How Did You Find Your Luthier?

PittPastor

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In another thread, Retro Rocker said this:

And you need to shop for a good luthier/ tech like you would shop for a doctor. Seriously. Get referrals, check Yelp, see if they have a website, ask around. And never just go for the cheapest guy! There are some guys doing this who shouldn't be allowed near guitars! And there are some who are true luthiers, and stand behind their work and can take a guitar you thought was alright and make it play like OMG!!! And you might go through a few guys til you find the right one, but it is so worth it when you do!
Don't be shy, be prepared to play for your luthier/tech. He needs to see what you're doing and why, and to make the adjustments for you!

And that brings up the question: How did you find your Luthier? It's really weird I find myself asking these questions, because I have owned my Guild since 1981, and I've been playing for longer, but I have never used a Luthier. Recently I had a pickup installed on my Guild, but that was the first time I directly interacted with anyone who worked on my Guitar. Seems like most folks pick a Luthier before they pick their family doctor!

According to the "LuthiersPortal" The nearest Luthier is about 230 miles away from me. That doesn't seem right. But is there such a thing as a certified Luthier? I live in the Pittsburgh area. I have 2 Guitar Centers in the region. I have "Pittsburgh Guitars" downtown. And a couple other music stores that advertise they do repairs.

But none use the term Luthier. Is that a special designation? Are their Guild specialists in the Luthier world like there are BMW specialists in automotive?
 

fronobulax

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I am not aware of any professional certification for luthiers although i would not be surprised to find there is one and I am just ignorant. Some work can be done by a "guitar technician" but other work requires more skill or experience. It is, however, your judgement call whether your work is hard or easy. Most people with honesty and integrity will tell you if what needs to be done is beyond their skills, but there is always a risk. Some Guitar Centers have good techs and repair departments but others don't. One place to start is to see who Guild has authorized to do warranty work. That can be found on Guild's web site. The standard answer on LTG to "I need a luthier" is fixit, doing business as Jacobs Custom Guitars in Florida. That is tremendous advice if you are willing and able to ship a guitar to Florida. Then you can find and review all the threads about shipping and packing. If you are willing to get in the car and drive there are recommended luthiers in the Philly region as well as Maryland and Virginia.

Ignoring warranty repairs most folks seem to NOT specialize in one brand or another. Acoustic guitars have much in common. There are folks who claim they would rather not work on Guilds, specifically neck resets. There is an urban legend that Guild neck resets are more difficult and just enough anecdotal evidence to keep that belief alive.
 

Neal

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If you know other musicians, local word of mouth is the best way to find a guitar repairman (or woman).

To me, the word "luthier" should be reserved for those that build stringed instruments. These are a lot fewer and farther between.
 

dreadnut

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I take mine to Scott Gierman in the repair dept. of Elderly Instruments in East Lansing. Before that, I had Del Langejans work on my D-25, but he has since retired.
 
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Word of mouth is a good place to start! Yelp will help you know who is doing the work, the reviews might help a little, although I don’t rely on them. Asking the tech/ luthier a BUNCH of questions helps too, even ask a couple that you already know the answer to, just to see how they answer.

And I agree with Neal, luthiers do indeed build and repair wooden stringed instruments!
And in most cases, a luthier can do the work of a tech, but very rarely can a tech do the work of a luthier.
I tend to view Guild guitars as top-of-the-line instruments, as good or better than most Gibson’s, Martins, etc. and in my experience, I’m at the point where I just want one expert working on my guitars...he has to be part luthier and part tech!

Also, and for me this is a biggie, I need a reasonable turn-around time.
I am lucky that I’m in a music oriented area like L.A. Lots of techs here...some very good, some not so.
 
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Oh...and to answer your question more directly, I found my guy years ago when I used to play Epiphone, he was the warranty specialist, a recommended repair facility, and he could set those things up to really SING! And I noticed on his wall he is cerified by Guild, as well as most of all the other manufacturers. And he KNOWS Guilds inside and out! He is David Neely of Neely Guitars in Hollywood.
 

bobouz

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Haven't had anyone else work on my instruments since the late '70s. Since 1984, I've lived about 80 miles from the nearest big city, so I just kept learning how to do stuff myself. I had saved up a number of projects for retirement, so now keeping a fleet of 31 instruments going is like a relaxing hobby.

When considering a used or vintage instrument, I'll only make the purchase if I feel comfortable about doing any needed repairs myself.

Nothing wrong with being a DIYer!
 

kostask

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Luthier technically should only apply to people who repair bowed instruments. The word, strangely is derived from the lute, which is a plucked instrument.

When I bought my first guitar, a low end Ovation, it didn't play well. I did a google search and found a guitar repair guy that was local. Exchanged a few emails, and then brought down the guitar to him. He straightened it out, and in picking it up, we started talking. Turns out that we have a lot of stuff in common, both having come from Montreal to Calgary. A friendship developed, and I not only trust him with my guitars, I also consider him to be a friend. And tp paraphrase the old shampoo commercial, he told two friends, and they told two friends, and so on, so I know a number of local luthiers now.
 

crank

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i found my luthier through Let's talk Guild. Now I will never take my guitars an=o anyone else. Thanks guys!
 

fronobulax

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If you know other musicians, local word of mouth is the best way to find a guitar repairman (or woman).

To me, the word "luthier" should be reserved for those that build stringed instruments. These are a lot fewer and farther between.

Some of the dictionary definitions just say "makes" but in our ever evolving language some say "makes or repairs". I actually found someone to evaluate an instrument for me by looking for people who made guitars ("luthier" in the strict sense) and asking if they did repairs as well. I like the idea that "luthier" suggests a higher level of skill than "guitar tech" or "repair person" but in practice does it really? How many guitars does someone have to make to be a luthier? Does assembly from a kit count? Is it a vocation or avocation? So I'm not sure how helpful the stricter definition actually is, in practice. I'm sure Antonio Stradivari repaired a violin or two ;-)
 

fronobulax

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Luthier technically should only apply to people who repair bowed instruments. The word, strangely is derived from the lute, which is a plucked instrument.

You are correct on the origins of the word but no definition I can find makes the distinction between plucking or bowing. Indeed, if I play pizzicato on my violin do I need to get it repaired by a different specialist? I suspect our evolving language has once again given us a modern meaning and usage that transcends the origin of the word. There may also be an insider/outsider thing going on. I have found that there are many words that mean one thing when used by a member of the general public and another meaning when used by someone with knowledge in a technical area. GAD and I thought we were in disagreement until I realized that he knew what he was talking about and as a consequence we had different definitions of a technical term and he was righter than me.
 

PTC Bernie

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The person I use was actually one of the last contract Luthiers at Guitar Center before they booted them all out and went to their "Garage Technicians". Great guy and they continue to feed him the work from the local stores that their in house Garage Tech's cant handle.

He's in Locust Grove and I have no hesitation recommending him to anyone in the Atlanta area.
 

GuildFS4612CE

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Oh...and to answer your question more directly, I found my guy years ago when I used to play Epiphone, he was the warranty specialist, a recommended repair facility, and he could set those things up to really SING! And I noticed on his wall he is cerified by Guild, as well as most of all the other manufacturers. And he KNOWS Guilds inside and out! He is David Neely of Neely Guitars in Hollywood.

David used to build his own guitars until, if I remember correctly, been a while since I've been to his shop...he had allergy issues with some of the materials/process...he's a heck of a good repair person and a nice guy...anyone in the LA area would do well to contact him for help.

And if someone is good and can do the job, does it really matter what label is used?
 

kostask

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The genuine "luthiers" (as in violin/cello repair guys) take great offense to luthiers (guitar repair guys) calling themselves the same name. They are offended in Calgary, and as I have found out, they are in Montreal as well.


As for playing pizzicato on a violin, no you don't, because the original design of a viplin determines it is a bowed instrument. Just like Jimmy Page using a bow doesn't change the need for a guitar repair guy (luthier). The major point is of course, the way the instruments make their sound, and the understanding of that, as well as mundane things like re-hairing a bow, how to properly set a sound post, the use of rosin, and a few other things that have not even the slightest presence in the guitar world. I personally happen to call good guitar repair guys "luthiers" as a sign of respect for their skill, but that really is a misappropriation of the term, because we don't have a specific term for really great guitar repair guy.
 
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sixx

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I'd love to find a good one in the Phoenix area. I've learned the hard way that the ones that are "highly recommended" are more setup artists for electrics than luthiers for acoustics.
 
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