Speaking of Unattainable Guitars: Charis

Very nice.

Never been into the expensive, niche, boutique stuff myself.

I met a guy years ago, we roomed in the same house.  He was born with a silver spoon and was going to university, parents footing the bill for everything.  Anyways, when talking one day I noticed a nice guitar case.  I asked to see his guitar so he showed it to me.  Some sort of very gorgeous boutique guitar like this.  I asked if he wanted to play/jam together a few songs some time cuz I'd love to hear the guitar.  He said, "Oh no, I don't take it out to play it, it's too nice for that."

I just could not help thinking, "Wow.  What a shame."

Not saying everybody is like this though.  I actually had the opposite sort of experience as well.  Knew a guy with an expensive top-of-the-line (supposedly hand made) custom Larivee.  He annoyed me to death in that he was always asking me when we played together (which was only about 4 or 5 times thankfully) if I wanted to use his guitar.  I'd ask him, "Why?  I have a guitar" every time.  He'd always respond with, "Ya, but mine's a nice one, it cost X amount."

Another "Wow.  What a shame" moment.   LOL. 

There's been others too actually, but needless to say, my experience with guitars like these and the people who own them has not been great.  They seem to idolize or worry about the things more than anything else.

There's something to be said about having something no one else has I guess, but having something that others do have (or are able to have) and being able to share the experience and joy of it together (like a lot of us here at the Cabin for instance) is much more rewarding for me.

TonyKgull, you said: They seem to idolize or worry about the things more than anything else.

The second being the reason I will never pay more than $1000 for a guitar. I'd be too scared to damage it and it would never leave it's case.

handmade, to order, Derick, probably years-long waiting list

...and I know a number of folks who own guitars in that class who don't fit either of the stereotypes described. They are just guitar players who enjoy having fine instruments, nothing more and nothing less.

Tony

I will never pay that much for a guitar either. However, we all have our own psychological limit for spending. I do have a couple of guitars that were each built by one person.

I have a 2007 William Kelday 000 12 fret. Kelday is known in Europe, but not in the states, and I don't know if he is known in Canada. Today, his guitars start around $6,000. Since he is not known in the states, his guitars are a difficult sell, so I got it as a trade for a couple of lower price guitars. Kelday lives just outside Glasgow, Scotland, and used to build around 10 or 12 guitars in a year. I am not sure, but I think he might be retired by now. I believe the most well known player of his guitars, at least here in the states, is Tony McManus. Some of the English acoustic guitarists also play his guitars, such as John Renbourn and a few others, but nobody who lives here in the states.

The other guitar I have from a one person shop is a classical guitar built by Bill Brunton, in Fargo, North Dakota. He is a retired anthropology professor from UND, who has been building guitars as a sideline for 30 years or so, and now does it full time. He apparently builds two at a time and gets only a few guitars done in a year. The guitar I have from him is his top of the line model, which at the time I purchased it new, was about $3k.

I know many folks who have routinely paid $3k - $k for a Gibson, Martin, or Taylor. There is nothing unusual about that around my area and certainly not over at AGF.

To me, they are nice guitars to own, but I certainly can't claim to have the attitudes that have been described in the thread though I don't doubt such attitudes do exist. When I have gone to fingerstyle seminars given by visiting players after a concert here in town, attendees tend to swap guitars around just to try each other's instruments, but I don't see any of that bragging. I suppose, since many have guitars on this level, there is no reason to cop an attitude. We have long been fortunate to have at least one guitar shop that specializes in acoustic guitars, so these are easily available around here. I would not buy one sight unseen on the internet, but being able to walk into a shop and play them before buying makes them easily available to me.

Tony