At what point does a luthier become a machine operator?

[mikeyswood]

True dat, Cleve.

 

[THORRR]

People give CNC machines too much credit for their effect on bass building. All a CNC machine does is accurately reproduce a SHAPE with consistent results. THAT'S IT !!!

So those people who desire a totally hand carved and built bass are saying they want a one-of-a-kind instrument and are willing to gamble that the luthier produces exactly what they want in an instrument.

A CNC machine allows a luthier to accurately reproduce the shape and contour of an original hand carved instrument that turned out great or "perfect". It's a "copy machine" for 3 dimensional objects like wood slabs.

After that, the luthier completes his hand made instrument.

Say a luthier hand carves "the perfect neck" with compound curves and tapers and such, and that it has subtle things about it he'd NEVER be able to reproduce again by hand . . .
Enter the CNC machine. >BINGO< He can make the same quality necks for all his instruments!

What . . . pray tell me . . . is wrong with THAT?

Jeeze!

 

[Musiclogic]

Actually most luthiers can reproduce results within thousandths, out of repetition and templates. We use things called calipers(dial and digital) which allow us to keep thickness tolerences on necks very close, and as for curvature, a lot of guys use a specific router roundover or thumb nail to create the guide round, and refine from there. Most small shops don't have, and don't use CNC because the small machines like Shopbot, ez-router,torchmate, techno etc. take 2+ hours to carve a neck. A good builder can have it done in 75 minutes and be on to other work. If you have the money to buy Taig, Morbidelli, AMT etc, great, but you will rarely see an $80,000 CNC in a small builders shop. A $10,000 K2 maybe. My .02 worth.

 

[Ruckus_Instrmts]

Actually most luthiers can reproduce results within thousandths,

+.001

One could say that a luthier is a CNC. Your brain works on small electrical pulses(don't quote me), like that of binary code(on=1, off=0), controlling your arms through three dimensions of travel.

 

[mikeyswood]

+.001

WIN!x10-3​

 

[Dark Horse]

+.001

 

[Rickett Customs]

CNC: If you think that operating a cnc is simply "button pushing", then you've got alot to learn......... Anyone I know that's using CNC, has alot of money invested and I'd wager that they've got their $*17 together.........

Handmade: If you think "handmade" is simply gluing sanding and shaping, then you've got alot to learn............ Anyone I know that's building "handmade" has alot of money invested in tools and I'd wager that they've got their $*17 together..........


See any similarities? I do.

 

[totallyfrozen]

Just wondering what the opinions are on this one.
In theory, you can program a CNC machine, throw in a piece of wood, and an hour later, a bass comes out on the other end.
And then there is Jens Ritter, who carves a bass out of 1 piece of wood, by hand.
Where is that line, where you stop being a craftsman and become a machine oparator.

I'm not sure I understand the purpose of this question. It's immediately obvious that this post has high potential to quickly offend luthiers.

What I'm getting out of the question is that unless you build the entire thing using non-powered tools like they did in the 1400's, you aren't a real luthier and a monkey in a space suit can do your job. Of course, the whole opinion is veiled in the form of a question so as to appear innocent and sincere.

While technology can make work easier, you still have to have the knowledge of the work in order to successfully make the technology do the work. By the line of thinking I see in the OP question, one could ask, "When do you stop being a medical doctor and start being just an interpreter of test results?"
Without the knowledge and ability, the techology is useless.
You can look around you everyday and see people who think they can do something or figure something out who have NO education on it. In fact, usually the people with the least education on something seem to think they understand the most about it. I try not to be like that. I've found that the more you learn, in general, the more you value the knowledge of the experts. I digress, though, since that doesn't seem to relate to the OP.

 

[john turner]

again.

if any of you find a post to be inappropriate, report it but otherwise don't comment on the 'troll smell' or anything else related to what you think the post's purpose is.

you are --not-- helping with the editorializing. as if that wasn't -obvious-.

some people here at talkbass do not speak english as their first language. conveying their ideas in english might not come as easily for them as it does for a native speaker. what may seem like trolling might just be a language barrier. even if it isn't, dealing with trolls is the job of the mods/admins. posting about it makes it worse.

please stop.

 

[Rob17]

Well, I'm not SURE what yur talking about, when you say I talk down on people.
If you mean what I said to mikey, that was a joke fu**hol*.

If you would have read ALL the postst you would have noticed that.

I'M tru defending myself.
ITS TIME TO TELL YOU GUYS TO GO F**K YURSELFS

:scowl::scowl::scowl::scowl::scowl::scowl::scowl::scowl::::

 

[john turner]

isn't that cute?