When a custom builder loses interest.

[dooredge]

I'd really like to know who this builder is.

Tell the go-between the only way to salvage the build is to speak directly w/ the builder. If the builder can't take 5-10 minutes out of his day to speak with you; you have your answer.

 

[kalt]

You can't work with a builder like that. Hopefully you won't lose your 10% deposit. I have been fortunate with builders and communicating with them and it is the greatest thing to have the guitar you want to go from tree to instrument. This endeavor should make you feel excited and nothing less. Tell them you changed your mind.

Absolutely. Split.

 

[killertone]

Bail. Don't let them guilt you into anything. They are only trying to save a sale and it is more than apparent they do not care about your build. Honestly, they sound like most blues/jazz elitists. Ignorance of what it takes to play other styles because they never listen to anything else much less play it on guitar.

 

[fluff191]

Bail. Don't let them guilt you into anything. They are only trying to save a sale and it is more than apparent they do not care about your build. Honestly, they sound like most blues/jazz elitists. Ignorance of what it takes to play other styles because they never listen to anything else much less play it on guitar.

+100

 

[spaced_ghost]

I think you're right. the guy has now offered to put me in touch with a custom pickup maker, and has told me to send him (the pickup maker) as many clips and as accurate a description of my tone as possible, and the guy will listen to the guitar and wind pickups for it. but, i've never heard of the pickup maker, and the players the sales guy keeps referencing that use his pickups are all blues/jazz players. and yesterday, i mentioned frustration with not having heard from the builder other than hearsay, and also, that it seemed like the two of them were not into my project or goals with the guitar, and both of those things have been ignored in subsequent emails. I basically still have a sour taste about it, and despite the guy's strenuous efforts to make it right, feel that i have picked the wrong builder.

 

[headshok]

I think you're right. the guy has now offered to put me in touch with a custom pickup maker, and has told me to send him (the pickup maker) as many clips and as accurate a description of my tone as possible, and the guy will listen to the guitar and wind pickups for it. but, i've never heard of the pickup maker, and the players the sales guy keeps referencing that use his pickups are all blues/jazz players. and yesterday, i mentioned frustration with not having heard from the builder other than hearsay, and also, that it seemed like the two of them were not into my project or goals with the guitar, and both of those things have been ignored in subsequent emails. I basically still have a sour taste about it, and despite the guy's strenuous efforts to make it right, feel that i have picked the wrong builder.

Makes me wonder how they would have treated someone like John5 using a Tele for heavy music. I would bail. If they aren't in to it now, they will never be into it and you will likely get an extremely expensive wall-hanger that you are not happy with.

 

[spaced_ghost]

and just to be clear, my only hesitation at this point is that I really loved the guitar of his that I played. but nothing that's happened since I put down the deposit has made me feel real confident about the guitar, despite this guy's continued and renewed efforts to make me happy with it.

 

[ratter]

Just playing devil's advocate here...how much time should a builder spend acting as a personal tone consultant, versus actually building?

If you go car shopping, the salesman is all over you. He will gladly entertain your conversations all day long, let you test drive everything on the lot, etc., if he thinks there's a possibility of a sale.

But...he doesn't actually have to be building the cars in-between all of that.

Not trying to pick on you spaced_ghost. I don't know the specifics of your interactions to this point and I still think if I were you, I'd walk away because of the diminished likelihood that you're going to come out of this with a happy experience. But assuming you have concrete ideas of what you are looking for, I would think you'd already have specific pickups in mind, or at least narrowed it down to some top contenders? As one example.

The other thing that comes to mind is that if you think enough of somebody to plunk down a big chunk of change...at what point do you just get out of the way and let them do their thing? Trust in the "artiste"....so to speak...

And if you don't feel comfortable getting out of the way and letting them do their thing, did you pick the right person in the first place?

 

[spaced_ghost]

there's some truth in that. I do have some top contenders for pickups, which aren't offered by these guys--not something I was aware at first. and as for the artistry part, i agree there's some truth to that, as I said in my first post. I don't feel picked on, i'm aware, as someone said above, there's two sides to every story, and that I could have done some things better. as I mentioned above, I never would have gone with this guy except I happened upon one of his guitars and it sounded great.