full restoration ?

[Joel Larsson]

You know, seeing the impressive amount of poorly set up instruments, or ones in generally sad shape that you've been posting... and since you seem to have some interest in the subject... haven't thought of becoming the first trustworthy luthier in your part of the world?

What do you reckon has to be done?

[Adrian Levi]

Originally Posted by Joel Larsson

You know, seeing the impressive amount of poorly set up instruments, or ones in generally sad shape that you've been posting... and since you seem to have some interest in the subject... haven't thought of becoming the first trustworthy luthier in your part of the world?

What do you reckon has to be done?

Well , I've decided to start learning by building actually building a bass,I guess that is the way to really start understanding the craft.
There is not a fortune of information on the net regarding actual restoration techniques etc (at least I have not managed to find much) , but there are some great books out there!
It may just be hunch but it seems that luthiers like to keep their techniques pretty much to themselves , understandable I guess.....

[Sam Sherry]

Originally Posted by Adrian Levi

It may just be hunch but it seems that luthiers like to keep their techniques pretty much to themselves , understandable I guess.....

I've worked for and with luthiers, lived with luthiers, represented luthiers, some of my best friends (living and gone) are luthiers, my sister and her husband are luthiers . . .

My observation is that luthiery attracts an above-average proportion of hermetically-oriented people. For every regular fella or gal who likes interacting with people pretty well -- think Ken Smith -- there are a bunch of folks who are much more inclined toward a solitary existence. It's not so much that they are purposefully guarded about their Deep Luthiery Secrets but that they're somewhat guarded in their interactions with people generally.

On top of that, much of what matters most in luthiery is experiential. When I worked as a bad luthier I learned a detailed method for milling frets. If I set it out on a page I guaranty you would still not consistently produce fret-ends which were factory-spec for a while. As Ronnie Bolduc, my maestro from those days used to say, "The first two hundred are the toughest."

[Joel Larsson]

I think you're spot on there, Sam. Usually, I love hanging around luthiers as well, and once you've made them start talking, I don't find them to be particularly mindful of what craft secrets they may share with you. But Adrian, it seems, don't have that many to hang around with... I think you're right, though, Adrian, that building an instrument is probably better than diving head first into restoring old gems. IF a luthier may not be willing to share everything with you, it is probably mostly with the fear of this in mind.
And, actually, I believe one of our finest bass makers of today—Peter Elias—is an autodidact.