Pete Howlett
Well-known member
This is a copy of a partial posting I put up in UU Facebook Group.
You may agree or disagree but there is a reason that 10 years ago a growing number of guitar makers started to eye the ukulele market. And let's not forget, despite how awful these times are, I have never been busier and it is a great time to be a builder. When I think back to when I started over 26 years ago, I opened and closed my business 4 times in the first 16 years. Boy was it hard! Thanks to places like this and people like you if you find your niche, you can just about scrape by on a little more than minimum wage.
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Like all craft/hand skill based occupations, instrument building does require an initial investment of 10,000 hours. This prepares you from a practical advantage point of being able to 'handle anything that comes your way'. It is also the road to building your 'reputation' and that can only be defined by you. For instance, I get regularly roasted for my stance on comissioning. Having spent nearly 22 years being the tail of the dog and after a dignosis for PD caused me to reset the clock I no longer 'make for the client'. For some reason people take an aggressive stance against builder who do what I do to the way I do it. But hey, I make payroll every week. Sadly, this is a competitive business - we are all friendly but, in many cases we are also all after the same slice of pie. If you love inlay work you will be up against some formidable players like Chuck Moore. If it's bespoke you are after then... well it's a very long list and there are few places at the table. I vacated mine last year when I got out of the commissioning game.
A ray of hope. There are a few ukulele builders in your neck of the woods. It's a shallow pool with no sharks which is great for you. Embed yourself in that community, use local woods, do fine work and marry someone who is on a salary. It was many years before I could contribute to the family budget and I am eternally grateful for Helen, my wife, who has supported my creative explorations my entire life.You may agree or disagree but there is a reason that 10 years ago a growing number of guitar makers started to eye the ukulele market. And let's not forget, despite how awful these times are, I have never been busier and it is a great time to be a builder. When I think back to when I started over 26 years ago, I opened and closed my business 4 times in the first 16 years. Boy was it hard! Thanks to places like this and people like you if you find your niche, you can just about scrape by on a little more than minimum wage.
