I too wanted a custom guitar even though I’m not a professional musician. I decided to make my own guitar through a class that is offered by a local luthier. It was a 2 week course and I had such a great time. There’s nothing more satisfying than telling someone that you built it yourself! Doing all the work and learning from Nick Lenski of Berkshire Stringed Instruments aka Brier Road Guitars was really the dream come true. Never had any experience with woodworking but am mechanically inclined. There were some struggles but Nick was always calm and composed. The only thing about a 2 week build is that you won’t be getting the frilly inlays but it will be great sounding. I will do it again for sure. Of course, if you don’t have the time, he can build one for you or you can buy one from his stock on reverb.

When I searched for a luthier, I learned that communication begins the journey. Clint Bear (O.C. Bear Guitars) replied to my emails right away. He has a very small shop in Madison, Indiana. I was going on a road trip and decided to visit his shop and meet him. I will tell you, I dreaded the idea that I would try one of his guitars, and it would be dead sounding.He put a parlor guitar in my hands, and the sound just resonated.

We talked a lot about woods, and he showed me some cocobolo blanks that were beautiful, but I could have chosen any other type. He also suggested Adirondack spruce for the top. I didn’t know anything, but I let him guide me. Rosette, bindings, purfling, cut away or not, type of neck, type of tuning machines, type of amplification ….this was all discussed. I wanted a sound port and an armrest, and cutaway and a five piece neck. Clint says that he’s a “woods guy” so I basically let him choose the design on the rosette, and what to use on the bindings and purfling. I wanted to have his stamp on the guitar.

Throughout the entire process, we texted each other. I asked a lot of questions throughout and Clint answered each one, often sending me pictures during the build. I appreciated all of his communication.

In terms of sound…I found this very interesting…I received the guitar and spent several hours playing it, and was not all together happy. At about hour three of playing it, the guitar woke up and began to produce this magical sound. And as weeks progressed to months, the guitar continued to open up. This had never happened to me with any guitar I have owned. I learned that a custom guitar will change radically sound wise as it is played. There is science to back it up. Many times I would pluck the D string to feel its vibrations. Over and over again.

Clint just made a dreadnaught for me, and it’s better than the first one he made. This time, I skipped most of the bells and whistles (except I wanted a sound port), and let Clint work his magic as he saw fit. Clint calls it a cannon. Indeed it is. It’s loud and it has those vibrations of sound that boom.

Hi Bill, What are some of the topics/questions that you would have liked to have read about? What did I miss?

Ironically, Cambria says the sound is frequently the last consideration when somebody custom orders a guitar. “If you’re going after sound, it’s always better to find something that exists, even if you have to hunt for a year, which is how long it will take you to get the custom guitar,” he advises.

The custom guitar that I received was NOT a synergistic union of all of my choices, and I realized immediately that I should have purchased the guitar that inspired my custom guitar path. I would have saved a lot of $$ in the end, and would have been a happier player. I do prize the new guitar, but every time I pick it up, I know it is not my last guitar purchase as it was intended to be.