear it.  And it seems I hear it differently from most other folks. 

The fact that it's way cheaper than a custom instrument is a bonus.  And it's fun  :headbang:

BTW, this is also how I got into building amps, mixers, condenser mics, preamps, HiFi amps, HiFi loudspeakers, etc.

 

[PhilHill]

I like working on guitars, so there’s that. It’s fun to go through the showcase and look for bargains, then build a custom guitar for less than custom shop prices. Fender Telecasters with fancy tops go for $2500. I built my quilt top Tele for around $1000, with the the specs I wanted. Sounds and plays great.

I gotta agree with you on that.

 

[PhilHill]

I build because I cannot get the instruments I need any other way.  No one out there makes a guitar the way I want it.  For me the instrument is a tool to express music as I hear it.  And it seems I hear it differently from most other folks. 

The fact that it's way cheaper than a custom instrument is a bonus.  And it's fun  :headbang:

BTW, this is also how I got into building amps, mixers, condenser mics, preamps, HiFi amps, HiFi loudspeakers, etc.

I know what you mean, I got into building computers for family and friends for a few years the same way. :icon_thumright:

 

[BigSteve22]

For the last 25, years my job was a constant uphill battle against a tidal wave of $hit. Violence, contention, and stupidity everywhere, and nothing was ever completed. Months after an incident, you were still dealing with it, even as new crap was hitting the fan. For me, building started as a way to have something that could actually be "completed". Humans need to have a sense of finality about something, in order to feel they have accomplished something. If nothing ever ends, nothing is ever complete, and we start to feel lost.

I've played since I was 9 years old. Never really had the scratch for luxury items like electric guitars. I had a couple, but additions were few and far between. Building gave me something I could plan and complete, and actually feel like I had accomplished something. Now that I'm retired, I have some of the best guitars I've ever played, set up exactly as I like them, and I actually have the time to enjoy them. Already planning another build....

AND, I got to meet all you great guys/gals on the forum. You cheered me up several times when i really needed it. You guys are the best!
:icon_thumright:

 

[PhilHill]

For the last 25, years my job was a constant uphill battle against a tidal wave of $hit. Violence, contention, and stupidity everywhere, and nothing was ever completed. Months after an incident, you were still dealing with it, even as new crap was hitting the fan. For me, building started as a way to have something that could actually be "completed". Humans need to have a sense of finality about something, in order to feel they have accomplished something. If nothing ever ends, nothing is ever complete, and we start to feel lost.

I've played since I was 9 years old. Never really had the scratch for luxury items like electric guitars. I had a couple, but additions were few and far between. Building gave me something I could plan and complete, and actually feel like I had accomplished something. Now that I'm retired, I have some of the best guitars I've ever played, set up exactly as I like them, and I actually have the time to enjoy them. Already planning another build....

AND, I got to meet all you great guys/gals on the forum. You cheered me up several times when i really needed it. You guys are the best!
:icon_thumright:

Well Said. Another thing Humans need is Hope, a person without hope is a dangerous animal.... But I digress, and we all know how painful that can be....Back to the Party :turtle:

 

[arealken]

First off, great idea for a thread, TY.
I guess, unlike many of you , I  hate, hate , hate  working on guitars, it's the bane of my existence, and to me , it is anything but fun. That said, I have forced myself to do it for better or worse( and trust me, it's been worse plenty of times). I have gotten better at assembly  through trail and error over the 10 years I have been at it, but my 'skills' are not advanced.
Anyway, I assemble Warmoths, about 7 Strats, and a couple Teles, because i try to get an approximation of certain iconic vintage sounds, mostly with period correct pickups and similar  tonewoods , some with total vintage appointments, other with vintage / modern for exceptional playability tailored to my particular preferences  .
I assemble my guitars around period correct replicas of pickups, IOW, have a 57 Strat mock up that is a pretty much dead on interpretation of that iconic Strat w/ 57 replica pickups and alder body and maple neck, then I have a '61  replica that duplicates the warmer/ less bright  more muted tone  of the strat of the 60's with a Koa  body and  Koa neck/ Ziricote fretbaord with 1962 period correct pickups.  Then I have a super lightweight alder body with maple neck Strat that approximates the late 60's Hendrexian sound with vintage period 1969 correct pickups.
I also have a early 50's strat in the works with low output '55 Strat pickups, that I will buy a Warmoth roasted Maple neck for.
The fun certainly does not stop there with the vintage replica agenda. I have other that I think outside the box on... a Warmoth Mahogany Start with a with glorious sounding Rio Grande hot wound pickups  with an absurdly great Warmoth exotic wood neck of Goncalo Alves that is way off the charts in terms of playablity and tone, and a Walnut H-S-S Strat with a Warmoth pure Rosewood neck with Ziriocote fretbaord  with a Dimarzio Gravity Storm bridge pickup that is nothing short of sublime in every respect.
One thing I have discovered is that Warmoths exotic wood options can take an ordinary type guitar into another dimension of greatness; case in point is when I had a Maple neck on my Warmoth Alder body EMG Gilmour tribute Strat. It sounded great, but when I put an also bright , but exotic wood neck on it (  Padouk/ Ebony), the tone became so much richer.
One of my Telecaster  is made for modern playability and sounds excellent and plays superbly with an Alder body ( and beautiful quilt Maple top, and  Koa /Ziricote neck, and the other is a pure vintage style with period correct early 50's pickups and a Ash/ Maple neck.
Add all this to the fact I can have so may options for fret wire, radius and neck profile, plus am able add the best available hardware to my builds , and custom wiring and pickups( and I do!).
Thank you Warmoth, no mass produced cookie cutter stuff for me!

 

[PhilHill]

First off, great idea for a thread, TY.
I guess, unlike many of you , I  hate, hate , hate  working on guitars, it's the bane of my existence, and to me , it is anything but fun. That said, I have forced myself to do it for better or worse( and trust me, it's been worse plenty of times). I have gotten better at assembly  through trail and error over the 10 years I have been at it, but my 'skills' are not advanced.
Anyway, I assemble Warmoths, about 7 Strats, and a couple Teles, because i try to get an approximation of certain iconic vintage sounds, mostly with period correct pickups and similar  tonewoods , some with total vintage appointments, other with vintage / modern for exceptional playability tailored to my particular preferences  .
I assemble my guitars around period correct replicas of pickups, IOW, have a 57 Strat mock up that is a pretty much dead on interpretation of that iconic Strat w/ 57 replica pickups and alder body and maple neck, then I have a '61  replica that duplicates the warmer/ less bright  more muted tone  of the strat of the 60's with a Koa  body and  Koa with 1962 period correct pickups.  Then I have a super lightweight alder body with maple neck Strat that approximates the late 60's Hendrexian sound with vintage period 1969 correct pickups.
I also have a early 50's strat in the works with low output '55 Strat pickups, that I will buy a Warmoth roasted Maple neck for.
The fun certainly does not stop there with the vintage replica agenda. I have other that I think outside the box on... a Warmoth Mahogany Start with a with glorious sounding Rio Grande hot wound pickups  with an absurdly great Warmoth exotic wood neck of Goncalo Alves that is way off the charts in terms of playablity and tone, and a Walnut H-S-S Strat with a Warmoth pure Rosewood neck with Ziriocote fretbaord  with a Dimarzio Gravity Storm bridge pickup that is nothing short of sublime in every respect.
One thing I have discovered is that Warmoths exotic wood options can take an ordinary type guitar into another dimension of greatness; case in point is when I had a Maple neck on my Warmoth Alder body EMG Gilmour tribute Strat. It sounded great, but when I put an also bright , but exotic wood neck on it (  Padouk/ Ebony), the tone became so much richer.
One of my Telecaster  is made for modern playability and sounds excellent and plays superbly with an Alder body ( and beautiful quilt Maple top, and  Koa /Ziricote neck, and the other is a pure vintage style with period correct early 50's pickups and a Ash/ Maple neck.
Add all this to the fact I can add the best available hardware to my builds , and custom wiring and pickups( and I do!).
Thank you Warmoth, no mass produced cookie cutter stuff for me!

First Off, ThankYou, I thought so too

Now for someone who Hate, hate, hates to work on guitars, you appear to have engaged in alot of self torture. I congratulate you on your dedication and perseverance. Sounds like sweet collection. Just remember, if the results you get satisfy you, that's the only opinion that matters. Keep up the good work. :icon_thumright:

 

[Cagey]

I could all the reasons given so far, but I guess in the end the whole thing just so satisfying, I have to do it again. It's kinda like making a good meal. I enjoy doing it, and often make others happy as well.

 

[rgand]

It seems that I always want to have something that isn't available 'off the shelf'. When I was young I just accepted that the only way to get something I really like is to do it myself. Early on I found more enjoyment using of something I've made or customized myself than making do with run of the mill stuff. Guitars are one of those things that can be beautiful as well as functional.

I could all the reasons given so far, but I guess in the end the whole thing just so satisfying, I have to do it again. It's kinda like making a good meal. I enjoy doing it, and often make others happy as well.

This sums it up nicely. :icon_thumright:

 

[AcrylicSuperman]

I build for two reasons. First, I love building things. I also build lightsabers with full light and sound as a hobby. Second, I have gone through some life altering injuries that have left me with some disabilities. I can still play, but I've reached a point where I can no longer pull just any guitar off a shelf and play it. There are custom appointments that I require, so it is more beneficial for me to build something custom than to have to heavily modify something pre-existing.

 

[PhilHill]

I could all the reasons given so far, but I guess in the end the whole thing just so satisfying, I have to do it again. It's kinda like making a good meal. I enjoy doing it, and often make others happy as well.

Not to mention that weird moment of truth when you plug it in for the first time and hit the first string.    :guitarplayer2:

 

[PhilHill]

It seems that I always want to have something that isn't available 'off the shelf'. When I was young I just accepted that the only way to get something I really like is to do it myself. Early on I found more enjoyment using of something I've made or customized myself than making do with run of the mill stuff. Guitars are one of those things that can be beautiful as well as functional.

I could all the reasons given so far, but I guess in the end the whole thing just so satisfying, I have to do it again. It's kinda like making a good meal. I enjoy doing it, and often make others happy as well.

This sums it up nicely. :icon_thumright:

Nothing like picking up the guitar, giving it a look over and thinking "Yeah! I made this!

 

[PhilHill]

I build for two reasons. First, I love building things. I also build lightsabers with full light and sound as a hobby. Second, I have gone through some life altering injuries that have left me with some disabilities. I can still play, but I've reached a point where I can no longer pull just any guitar off a shelf and play it. There are custom appointments that I require, so it is more beneficial for me to build something custom than to have to heavily modify something pre-existing.

My hats off to you. Perseverance and courage like yours we could use a lot more of nowadays. :rock-on:

 

[Cagey]

Not to mention that weird moment of truth when you plug it in and hit the first string.    :guitarplayer2:

I always expect it to work. What I'm usually curious about is what it's going to sound like. I often use pickups I haven't used before, in combination with neck/body wood matchups I haven't used before, so while I think I know what to expect I really never know. Fortunately, the only real surprises have been pleasant.

 

[Strat Avenger]

I do it because 1) I can get a very high quality guitar with all of my personal favorite specifications for a fraction of the cost of having Fender, Suhr, Anderson, ESP, etc custom shop build it for me, and 2) I get a great deal of satisfaction from putting my own personal creativity into it. No, I don't carve bodies & necks, and I don't do fretwork. I'm not a luthier, but I select every single component, and I am real good at doing all the assembly, including wiring myself. I've even done my own contoured heels. A good friend of mine is a professional painter and he does all my finishes. I tell him exactly what colors I want. I also do the finish on the backs of the necks myself with Tru-Oil. I end up with 100% American-made guitars that play and sound and look as good as anything you can buy.
I love Warmoth.
:guitaristgif:

 

[stratamania]

Great question Phil...

As with most endeavours in the realm of personal interest, I like the creative process, problem solving and doing something for myself without deadlines of projects and without needing a team of people. I have work for those other elements of social interaction.

I also like the aspect of finding various different options and the whole design and planning process. Parts acquisition etc.

Playing an instrument you have had a hand in assembling or building is satisfying also. In a similar way to fishing with a rod and flies you have tied yourself.

And of course a lot of the reasons others have mentioned also...