Why Buy a Boutique Guitar?

[Eyecon]

Long time lurker, first time posting. I just have to ask why buy a boutique or even semi-boutique guitar? I have a J-45 and am looking around for a 2nd gem to play. After visiting various boutique websites and listening to their sound clips, I keep coming back to Gibson. I have my eye on a Advanced Jumbo. It's sounds oh so nice and is 1/2 the price of most boutique guitars. I know that music/ sound is subjective, not unlike Art or Movies. I guess I am just curious as to why one would spend twice as much money for guitar that is not anywhere near twice the value. Can anyone help with my confusion.

Thanks,

Scott

[heyhey]

My take is that everybody has a different sound in their head, and different sets of aesthetic values.

 

I love the sound of my Gibson AJ, and have never really "gotten" the Martin sound. Martin's just don't work with my style with MY ear.

 

I'm also not afraid to admit that I dig Gibsons for their looks as much as their sound, but I tend to have traditionalist tastes in a lot of things. Horses for courses and all of that.

 

That said, if a person has a tone in their head that can only be satisfied by a boutique build and they love having something unique, then go for it!

 

 

 

Cheers,

Chris

[dhanners623]

When it comes to guitars, "value" can be very subjective. When you get a boutique guitar, you're usually going for a one-of-a-kind instrument that you know somebody put together with their own hands. (Yeah, I know every guitar is built by hand, to a varying degree, but you know what I mean....) You know the personality behind the guitar and you know the instrument wasn't some huge batch on an assembly line, and there are a lot of people who place a value on those things. Plus, more often than not, boutique guitars are generally very good guitars.

 

It is somewhat akin to buying a Smart Car or a Porsche Cayman. They both seat two and they both will get you from Point A to Point B, but they are not the same thing. Some folks like the Smart Car, some like the Porsche.

 

If you're happy with a Gibson, then that's great.

[BigKahune]

.

Welcome.

 

How about a pic or two of your J45? . . . . Pic posting help - http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/11005-sticky-how-to-post-photos/

 

 

As to your question, Dhanners and Heyhey covered it very well. I'll add that some folks would simply rather go to a boutique/luthier to get a guitar made to their specs, specifically for them. And in case you didn't know, you can have Gibson Montana put together a custom spec for you, at additional cost, of course. B)

[onewilyfool]

Some want vintage, some want new and shiny.....some want single Luthier built.......some want small shop built......to each his own.....great world we live in.......During the cold war in Russia, you had only one choice....the "People's Republic Guitar".....lol....we are very fortunate to have so many choices

[slimt]

Boutique Guitars ? To me a High end Guitar , is a Builder that Hand Makes 1 of a kinds.. and is very well known in the industry.. and the Quality comes with a price.... and in most cases its yours for life..

 

AJs are Sweet Guitars... but you have to shop for the right one.. just like anything else out there..

[Eyecon]

I always thought Gibson was "High End". I can see when someone has a guitar made custom for "YOU", that the uniqueness is what costs. But hey, I heard those " Russian Peoples Republic Guitars" were made in China anyway.

[slimt]

I think it all depends on what you like in that Gibson Acoustic Guitar.. Scale, Playability,.. The Sound should be there ,right out of the box.. Fit, finish, and Looks..

[devellis]

I have a nice new Gibson and a couple or three boutique guitars. First, only one of the boutiques cost more than the Gibson SJ-200 TV. Each has its own personality and I really like them all. The build quality on the boutiques is amazing on all of them (a Bourgeois Goodall, and Santa Cruz). The Gibson build quality is very good but not up to the quality of the others. Each has a unique voice. The Gibson delivers something the others don't and, by the same token, each of the others delivers something the Gibson doesn't. Each of them does its thing better than any other of them can. The Gibson has a kind of rough-edged tone that I really like for playing blues. By "rough-edged," I don't mean anything bad. It just has a tone quality that works really well for blues. Other guitars of mine have a "sweeter" voice but that's not the Gibson's job.

 

Gibsons certainly extend into the high range, both in price and quality. I actually had a harder time finding Gibsons in the model I wanted than finding boutique instruments. The boutiques and the Gibson all play very well and are great looking guitars. They all have comfortable necks, good tuners, and use good materials. They're just different flavors and I like them all. But neither the Gibson or any of the others does everything as well as it can be done. None of them makes any of the others superfluous (although any one of them would make a very nice "only guitar").

 

So, I guess I have boutique guitars for the very same reason I have a Gibson: I like great guitars that are well made and that have a signature sound. They all fill that bill.

[onewilyfool]

I have a nice new Gibson and a couple or three boutique guitars. First, only one of the boutiques cost more than the Gibson SJ-200 TV. Each has its own personality and I really like them all. The build quality on the boutiques is amazing on all of them (a Bourgeois Goodall, and Santa Cruz). The Gibson build quality is very good but not up to the quality of the others. Each has a unique voice. The Gibson delivers something the others don't and, by the same token, each of the others delivers something the Gibson doesn't. Each of them does its thing better than any other of them can. The Gibson has a kind of rough-edged tone that I really like for playing blues. By "rough-edged," I don't mean anything bad. It just has a tone quality that works really well for blues. Other guitars of mine have a "sweeter" voice but that's not the Gibson's job.

 

Gibsons certainly extend into the high range, both in price and quality. I actually had a harder time finding Gibsons in the model I wanted than finding boutique instruments. The boutiques and the Gibson all play very well and are great looking guitars. They all have comfortable necks, good tuners, and use good materials. They're just different flavors and I like them all. But neither the Gibson or any of the others does everything as well as it can be done. None of them makes any of the others superfluous (although any one of them would make a very nice "only guitar").

 

So, I guess I have boutique guitars for the very same reason I have a Gibson: I like great guitars that are well made and that have a signature sound. They all fill that bill.

Bob, I hear you, each guitar has it's signature sound. I had a Rosewood Goodall GC once, that was a fingerplayer's dream....tons of overtones, flawless finish, but strummed, was a bit muddy because of all the overtones.....don't forget Collings.....I have never found one that didn't sound great (in that Matin style of sound) and that had a single flaw from the factory. Just amazing....There are some really great small company guitar makers out there, no one has really captured that "Gibby" sound for me....so Gibson stands alone.....I've never played a Kopp, but I understand they are pretty good in the Gibson way too......Suburude swears by them....

[Rambler]

Like the vintage market there's a division between players and posers. Players are looking to nail that extra silly millimeter of tone and feel. Tony McManus to name one has several exquisite custom built OMs. Posers want what looks like what the players have. Case in point. Clapton plays a studio guy's Dave Henderson OM and goes nuts over it. In days, a collector is after the guy to sell that OM for sick money.

 

I do think there is a law of diminishing returns. A serious player needs a pro instrument, not an entry level copy. That means Gibson, Martin, Guild, Taylor, Larrivee. You can refine it, to a point (Collings on Martin, Greven Walker Kopp for Gibson, various sig models and special editions) but at some point paying 5K for a copy of a factory Gibson or Stella? As ol' Lightnin' would say, 'its mighty crazy'.

[JuanCarlosVejar]

nobody talked about Froggy Bottom's those look stunning and play stunning (even though there are in the 10 k range)

I would like to own a Froggy at some point but I love my SJ200 TV to death and I think Im a Gibsonite for life .

[devellis]

I've played a couple of Froggy Bottoms. They're wonderful instruments, no doubt, but something about the necks on the ones I played didn't suit me. It really spoiled the experience. Again, I think they're fantastic guitars and unless you have hands exactly like mine, I doubt you'd have any problem with the neck. I was disappointed, though in how they felt -- my problem, not theirs. In contrast, when I play my Gibson SJ-200 TV, I have no awareness of the neck's feel, which I take as a really good sign. I just play it and am never aware of the neck getting in the way of what I'm doing. Although I have a variety of guitars with various neck shapes, I'm always surprised how some guitars just feel right while others don't. So far, the Gibson's a winner in that regard.

[JuanCarlosVejar]

I've played a couple of Froggy Bottoms. They're wonderful instruments, no doubt, but something about the necks on the ones I played didn't suit me. It really spoiled the experience. Again, I think they're fantastic guitars and unless you have hands exactly like mine, I doubt you'd have any problem with the neck. I was disappointed, though in how they felt -- my problem, not theirs. In contrast, when I play my Gibson SJ-200 TV, I have no awareness of the neck's feel, which I take as a really good sign. I just play it and am never aware of the neck getting in the way of what I'm doing. Although I have a variety of guitars with various neck shapes, I'm always surprised how some guitars just feel right while others don't. So far, the Gibson's a winner in that regard.

 

 

do you have big hands ? large fingers maybe ?

 

i have quite big hands and large fingers but at some point I'd like to try a small OM martin or a small gibson

just to see how they feel .

[Stubee]

I guess I am just curious as to why one would spend twice as much money for guitar that is not anywhere near twice the value.

Because it seems worth it to the buyer. Their choice, their $, their guitar.

 

AJs are Sweet Guitars... but you have to shop for the right one

+1. Have a favorite AJRI but they are not all the same.

 

To be honest: Had quite a few guitars here & never considered Collings, Froggy Bottom, SC or a bunch of others like that to be 'boutique', just smaller volume builders. Heck, a Collings CJ was the runner-up to my AJ, I just liked the AJ better & honestly was surprised. I also don't consider vintage Martins & Gibsons to be 'boutique' either, just old/vintage and in the past 15 years or so darned costly. Had quite a few of 'em & still have a couple beat-up ones.

 

Boutique to me = custom ordered guitar by a builder you work with for quite some time, not just a pricey guitar hanging on the wall. Gotta add that I've never used the term 'boutique' to describe a guitar or maybe anything so maybe I'm falling off a limb here.

[ChrisA83]

I guess I am just curious as to why one would spend twice as much money for guitar that is not anywhere near twice the value.

 

A lot of people would (and do) say that about us buying Gibsons! My friends can't believe I'd spend as much as I have on "just a guitar", whereas I wonder why some of my friends spend the same on camera equipment when I'm satisfied taking pics on my iPhone! I guess it all depends on how much money you're willing to pay for something you want. And when you have more money you want/can afford something more rare, even if just to show off.

[Bob Marsh]

Working with an experienced luthier has been very educational. While my boss's guitars start at about 5K (I certainly can't afford one) that seems to be the low end for hand built one-of-a-kind instruments. Many Gibsons, Martins and other brand come through for repairs and, without sounding snobbish or sounding like a basher, I've not seen many that compare in tone, projection, fit and finish, playability, etc. that compare to his. I think that when one person builds the instrument from start to finish and makes 12 to 15 a year the investment of time and care shows.

I own a 31 OM-28 Martin, arguably the holy grail of bluegrass guitars and the guitars Bob builds are every bit as good and usually better than the OM.

 

That said, Gibson and many other celebrated makers produce wonderful instruments on a production basis and provide great value for the dollar but they are, after all mass production guitars built by many different sets of hands.

 

And at the risk of incurring the forum's wrath I might speculate that large corporations or companies focus a bit more on the bottom line (not that that's a bad thing) than they do on producing stellar products time after time. Once in awhile you run across a Martin, Gibson, etc. that is a dud but I'll bet ten dollars to a bucket of manure that in the world of boutique and hand builders if an instrument is a dud it never sees the light of day - Not worth a luthier's rep to have a crappy guitar out there.

 

Rant over, Mea Culpa if I have offended anybody!

 

Bob

[Yggdrasil]

Each has a unique voice. The Gibson delivers something the others don't and, by the same token, each of the others delivers something the Gibson doesn't. Each of them does its thing better than any other of them can. The Gibson has a kind of rough-edged tone that I really like for playing blues. By "rough-edged," I don't mean anything bad. It just has a tone quality that works really well for blues. Other guitars of mine have a "sweeter" voice but that's not the Gibson's job.

 

That is something that I found as well - I've had Collings, Huss & Dalton and a couple of Santa Cruz - all great guitars but much more "polite" sounding than my Gibsons. It was especially notable when for about a year I had both a mahogany 2006 SC H-13 (patterned on the Nick Lucas) and a mahogany Gibson 2006 NL reissue. The fellow who bought the H-13 A&B'd it with the Gibson - and said of the Gibson: "it sounds like a Gibson". I think your comment "rough-edged tone that I really like for playing blues. By "rough-edged," I don't mean anything bad" really sums it up. My John Walker falls somewhere in the middle - just a bit rude, but not impolite.

[zombywoof]

Most guitars sound polite or civilized to me when compared to something like a steel body Duolian.

 

In the world of electrics while some booteek guitars can do some serious damage to your wallet others like Linhoffs and Vinettos can give ya Custom Shop quality at less than CS prices. Downside is resale - many of the suckers just seem to lose their value faster than those made by the big boys.

[Guest WiseAxe]

I must admit I did think of the point our mr. dhanners would add to the discussion of boutique guitars. Not only are you

getting a guitar made from start to finish by ~1 person, but you're supporting a luthier in his hometown, wherever that may be. Just imagine the extra business, if nothing more than to 'the diner' in Rugby, Virginia, when folks come to pick & talk

about their guitar getting built 'cross-town' by Wayne Henderson.

 

As Zomb had noted, should you ever need to convert that guitar back into cash, you will take a major hit. It's a much more

selective market, without the name recognition afforded to the biggies like Gibson.

 

Also bear in mind the variability of acoustic guitars; the impossibility of Try-before-you-buy. Once you order it, you bought it.

[GT Hurley]

I have flirted around with the purchase of a "boutique" guitar as well. What I have found is that if you are the type to purchase and hold on to your instrument it would be fine. However if one has the "grass is greener" bug then it could be economically unsound. Gibson is a recognized instrument world wide for quality and sound. I have read many negative comments on the Gibson guitars as far as build and sound, but the sales remain strong. The players are individuals who value all of the previous, value, sound and notoriety as well as image. I have also had issues with quality and service from Gibson, however I will not sell mine. I know that when and if the time comes I will be able get back most of the money spent on them. Yes there are higher quality boutique made instruments, and they all sound wonderful. However I do and will continue to play my SJ300 and J45 until they need refreted... This will however not cure my lust for the Ryan Cathedral Grand Signature.

[onewilyfool]

I will say this based on observations of forums and craig's list.....boutique guitars REALLY lose value if you are the first purchaser and are trying to re-sell the guitar. Almost like trying to re-sell a used car....as soon as you drive it off the lot....etc. . They stay for sale for a long time, and the price gets lowered often several times before they sell. Just one downside. It seems the re-sale crowd for these guitars is quite small compared to Martin and Gibson, guitars which actually sell quickly with only moderate drop in price from original price (for new guitars) of course, vintage is another thing....also, a lot of luthiers like John Greven and others are quite old, so their 'LIFETIME" warranty rings a little hollow, whereas Gibson and Martin warranty will outlast you!!!....so unless you are "supporting the arts" or really love the luthier and trust that he will get you the sound and look you want, you are on the hook. No Luthier will guarantee sound!!....Play before pay is the way to go for me......

[Rambler]

I think that when one person builds the instrument from start to finish and makes 12 to 15 a year the investment of time and care shows.

 

Bob, that's a good point you have there. An indy luthier can build to personal specs(boutique to me is Goodalls and such). For ex, Ive got a pal who has a custom-made 000, more mid-rangey than a Martin and with a ball bat neck.

 

 

I do think that you really need to be dialed into your playing style to take best advantage. Plus finding one who can deliver what you are after. Btw, the guit in the clip is a Square Deal (Jack Needham). Frank Fotusky does the fine picking (get his album CD Teasin' the Frets. You wont go wrong).

[Bob Marsh]

That's a beautiful guitar and some lovely picking! Thanks for posting the video..

 

I'll probably incur a bunch of wrath here, but if you happen to catch John Hiatt on tour this summer he'll probably be playing the Rosewood jumbo that Bob Rigaud recently delivered to him. The jumbo that we knicknamed "The Wolf" (Because the highly figured Brazilian back resembles a wolf's head) if John's second Rigaud - The first was delivered about three years ago and was a midsize that John loved - He contacted Bob around the fall of last year and requested A jumbo that could be used for heavy strumming - The Wolf was the result and Bob visited Mr. Hiatt while he was recording his latest album in Nashville. Hiatt was mightily impressed with the Wolf and said he'd be touring with the axe this summer. John generally doesn't go in for custom stuff and has a long relationship with Gibson...Just goes to show that there's room for everybody in the market. I repeat that custom builds are pricey and not for the shallow of pocket, but the old adage still holds true - Ya Git whut ya pays fer....

 

B