This truly is the golden age
of guitar. If you need an
instrument, you’ve got more
choices than you could ever sort
through. Alternately, you could
tap into a myriad of DIY sources
and build your own guitar
or bass. Every option, feature,
and aesthetic is only a hyperlink
away—it’s a great time to be a
player. All said, I’m not so sure
it’s a good time to be in the
business of making guitars for
a living.
I’d be the last person to
talk you out of your dreams
if building guitars is in your
plans. Centuries ago, when I
told friends I wanted to make
guitar-building my career,
many reacted with looks of horror.
They told me it was a crazy
idea and I would surely fail (I
guess the jury is still out on
that). Still, when I receive an
inquiry about how to go about
getting into “the business,” or
if I’m approached about an
internship, I have to dig to find
the motivation.
“Dude, it would be so cool
to do that for a living,” is
something I’ve heard more than
a few times. Another claim I
often hear is that “no one is
making guitars that guitarists
really want,” implying that the
budding luthier has the inside
knowledge to correct this. Both
conclusions are up for debate,
but they do show imagination.
What does it take and what are
the qualities needed to build
instruments as an occupation?
I decided to ask a few of my
guitar-making friends for the
attributes they believe are essential
for entering and succeeding
in the trade.
The first person I approached
was Jason Lollar of Lollar Guitars,
who stressed organization and
the ability to listen. “It’s a lifetime
thing,” he says. “I started in furniture
refinishing—it took years,
but I learned a lot about lacquers.”
Lollar believes the average
individual doesn’t possess the
patience required to master
all facets of building guitars.
Perhaps that’s why so many
shops subcontract portions of
their work. Though Lollar graduated
from a guitar-building
school, he quickly found that
there was much more to learn
after completing the program.
“I got out and thought, what
the hell happened?” says Lollar.
“I realized I didn’t know how
to make a guitar.” A burning
desire is how he sums up what’s
needed to stay in the game
long enough to succeed. Lollar
should know—his guitars and
pickups are recognized as some
of the best.
It’s not hard to believe that
Dennis Fano rates “imagination
and individuality” as two
key things he looks for. “While
knowledge, skill, and experience
are the building blocks,” says
Fano, “creativity, experimentation,
and an open mind will set
your work apart.” I’d have to
agree with this because looking at
his instruments, it’s certainly evident
that Fano prizes creativity.
The next person on my list
has been building instruments
for nearly 40 years. Ken Parker
is a man at the top of his game,
and if you’ve seen and played
his archtops, you know they are
drool-worthy works of art.
When I asked Parker what it
takes to persevere in a stocked
pond of luthier wannabes,
he replied with a one-word
answer—“obsession.” After
letting the word hang in the
air for effect, he continued:
“Every time something crosses
my bench, I realize that there’s
more to learn.” This is a recurring
theme when I talk with my
fellow builders, and something
I can attest to myself. You never
know it all.
“If you knew how hard it
was going to be,” Parker said,
“you wouldn’t start.” Though
when you see the awesome
results of his “constantly
relearning everything,” as he
puts it, you might still be
tempted to put your hand in
the fire.
Obsession, imagination, and
burning desire are all qualities
these veterans believe are
needed to make it. I believe that
to be a builder, you don’t have
a choice—you do it because
it’s what matters most to you.
Some people are driven by ego
or motivated by profit. You may
think your ideas are so innovative
that everyone will be beating
a path to your door. You may
find success, or you may be in
for a surprise. But even if you
don’t find success in this business,
at least you’ll be doing what
you love in the meantime.
Jol Dantzig is a
noted designer, builder,
and player who co-founded
Hamer Guitars,
one of the first boutique
guitar brands, in 1973.
Today, as the director of
Dantzig Guitar Design, he continues to
help define the art of custom guitar. To
learn more, visit
guitardesigner.com.