News/Newsletter 2.08
Montuoro Guitar Co. in 2008
There is always a lot to do in a one-man shop. This
month that included putting a comprehensive list of
what it is I do, exactly, on this website under the
Pricing & Models link. I tried to cover every area for
your convenience. For the first time, prices are
listed as a guide for you to understand me and the
type of guitars I am making.
The Larson Bros wave is beginning to swell to the
likes of the north shore of Kauai in the winter time,
just as it did with C.F. Martin & Co. guitars. More
and more instruments that are reminiscent of these
great old guitars are currently being manufactured,
although the overall numbers are few. There are of
course various levels of quality and construction. I
recently learned that Larson Bros-inspired guitars are
being manufactured outside the United States, built in
Vietnam. Interesting...
My prices reflect the fact that my guitars are 100%
handmade from start to finish - by me. With an output
of 10 to 12 guitars each year, you can rest assured
that the attention each instrument receives is
expansive. Building guitars in large batches is ideal
for many. Not for me. I have never made two of the
same guitar. Each one is an individual, in much the
same way that the Larson Bros created their guitars.
At the same point in history, C.F. Martin & Co. might
as well have been NASA in comparison to the Larson
Bros. Their shop was located in an old bakery and
didn't even have electricity until roughly 1915. Quite
amazing! Don't worry.. I do have electricity!
You get what you pay for. There is something that sets
handmade instruments aside from their factory-made
counterparts. Handmade guitars have a certain aura
about them. You can really sense the maker's spirit,
giving the same feeling you might get when looking at
a painter's work and the same feeling you get when you
look at a Larson-made guitar vs. a C.F.Martin & Co.
guitar. One by hand, the other by many hands. At the
moment, factories are producing some of the finest
made guitars in history. Truly amazing. It is
estimated that 3.1 million guitars are manufactured
every year. Some of these factories make 400 guitars a
day!
My rate of production is an infinitesimally miniscule
proportion of that figure. And there is only so much
time!
I have a true admiration for the Larson Bros' work,
and I have the utmost respect for their families. And
I am not building Larson Bros Guitars - I am building
Montuoro Guitars. I am simply trying to carry on the
tradition of their building style. Everyone draws
inspiration from somewhere different. The Larson Bros'
aesthetic is on par with what I appreciate most in
guitars. I have a vast amount of knowledge of and
experience with these instruments.
We humans are really good at creating and packaging
things with machinery. I salute everyone out there
handmaking beautiful artwork. Maybe one day America
might again be known for its handmade artistry. If I
could choose, the Larson Bros are the builders that I
would have a few beers with.
Frankie Montuoro
2.08
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