As a luthier I’m very lucky to have a beautiful workshop. Beside hand tools I also use routers to make the bindings.
The workshop is ventilated and heated in an optimal way. I also use special air conditioners to keep the humidification level between 40 and 50 percent. This way the risk of wood cracks after assembling the guitar is reduced to a minimum. And, the finishing results are optimal.
Constructing a guitar needs focus, a steady hand and a lot of patience. To give an idea, most guitars take up to 300 hours to built. Therefore, it is important that my workshop is a pleasant environment for the guitars, but also for me.
I consider the interaction between the guitar and its (future) player as very important. For this reason, I want to know the personality, passion and spirit of the player. Only with this knowledge I can design and refine the individual guitar on special aspects, and improve the interaction between the guitar and the player. Of course, the visual beauty and design of the guitar are important too. I have a preference for modern designs with respect to old traditions. I like using modest inlays, crafted by hand by combining different woods and other natural materials.
It is nearly impossible to make a clear estimate of what a custom guitar costs. Simply, because it depends on all choices made in the making process. And, those choices depend on the kind of wishes the player has, the choice of wood types, cutouts, bindings, inlays, extra’s, you name it! For this reason, the price of a custom made guitar can vary between 3600 and 9500 euro.
Building a guitar needs a collaboration with the the player to make the right choices in the building proces. Therefore, I always interact with my customers and give regular updates of the actual costs and building proces.
I ship all my guitars in a hard-shell case to avoid any damage, and to allow an easy and safe transit for the rest of the guitars’ life. ,