Wechter, anyone?

dapmdave · Mar 30, 2015

This guitar crossed my path about a week ago, and as things tend to happen, it followed me home. Since having the Orpheum, the whole slope-shoulder thing has been with me, and a smaller, 12-fret, slot-head guitar has been something I've been looking out for.

So, it's a Wechter TO-8428, which is a clone of the Martin 000-28VS, pretty much. And, put up right next to the Martin for an A-B comparison, it is VERY close in all counts, except cost. All solid woods, good hardware, beautiful build quality, and a nice case, too. Supposedly made in China, but actually there's nothing on the guitar to indicate it's origin.

Anybody else have any experience with these?

chazmo · Mar 30, 2015

Looks nice, Dave. Best of luck!

richardp69 · Mar 30, 2015

I've never played one of these. To be honest never heard of one either but this looks really sweet. I used to have a bit of a hang up with Chinese built guitars but then I got into Blueridge and Epi Masterbilt and I gotta tell ya, they are truly a real value for the money. Plus, a friend of mine pointed out that the far east has been making stringed instruments for longer than we have existed as a country. He probably makes a valid point.

Don't get me wrong, give me a made in the U.S. of A. Guild anytime but there are other worthy guitars out there as well including a few made in China and elsewhere.

davismanLV · Mar 30, 2015

Difficult to find information online about Wechter guitars. Abraham Wechter is a master luthier who has been building custom guitars since the 70's. If you jump around online, there are references to him going out of business back in 2013. Random guitar forums speak of his USA designed and Chinese built guitars. Most refer to a double cutaway acoustic called a Pathmaker. I've seen the parlor type guitar advertised on Sweetwater, but all the ads are now defunct and the guitars are no longer available. Again, most references are older and not much has been discussed lately. He still has his website up.

That's all I could find and it's really hard to find ONE source that tells you everything you need to know. Like pulling hen's teeth to get comprehensive information.

That looks to be a nice looking parlor, Dave! The photos look GREAT!! :encouragement:

p.s. - that rosewood on the back is amazing!!

twocorgis · Mar 30, 2015

Our own LadyTexan I believe still owns the mahogany version of this guitar (8418?), and when last heard she was very fond of it. You may want to compare notes. Congrats on the new baby!

dapmdave · Mar 30, 2015

davismanLV said:
Difficult to find information online about Wechter guitars. Abraham Wechter is a master luthier who has been building custom guitars since the 70's. If you jump around online, there are references to him going out of business back in 2013. Random guitar forums speak of his USA designed and Chinese built guitars. Most refer to a double cutaway acoustic called a Pathmaker. I've seen the parlor type guitar advertised on Sweetwater, but all the ads are now defunct and the guitars are no longer available. Again, most references are older and not much has been discussed lately. He still has his website up.

That's all I could find and it's really hard to find ONE source that tells you everything you need to know. Like pulling hen's teeth to get comprehensive information.

That looks to be a nice looking parlor, Dave! The photos look GREAT!! :encouragement:

p.s. - that rosewood on the back is amazing!!

Tom, my experience searching the web for answers matches yours. Apparently Sweetwater retailed these in the US, but stopped a few years ago. The guitar sounds great, plays great and looks great. The only thing missing is a Guild logo.

davismanLV · Mar 30, 2015

dapmdave said:
The guitar sounds great, plays great and looks great.

Although our natural curiosity gets the better of us, that, ultimately, is the only thing that really matters! :encouragement:

killdeer43 · Mar 30, 2015

I like it a lot, Dave. Congrats on scoring an unknown commodity that "sounds great, plays great and looks great." Can't really ask for more than that. :encouragement:

Enjoy,
Joe

twocorgis · Mar 30, 2015

BTW, it looks like you might have gotten an upgraded camera, Dave. Very nice bokeh on this shot. :encouragement:

killdeer43 · Mar 30, 2015

Here's a Wechter in action....might be one model down from Dave's?

http://www.acousticguitar.com/Gear/Reviews/Wechter-TO-8418-Review

Joe

dapmdave · Mar 30, 2015

killdeer43 said:
Here's a Wechter in action....might be one model down from Dave's?

http://www.acousticguitar.com/Gear/Reviews/Wechter-TO-8418-Review

Joe

I think that's just the "18" mahogany version. Think D-18 vs. D-28. It's a nice review, isn't it?

dapmdave · Mar 30, 2015

twocorgis said:
BTW, it looks like you might have gotten an upgraded camera, Dave. Very nice bokeh on this shot. :encouragement:

Nope. Same old Nikon D-40. Just luck and good light. :sneakiness:

Check that heavy-duty hardware. Ferrules on the insides of the slots!

killdeer43 · Mar 30, 2015

dapmdave said:
I think that's just the "18" mahogany version. Think D-18 vs. D-28. It's a nice review, isn't it?

I thought it was definitely a favorable review. The model numbers 8418 and 8428 tell the tale.
Might have to try one out.

Joe

tjmangum · Mar 30, 2015

Being a bit jaded these days on most guitars, this one certainly sparks my interest. Very nice, very cool. And if it's relatively affordable, even better!
Nice one Dave,
T

twocorgis · Mar 30, 2015

dapmdave said:
I think that's just the "18" mahogany version. Think D-18 vs. D-28. It's a nice review, isn't it?

I've got the Martin equivalent to this guitar. and it's my favorite fingerpicker. The ~15 series Martins do have a mortice and tenon neck joint, and A-Frame bracing, so they are a wee bit different. But the 12 fret standard scale slotted headstock thing is a good one.

MLBob · Mar 30, 2015

Abe Wechter was a custom builder in Paw Paw, Michigan for a long time. He had been well respected, and about six years back jumped into manufacturing big-time. It was then that he decided to have a whole line of very well-built acoustics & electrics built overseas. They then were shipped to his new facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana where he put all of them through final inspection and a set-up on plec machines he had invested in. At the time he started this overseas-to-final-set up in US venture, he tried to jump into the market with a whole range of different acoustic, electric,and resonator models. I think Snweetwater (who is also in Fort Wayne where he had relocated the set-up operation) was initially the exclusive distributor (or maybe just the largest). They carried his entire line and promoted them hard in their catalogues for a while.

I owned two of his Pathmaker acoustics (double- cutaways on which the neck joined the body at the 19th fret), as well as a Pathmaker electric and felt they were excellent guitars. When I was lucky enough to locate a Guild studio 24, I gave one of the acoustics (the deep body model) to one of my sons, and now use the other (a slimline)as a "travel" guitar. I always felt that the Wechter guitars were terrific at the price point + they played beautifully right out of the box--- and I think that was Wechter's philosophy when he tried to jump into the market in such a big way.

However, I think his undoing was that he probably jumped in with far too many offerings too quickly and without having established name recognition. Though they were quality instruments, they just didn't move, and after a year or two he shut down the operation. Perhaps there's a reason that even with an established name, Guild Cordoba will be wise not to re-introduce too many models all at once.

Bob

txbumper57 · Mar 30, 2015

Congrats Dave! The guitar in the video link sounds great. I did notice at 1:20 on the video when they show the bridge, It looks like there is a crack between the B and High E Bridge pin holes. Might just be an open grain in the wood but interesting none the less.

dapmdave · Mar 30, 2015

MLBob said:
Abe Wechter was a custom builder in Paw Paw, Michigan for a long time. He had been well respected, and about six years back jumped into manufacturing big-time. It was then that he decided to have a whole line of very well-built acoustics & electrics built overseas. They then were shipped to his new facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana where he put all of them through final inspection and a set-up on plec machines he had invested in. At the time he started this overseas-to-final-set up in US venture, he tried to jump into the market with a whole range of different acoustic, electric,and resonator models. I think Snweetwater (who is also in Fort Wayne where he had relocated the set-up operation) was initially the exclusive distributor (or maybe just the largest). They carried his entire line and promoted them hard in their catalogues for a while.

I owned two of his Pathmaker acoustics (double- cutaways on which the neck joined the body at the 19th fret), as well as a Pathmaker electric and felt they were excellent guitars. When I was lucky enough to locate a Guild studio 24, I gave one of the acoustics (the deep body model) to one of my sons, and now use the other (a slimline)as a "travel" guitar. I always felt that the Wechter guitars were terrific at the price point + they played beautifully right out of the box--- and I think that was Wechter's philosophy when he tried to jump into the market in such a big way.

However, I think his undoing was that he probably jumped in with far too many offerings too quickly and without having established name recognition. Though they were quality instruments, they just didn't move, and after a year or two he shut down the operation. Perhaps there's a reason that even with an established name, Guild Cordoba will be wise not to re-introduce too many models all at once.

Bob

Thanks for the info, Bob.

MLBob · Apr 1, 2015

Found this: http://abrahamwechter.com/bio.html

You can also navigate around his website from this page. Sounds like he's back to doing custom builds.

Bob

Dadaist · Apr 2, 2015

I played one about two years ago at a guitar shop in Pasadena. At the time I owned a rosewood Larrivee P-09, crafted in Oxnard (just up the road from Cordoba!). I was really impressed by the Wetcher's fret/neck feel, finish and I'm a pushover for anything that resembles a pre-war Martin parlor with a slot-head. It could have been just this particular guitar, as it was the only one in the shop, so I didn't have anything to compare it to. The tone was 'average' at best. Maybe with a little set up and new set of strings?

The Larrivee, on the on the other hand, came very close to the Martin that you mention, a example which I've played a number of times at Vintage Guitars in Van Nuys. Sounds like you've got one of the good ones.....enjoy it, they're great for sitting on the sofa when you don't feel like dragging out a Jumbo.

David

Wechter, anyone?

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