Received a new commission today

[deadedith]

Well they were good for a laugh, Tony, and made me feel better about myself. :-)

I could not resist that remark. This being Sunday, though, I immediately repented.

DaveB

[Ken Hundley]

That's great to hear, Martin, good luck, and keep us posted. I have done a few commissions. They can be nerve wracking, but there's nothing better than the look on their face when they get to hold it for hte first time.....makes it all worth while. I have decided I would rather build some instruments and put them for sale rather than take a commission, but if someone is willing to pay upfront for some custom work, then I'll do it. Good luck!

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Martin,
How is it going with this one, did you start it yet?

Kevin

[Herman]

Martin, Great!

Be sure you got the expectations on the right level. And have an extensive talk about the things he wants. My expirience is that the best bullds are those which are the most defined in the beginning. At least they are the most rewarding. The best guitar still has to be build, so I think our actual buildings should be rewarding because of the journey. Have a good talk with you client.

I did a building that was less satisfying because of that. Please don't let that happen to you.

Herman

[enalnitram]

this particular project has been postponed. he wants to schedule the building of it around when he can be in Michigan, which I think is a great idea. looks like that might be next year.

I'm already learning, or have learned, the hard lessons you speak of, Herman. I'm building a guitar for a friend of mine, my #3. and because he's a good old friend, I've sorta been easy going about letting him change his mind a few times about the instrument. even though it will turn out fine, in my mind, i have struggled with wanting to care a lot about it, because "it" has felt like a moving target. in all likelihood, he'll change his mind again. he's just that way. but i'll have to put my foot down from now on, which he'll be fine with. i should've done it much earlier.

I'm scratch-building a neck for him to match what he wants, and hoping it turns out ok. it's beginning to feel like I'll have to re-do the neck. but oh well, it's something I wanted to learn anyway.

#4 is the brazilian OM, which is going well! and I've started 5 and 6, both for me. i have too much going on. but it's fun.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Alright Martin, it does sound like you have alot going on all at once.
Thanks for getting us up to date.
When you are ready to share some pictures of your current work, you know we are all here ready to see.

Kevin

[Herman]

Yep Martin,

The things happen between you and your friend is exactly the matter I was pointing at.
Good luck!

[enalnitram]

Yep Martin,

The things happen between you and your friend is exactly the matter I was pointing at.
Good luck!

When it started, he wanted me to build him a guitar "like the one I had built" for myself. I said sure, and we were off. but then, after I agreed to the project, he wanted to know if the neck could be much thicker than mine, like 1" at the first fret. and I said, sure. so we bought a partial kit from John, but minus a neck. then, after I'd started working on it, he wanted to know if it could have a slotted headstock. and I thought, no big deal, right, since I'm carving my own anyway. but then, there were more changes, like, if it could have frets identical in height and thickness to those used on a larrivee. but it took quite a while to figure out which larrivee frets were the exact ones he preferred, and where to get them. and then, he wanted to know if it could have ebony binding instead of maple...and I, of course, proceeded to break the ebony ....etc, etc etc.

if it was the original concept, I would've finished it last year. never again.

[Herman]

Sounds very familiar, Martin. I had a project with the same kind of trouble. Mine gave a little drawback on the tings he wanted to change during the build. But the most irritating was his indecision on the things he wanted.
I should have known better when, after my rejection of the project in the first time (I lost 4 month because I could not get started), he came back after a year. I was too kind and accepted the building of his guitar. Gave me lot of resentment afterall. As you said: Never again.

I tell myself now only to accept a commission when I feel 100% right about it.
Please my friends, do yourself a favour. Do so too.

Herman

[Ken Hundley]

I would prefer to let each of my creations come to fruition on their own, then offer someone the choice of instruments rather than let them decide all along. That, or lock in the design before ever cutting wood, and write it in stone.