Members honeyiscool Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 As far as I know, pretty much all instruments that go through volume production have their body and neck made via CNC, but stuff like installation of hardware, action, nut, frets, and wiring all have to be done by hand. Is this correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tedmich Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 a marketing ploy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grantus Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 I would say a hand-made guitar is one that wasn't made using CNC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members diceman1000 Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 I have two guitars that were completely hand made, neither were ever touched by a CNC machine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 It's a good question. Where do we draw the line on what machines do regarding the process of being handmade? No power tools at all? Hand power tools only? Personally, I am all for CNC but would appreciate attention to the final assembly to be done entirely by hand. Question: Would you like your frets dressed by hand or plek machine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyatt Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 AFAIK, the term isn't regulated, so I suppose honeyiscool's definition may be acceptable. I know G&L made the argument that their guitars are still handcrafted when they introduced their CNC machines in 2005, arguing that they still did a ton of fitting by hand and the machines just did "mid-level processes." But, most of those featuring "handmade" guitars are small, single-luthier shops, that, at most, employ a bandsaw and belt sander...but no CNC. That, to me, is handmade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Canadian Jeff Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 Handmade = no CNC. Use all the power tools you want, so long as it's your hands doing all the operating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 As far as I know, pretty much all instruments that go through volume production have their body and neck made via CNC, but stuff like installation of hardware, action, nut, frets, and wiring all have to be done by hand. Is this correct? Actually the nut can be cnc'ed, frets plek's, and hardware can be installed by a robot. I build guitars one at a time, by hand, with chisels and planes and other tools - no cnc. However I do use a router and drill motor and band saw so I don't know if this fits the purest definition. Its ironic, because where I work we have a huge metal shop with cnc mills and turning centers and laser cutters, but in the wood shop its just me and a sharp chisel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BoneNut Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 No electric tools. Only highly trained beaver luthiers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tweedledee Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 Apparently the SX SJM that JJ graciously gave to me is handmade. Says so right on the headstock so it must be true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guitar Heel Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 Very good question though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mhuxtable Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 I have two guitars that were completely hand made, neither were ever touched by a CNC machine that's what I would assume. There are 3 local luthiers at a shop here in town who all make their guitars 100% by hand. Not only do they sound & play amazing, they're true works of art. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kherman Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 What about someone like Driskill guitars then? Uses a CNC machine. But, is a one man shop. The blanks are cut on on the CNC. But, everything else is all done by hand by Joe Driskill. http://www.driskillguitars.com/ I wouldn't call his guitars mass produced. He only builds a handfull a year. acuMC0N33Jg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 that's what I would assume.There are 3 local luthiers at a shop here in town who all make their guitars 100% by hand. Not only do they sound & play amazing, they're true works of art. Wow, that first one was the bomb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fretless Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 [video=youtube;QzOxYhcMwsY] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elias Graves Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 This article is the best I've read on that subject. Excellent definitions. http://www.newenglandluthiers.org/contents/Articles/luthiersPointofView/handMadeGuitars.html In a nutshell, factory guitars are built using special purpose tooling to do exactly the same job over and over. Repeatability is what it comes down to. A handbuilder may use jigs and whatnot, but woods, designs, shapes, etc are one-offs. No two are exactly the same. Woods are selected by the builder for THIS guitar, not just grabbed out of a pile. EG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Arr0wHead Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 As far as I know, people have this backwards all the time. It's actually more likely to find the CNC machines in the high end shops, due to their very expense. Most of the low priced budget guitars we see from overseas (like the above mentioned SX) are made by hand, without CNC. It's low wage employees using router and template. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grantus Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 What about someone like Driskill guitars then?Uses a CNC machine. But, is a one man shop.The blanks are cut on on the CNC. But, everything else is all done by hand by Joe Driskill. He's a small luthier, but his guitars are not hand made in my book, since he uses a CNC machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 He's a small luthier, but his guitars are not hand made in my book, since he uses a CNC machine. Where do you draw the line? A duplicarver? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members diceman1000 Posted March 5, 2012 Members Share Posted March 5, 2012 these are mine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted March 6, 2012 Members Share Posted March 6, 2012 I dont want handmade. when I think of handmade I think of guady, ornate, furniture grade wood, intricate colors, and weird shapes. Id rather have made-by-cheap labor[video=youtube;Tfdlw4q95mA] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tedmich Posted March 6, 2012 Members Share Posted March 6, 2012 No electric tools. Only highly trained beaver luthiers. this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grantus Posted March 6, 2012 Members Share Posted March 6, 2012 Where do you draw the line? A duplicarver? I don't know what that is, but I draw the line at CNC machines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brewski Posted March 6, 2012 Members Share Posted March 6, 2012 Handmade to me equals using only your finger nails to chisel the design, spit for glue and polish and only a dual flat head and Phillips screw driver. All I want it something that sounds great and looks Badass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Help!I'maRock! Posted March 6, 2012 Members Share Posted March 6, 2012 all guitars are handmade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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