Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the relationship between a client and a luthier has to be one of delivering what is expected, (on the luthier's end), and one of not jerking around the luthier, (on the customer's end).

I believe a good relationship with the client and the luthier produces a better instrument.

So, what I'm asking with this thread is - What really ticks you off so that you just want to get a client's instrument off of your bench ???

I know your name is your reputation, but it seems to me you wouldn't go "the extra mile" for a someone who treated you poorly.

In other words - luthiers' bitch session.

What bugs me are rude potential customers. When people are like that I just say I'm busy with other work, or something.

What also bugs me are people that think I work for cheap. The instruments I've sold have sold for not alot of money, even custom orders. I'm trying to get away from that and sell for higher, build my rep., but I get people thinking they can have a custom hand built version of a Warwick for about half the cost, for example.

something that gets a bit annoying is when a younger player contacts you to price out a bass with some completely off the wall specs, and when you finally take the time to actually do all of the research and give them an answer they say "thanks! i don't have any money, but i'll keep it in mind."

It does really help the final result if the customer has a very good idea of what they want. Not that I find it annoying in any way, but I've talk to many, many potential customers who really have no idea of what they want. I then have to guide them through different wood ideas and such, with questions around overall sound that they're going for, etc. This can mean even having them give me examples of songs that they like the sound of the bass in, what style of music do they play the most, do they want dark, deep lows with growl or a bright bass that will cut through when slapping etc? It also involves questions around cosmetics. Do they tend to like darker woods, fancy woods, lighter colored woods, etc? Of course, I view this as one of the many services that a custom builder should provide. My ownly complaint around all this is that I have had a few customers who have said "I don't know, just do what you do best and build it....". Well, if the customer doesn't really know what they want they might not be happy with what they get if I build it for what I would like!

I really don't mind potential customers who are window shopping, it goes with the territory for ANY sales job, and for us smaller builders who don't sell through Guitar Center or Musicians Friend, we have to act as sales people as well as builders. Most sales jobs have a low % return on customers who actually end up spending money. My wife is in real estate and it is amazing how many contacts she has to make to eventually get a house listed for sale, or people who call about buying a house and she'll spend a few weeks putting together CMA's and taking them out and then they end up not buying anything (well then, we'll think about it and call you back...).

What I find most annoying is if I make a small mistake that I could have easily prevented. I'm pretty hard on myself, and most people would never notice these things unless I was to point them out, and even then they might not, but I get really P-O'ed at myself for small mistakes when working.

:^)~

What bugs me are rude potential customers. When people are like that I just say I'm busy with other work, or something.

What also bugs me are people that think I work for cheap. The instruments I've sold have sold for not alot of money, even custom orders....

I read an article about luthiers that pretty much says whay you say --- sometimes, a luthier will find, at the completion of an instrument, that they have just worked for minimum wage if you do the math with the dollars/hours/materials. :eek:

As a related side note to this thread, in my previous thread from last fall where I introduced my new new designs, at one point someone said I should make the bottom of the bass (the bridge end) look like a womans butt... (fyi... that thread is here: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=106238)

Well, I recently had a guy who wanted just that! He had drawn up a bass body on an old garage sale sign that was as close to the shape of his girlfriends butt as he could get it.

Sheesh.... I told him I could do it, but that once I started on it his deposit would not be refundable, should he decide he didn't want it or couldn't afford it or whatever until I was able to finish the bass and sell it first. I never got a deposit from him.... I wasn't so sure I wanted to put my logo on it either! :smug:

:^)~

I've only had 3 paying customers so far but I've done more free work than that as part of my apprenticeship.

What annoys me is how no matter how stoked I am with a design or overall project AND enjoy creating it, by the time I'm done, I want to simply throw a hammer at it and quit. :hmm:

I haven't experienced this only with basses. It happened when I built my racecars. They were gems in their own right but I could hardly stand to look at them for quite awhile after finishing.

I've only had 3 paying customers so far but I've done more free work than that as part of my apprenticeship.

What annoys me is how no matter how stoked I am with a design or overall project AND enjoy creating it, by the time I'm done, I want to simply throw a hammer at it and quit. :hmm:

I haven't experienced this only with basses. It happened when I built my racecars. They were gems in their own right but I could hardly stand to look at them for quite awhile after finishing.
It's not just you. When I build an instrument it gets so far into my head that by the time it's finished all I can see is the mistakes. It takes me quite a while to regain objectivity to the point where I can actually believe a compliment.

i'm right there with both of you hambone and timmy b. sometimes it gets to be that the most exciting parts of making them are starting them initially and then getting them the hell out of your face and to the customer. in between it can get a bit nerve wracking to constantly focus in on mistakes. i'm always wanting to just go to the next one.


i've also found that i've made myself very neurotic about making basses and entering into it as a business. i visit talkbass all the time while at my day job, and if i'm not doing that i'm going to other luthiers' sites or thinking about my own various projects. it's enough to make you crazy. especially since it seems like every bass player in the world is attempting to make one themselves.

I read an article about luthiers that pretty much says whay you say --- sometimes, a luthier will find, at the completion of an instrument, that they have just worked for minimum wage if you do the math with the dollars/hours/materials. :eek:

With the amount of profit I have made off my instruments, I have been working for only a couple bucks an hour...but I like the work.

something that gets a bit annoying is when a younger player contacts you to price out a bass with some completely off the wall specs, and when you finally take the time to actually do all of the research and give them an answer they say "thanks! i don't have any money, but i'll keep it in mind."

That's annoying too. I had a guy once call me thinking he could get a custom flat-top mandolin outta me for $200CDN! :eyebrow: