"Hand made" Definitions, hype and questions to think about

Welcome, @Moonshine. Consider letting the gang know more about yourself at Introduce Yourself! (2023)

I have known many master luthiers who built handmade custom acoustic steel string guitars using hand tools almost exclusively. Band saws and jig saws were used for rough work, as were palm sanders, but the rest was muscle, sweat and very sharp hand tools and sandpaper.

As for how much such a hand-crafted instrument would sell for, considering the many hours of labor and expertise involved, it is a lot. A whole, whole, whole lot. But to a person who wants a completely unique and customized instrument - from choice of tonewood combinations to hardware to neck thickness/width/profile to scale length to soundboard responsiveness to finish(es), etc., etc., etc. - the cost is worth it.

My first handmade guitar cost me $6,500 over 20 years ago. Guitars from that same master luthier today start at $25,000.

His pieces, as well as many others built by his peers’, are art, although the visual simplicity of many masterbuilt steel strings belie how outstanding their tone and playability actually are. It takes holding them, playing them, and hearing their voices to fully appreciate their beauty and worth.

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