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Can we call ourselves luthiers?

That is my question for discussion. I would like to call myself a luthier, but I hesitate. I have built 21 instruments. They all work. I usually say I am an amateur luthier.

I have built 3 string guitars, 4 string guitars and 11 ukes. Do my own fretting, have built 5 boxes, albeit rectangular

Like most of us, I am self-taught, with a lot of help from you guys in the Nation. I've made lots of jigs to compensate for lack of power tools.

I have been at this for 1 1/2 years and have sold about 8 instruments. I am semiretired.

What do you think?.

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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on June 12, 2015 at 7:16am

Exactement, c'est le mot juste, luth en Francais, qui est ma petit blague. Though I can speak French passably well, guitar maker is much more accurate and understandable than "luthier" and less, as we say in the UK, poncey.

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Permalink Reply by John Sawyer on June 12, 2015 at 9:07am

Finally, a less poncey Brit! (Just kidding). Yes. luthier does sound pretentious. It is fun in casual conversation to skirt the question: what does a luthier do? Ok, I make guitars from cigar boxes and other reclaimed materials....

CBJ is wise.

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Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on June 14, 2015 at 11:57am

thome of my guitarth are made of thcrapth and loothe endth and thcrapthier just thoundth thilly

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Permalink Reply by TN Twang on June 14, 2015 at 12:06pm

"crappier" ??? It's a thought... (2 p's or 1??)

Not to be confused with a "croupier"--which is something else entirely.

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Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on June 14, 2015 at 1:14pm

put some class in it,crappierre',but now we're almost full circle

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Permalink Reply by Marcus Darwell on June 18, 2015 at 4:03am

:-)

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Permalink Reply by TN Twang on June 12, 2015 at 9:34am

Mike Orr, in his book on making homemade musical instruments, refers to our craft as "primal lutherie." From that, I've assumed I was a "primal luthier." Somehow it sounds vaguely threatening, n'est-ce pas?

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Permalink Reply by Greg Thompson on June 12, 2015 at 10:27am

I consider making my guitars as an extension of my art. That is how I started this crazy thing in the first place. I came at it as functional sculpture. When I learn to play well enough, it will become performance art. So, why don't we just go with Artists?

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Permalink Reply by Titch the Clown on June 12, 2015 at 2:52pm

I call myself a bloke mucking about in my shed, though artist, or rather BS artist is also a good fit.

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Permalink Reply by Greg Thompson on June 12, 2015 at 10:28am

Nice collection BTW!

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Permalink Reply by John Roberts on June 12, 2015 at 10:32am

Many years ago, I attended and graduated from Luthier school. I never went into business, because I didn't like working for a couple of bucks an hour, and living with sawdust in almost every orifice.

If you only build CBGs, then you are not a luthier...... sorry. A CBG is not a guitar, they are very different instruments.

I actually prefer to play a CBG instead of a guitar, but that is another story.

Of course, you can call yourself anything you want, and let the market place decide.

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Permalink Reply by Bad Finger (Eric) on June 13, 2015 at 12:40am

So a guitar is what then? Has 6 strings? I guess Keef doesn't play guitar? Must it be acoustic, or can I put 6 strings on a plank with a pickup and call it a guitar? The splitting of hairs is fun.

I put luthier on my LinkedIn profile as a bit of fun with the traditional definition, but it is the only place I use that title. On Facebook it is Guitar Player, a title at which I'm equally unskilled. Truthfully, I haven't made a guitar in several months and have focused on playing and building some knife slides. I guess I should change my profession to what I saw on a farmer's truck when I was in school.

Brown's Farm

Joe Brown GPA

"GPA" is General Putter A$$