Now this is GAS!

Riaan · 2009-04-23T23:50:43+00:00

When I woke up this morning, I said to my wife: "This seems like a good day to buy more guitars". "That's a good idea, why don't you go ahead. Enjoy your...

Now this is GAS!

CDee

aubs1 wrote: Of course he won't, because he can't! Where is Transvaal?????

Exactly my point! ?

Neps

Riaan.. That was mean!! I was thinking 'geez, how does one get a wife like that!!', Now my GF would have had to live up to that standard, and she's flawed in that department!!

But THAT IS a nice collection!! Wont mind the doboro.

LMinnie

Geez i get flak for just buying cables!

Imagine i pitched up at home with 6 geets!

Wife...."And where did you get the money for this!!!"

Me..."I whored myself in the harbour to foreign sailors..."

Wife.."Ha ...wheres my gift ..you only think of yourself!!"

storms of to go and plot my demise...

aubs1

Re: Now this is GAS!
« Reply #13 on: Today at 10:06:44 am »
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Probably only done to set herself up for that diamond studded handbag purchase sometime soon Bob!

Yes, one has to be fair. (Some) Guitars probably cost more than (some) diamonds. I would go for that deal all the time!! ? ?

"buy it! You don't spend your money on nonsense so buy yourself a nice guitar."

Bob, your wife obviously has really good taste for things beautiful, Mervyn Davis!!!! I would treasure her like gold!!!!! (and my collection!!! ? ? ?)

AlanRatcliffe

Spyke wrote: Such a woman DOES NOT exist... and I don't care who's going to try argue with me!

Hmm. My wife pushes me to buy guitars, If I listened to her, I'd have lots of guitars I don't need and would never sell anything. I push her to buy lenses, so we're even.

Squonk

Alan and Bob

You lucky devils! Any extra money, my wife thinks of what else we can do to fix up the house.
My wife cant even understand why I have a Nylon, Electric and an Acoustic. "What do you need 3 guitars for? You cant play them all at once..." ☹

Treasure them... ?

I am even thinking of getting an extra job to help with Gas Money! :'(

aubs1

Hey Bob, did you get the Mervyn Davis?? I hope you did!

Bob-Dubery

aubs1 wrote:
Hey Bob, did you get the Mervyn Davis?? I hope you did!

Not yet. It's a slow process - and turning out to be much slower than Mervyn said it would be. I was at his workshop last weekend and was shown a top, back, neck and bits of wood that will become the sides (or, in Smoothtalker terminology, the "ellipse"). The neck is recognisable as a neck but there were no frets, no nut, no dot markers. The top was was not cut to finished size and the bracing still had to be shaped. Ditto the back. So still quite a bit of work to be done. When assembly is complete enough for the guitar to be played but the finish not applied I will take it for a "test drive". This is mostly to check on the neck profile - which can be fine tuned but obviously you want to do this before the finish is applied.

aubs1

Re: Now this is GAS!
« Reply #21 on: Today at 12:57:16 pm »
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Quote from: aubs1 on Today at 12:03:45 pm

Hey Bob, did you get the Mervyn Davis?? I hope you did!
Not yet. It's a slow process - and turning out to be much slower than Mervyn said it would be. I was at his workshop last weekend and was shown a top, back, neck and bits of wood that will become the sides (or, in Smoothtalker terminology, the "ellipse"). The neck is recognisable as a neck but there were no frets, no nut, no dot markers. The top was was not cut to finished size and the bracing still had to be shaped. Ditto the back. So still quite a bit of work to be done. When assembly is complete enough for the guitar to be played but the finish not applied I will take it for a "test drive". This is mostly to check on the neck profile - which can be fine tuned but obviously you want to do this before the finish is applied.

Ok, so you have ordered (bought) it, but still waiting for delivery! Wow, man, how do you sleep? When I get excited about getting something that awesome, I get headaches, I don't
sleep well, geez, I'd be in a state! I am not a very patient person, if I want something, I want it NOW!!!!! Hahahahaha ..... I envy you.
Hope you get it soon, and that the wait is worth it, I'm sure it will be. I've seen his stuff on his website, stunning. Keep us in the loop when you do get it.

Bob-Dubery

aubs1 wrote: Ok, so you have ordered (bought) it, but still waiting for delivery! Wow, man, how do you sleep? When I get excited about getting something that awesome, I get headaches, I don't
sleep well, geez, I'd be in a state! I am not a very patient person, if I want something, I want it NOW!!!!! Hahahahaha ..... I envy you.
Hope you get it soon, and that the wait is worth it, I'm sure it will be. I've seen his stuff on his website, stunning. Keep us in the loop when you do get it.

I'm rapidly losing interest. Early each month there's a message to say it will be ready by the end of the month. Then later in the month there's another message to say that it won't be ready.

I don't believe for one moment that Mervyn is trying to rip me off, and I know that handmade guitars do take time, but there is such a consistent pattern here that it's hard to maintain any kind of attitude other than "when I hold it in my hands I'll believe it" and to find other things to get excited about.

The guitar might be amazing when it eventually arrives, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Keira-WitherKay

Bob Dubery wrote:
aubs1 wrote: Ok, so you have ordered (bought) it, but still waiting for delivery! Wow, man, how do you sleep? When I get excited about getting something that awesome, I get headaches, I don't
sleep well, geez, I'd be in a state! I am not a very patient person, if I want something, I want it NOW!!!!! Hahahahaha ..... I envy you.
Hope you get it soon, and that the wait is worth it, I'm sure it will be. I've seen his stuff on his website, stunning. Keep us in the loop when you do get it.
I'm rapidly losing interest. Early each month there's a message to say it will be ready by the end of the month. Then later in the month there's another message to say that it won't be ready.

I don't believe for one moment that Mervyn is trying to rip me off, and I know that handmade guitars do take time, but there is such a consistent pattern here that it's hard to maintain any kind of attitude other than "when I hold it in my hands I'll believe it" and to find other things to get excited about.

The guitar might be amazing when it eventually arrives, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

despite the fact that he builds fabulous instruments used by some very talented artists.... i too would be pissed off by this lack lustre bussiness ethic from him....and i bet he asked to be paid up front?????

but i have this tale from many people ordering custom guitars....and not only in this country... seems to be a luthiers trait .... that the guitar is ready ...when the guitar is ready....

bob i hope you have joy soon....

peace and light
keira

Bob-Dubery

Keira WitherKay wrote: despite the fact that he builds fabulous instruments used by some very talented artists.... i too would be pissed off by this lack lustre bussiness ethic from him....and i bet he asked to be paid up front?????

but i have this tale from many people ordering custom guitars....and not only in this country... seems to be a luthiers trait .... that the guitar is ready ...when the guitar is ready....

bob i hope you have joy soon....

Look, I know that they can't work to a strict timeline. They're ready to brace the top and then the humidity is too high or too low... there's nothing they can do about that (except get a humidity controlled environment). I'd have not been half as pissed off if the original time line was "9 months, maybe a little more if the weather is unusually wet or dry". I'd have either gone in with my eyes open or decided not to go ahead. It's the the constant cycle of promises (with no pressure from me) and then explanations that has dulled my ardour.

The "test drive" was supposed to be this weekend... but have I had the call?

Keira-WitherKay

i didn't know you could only brace the top under certain atmospheric conditions.... yeah wow live and learn every day ?

can you explain this a bit bob or any other acoustic builders why is the humidity a factor....or is it just cos the glue won't dry quick enough lol

peace and light
Keira

aubs1

Apologies to all, this thread has gone in a different direction.

despite the fact that he builds fabulous instruments used by some very talented artists.... i too would be pissed off by this lack lustre bussiness ethic from him....and i bet he asked to be paid up front?Huh??

but i have this tale from many people ordering custom guitars....and not only in this country... seems to be a luthiers trait .... that the guitar is ready ...when the guitar is ready....

That is so ...... unprofessional ..... probably why I buy the best I can afford, and walk away..... don't want to come back tomorrow to collect what I pay for today! (Geez, that rhymes, surely opening lines for a song about luthiers! Hahahaha!

On a more serious note ........

Look, I know that they can't work to a strict timeline. They're ready to brace the top and then the humidity is too high or too low... there's nothing they can do about that (except get a humidity controlled environment). I'd have not been half as pissed off if the original time line was "9 months, maybe a little more if the weather is unusually wet or dry". I'd have either gone in with my eyes open or decided not to go ahead. It's the the constant cycle of promises (with no pressure from me) and then explanations that has dulled my ardour.

The "test drive" was supposed to be this weekend... but have I had the call?

Hell Bob, you know we have our own business, and a very popular tune we hear if we run late on a job is ........"don't make your problem mine" (the humidity thing), and then promises ..... can't imagine how I would have reacted. But let me not add to your frustration. Perhaps like you say, you've waited so long, might as well wait a "little" while longer.
"Sterkte, boet, sterkte".

Riaan

Wonder what would happen if you did say that, it would be very interesting to hear what most wives' responses would be? More like "yeah, a good day to die now, or later?"

I'm pretty sure of what my wife really would say. That would be "OK, just remember to pick up my leather couch on the way back..." Yep, I still haven't bought it. But will do so one of these days, as that will set her up for more GAS...see it works both ways! But I'm lucky in that respect - as long as I don't spend ALL my money on myself, my wife doesn't mind the odd bit of GAS.

My wife cant even understand why I have a Nylon, Electric and an Acoustic. "What do you need 3 guitars for? You cant play them all at once..."

Oh year been there too, Squonk! At least after some education she now appreciates that much. We're now on the level "why do you need more than one Fender type/Gibson type/cutaway electro acoustic?" ? Simple answer is: No, I don't NEED it, I WANT it...!

aubs1

Hey Riaan, my wife is now getting more concerned about what's on this site that keeps me here for hours, it's probably safer to go out and buy a guitar, at least she'd know what I've been up to!

On a lighter note, I tried to picture if you had pulled this stunt on her, taking her into your music room and surprising her with all that stuff on your walls!! And perhaps say something like: "Wow, just came back from a guitar sale, dear, what do you think? Like it?"" ?

AlanRatcliffe

That would be "OK, just remember to pick up my leather couch on the way back..."

LOL! Mine has no excuse - we finally bought a leather couch in December - but we both wanted one for years. Thankfully she's into cameras, motorbikes, computers and keyboards, rather than shoes, dresses and handbags.

We're now on the level "why do you need more than one Fender type/Gibson type/cutaway electro acoustic?"

So she wouldn't mind if it was something different? OOh - I feel an

coming on...

Simple - Parlour, auditorium, dreadnaught and jumbo acoustics; classical and flamenco nylons; Jazz, Precision, Beatle bass, five-string, six-string and fretless basses; Strat, Tele, Thinline Tele, Deluxe Tele, Jazzmaster, Mustang, Jaguar, Les Paul, Les Paul Junior, SG, Flying V, Explorer, Firebird, Gretsch White Falcon, Gretsch Chet Atkins, ES335, ES175, Alembic Series 1, Mockingbird, Bich, Parker Fly, Rickenbacker six-string, Rickenbacker 12-string, baritone, Ibanez JS, Mosrite, Danelectro, Epi Casino, PRS Modern Eagle, Burns Marvin, PRS McCarty, D'Aquisto New Yorker, and a Gibson 1275 Doubleneck. All distinctly different from one another. Then don't forget the banjo, mandolin, bozouki, oud, ukelele, violin, cello, contrabass, etc.

Bob-Dubery

Keira WitherKay wrote: i didn't know you could only brace the top under certain atmospheric conditions.... yeah wow live and learn every day ?

can you explain this a bit bob or any other acoustic builders why is the humidity a factor....or is it just cos the glue won't dry quick enough lol

It's an extension of the general problem with humidity. Pieces could shrink or expand if it's too dry or too humid. And different woods, and different thicknesses of wood, would shrink or expand at different rates.

See http://ezinearticles.com/?Your-Acoustic-Guitar-and-the-Effects-of-Humidity&id=1020143 for an article on guitar construction and humidity.

You probably could brace at any humidity, but then you'd be playing with the tolerances to which you build.

Bob-Dubery

A couple of years ago I met UK luthier Nick Benjamin at the Lewes Guitar Festival. He makes beautiful guitars with a very high level of workmanship.

His web site is at http://www.benjaminguitars.co.uk/.

When you've finished looking at the guitar porn, note what he says about ordering.

"I am now taking orders to be started in late 2010 and completed 7 or 8 months later.
This means that WAITING TIME for custom built guitars ordered now is around 2 1/2 YEARS."

So these things do not happen quickly - especially if you are dealing with small-volume makers who have to do a lot of the work themselves and by hand.