How to insult a luthier?

Similar things have happened to me but in reverse. Most recently and closet to home involved my neighbor who also builds ukes. I stopped in his shop one day and saw photos from my website of one of my ukes on his wall. When I asked him what that was about he replied that a customer had sent him pics of my uke and wanted him to build one just like it only cheaper! I think that happens pretty often.
 
During a conversation with Rick Turner about Ukes and luthiers, I mentioned a couple of luthiers who are here on the forum, and his comment was "One day, I'd like to have one made by [insert name here]."

if Rick Turner would rather have an instrument MADE BY that luthier, rather than making one himself LIKE one made by that luthier, then that tells me all I need to know about the other luthier, and why I would never, ever ask a luthier to build something LIKE another luthier.

We can discuss the whys and wherefores, techniques and build styles, but in the end, each luthier is unique, and the instrument is the reason to buy it, NOT the reason to make one similar to it.


-Kurt​

Rick is insanely wise.
 
The nerve of some people! I would never want a cheapened version of anything!
I think that tells a lot about the customer's character...
 
I don't think price was the issue - it was more a lack of imagination and an insane lack of probity.
 
Similar things have happened to me but in reverse. Most recently and closet to home involved my neighbor who also builds ukes. I stopped in his shop one day and saw photos from my website of one of my ukes on his wall. When I asked him what that was about he replied that a customer had sent him pics of my uke and wanted him to build one just like it only cheaper! I think that happens pretty often.
Hope it wasn't mine. An imitation wouldn't do it justice anyway.

I feel for you luthiers. People can be such knuckleheads.
 
I got a phone call from a guy...He said "Right! I want to buy one of your Sopranos but! I'm not paying that much" from his accent I gathered that he was a Yorkshire man...Same as me :)
 
Similar things have happened to me but in reverse. Most recently and closet to home involved my neighbor who also builds ukes. I stopped in his shop one day and saw photos from my website of one of my ukes on his wall. When I asked him what that was about he replied that a customer had sent him pics of my uke and wanted him to build one just like it only cheaper! I think that happens pretty often.

Chuck...the builder can try to make it look like one of yours(but this can not be done IMO)..

but it is all about the tone of each builders uke... no one can get close to what you do tone wise.....:)
 
I've usually get asked if I can build a uke like a luthier.....instead of my usual hack jobs
 
I got a phone call from a guy...He said "Right! I want to buy one of your Sopranos but! I'm not paying that much" from his accent I gathered that he was a Yorkshire man...Same as me :)

Definition of a Yorkshireman? a Scotsman with all the generosity squeezed out!

Bob (a Jock)
 
What about recreations of historical instruments?
 
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