Italiano
Recently a European guitar builders association FB group had some interesting discussions with us about the definition of handmade guitars and the sense of what we are building.
“I can say that factory-made in China guitars are often made “by hand”. The difference between that and what we do is that in China, each worker does one very small fraction of the job and has no idea about the entire process as a whole. This like compairing a Chef with the one who peel the potatoes. We are chefs, which means we must know how to peel potatoes but also all of the other components, having the overall project in mind and planning and executing the entire job, to get a final result. So to me, it is important to specify if an instrument is completely engineered and constructed by the guitar builder/luthier. At Manne, we do not make instruments in a series. Each one is a single piece, with its own features, sound and look. This is the real main difference with the industry.“
“We are building musical instruments and their main use is to let them make music. But they are also objects of beauty and design. Some customers could look for an art piece while another customers may look for a beaten up (or just apparently) vintage piece of wood. Some instruments are sold for their beautiful wood, but I have always said ‘we are not wood sellers’. Some instruments are sold for the color of pickups or knobs, and other instruments are sold just for their sound with no regard for looks, balance or playability. So there are many, many reasons why particular instruments are attractive to a player. The complexity of ergonomics, sound features and aesthetic beauty offer to the maker, the challenge of creating a balanced “holy grail” instrument. But sometimes we just try to create something that is popular and marketable. The business side of the equation forces luthiers to offer their instruments at a relative high price, for all the reasons we know. Many times expensive instruments will not reach the people who can take full advantage of their features as many buyers are not even players. I have sold instruments to people that put them in a guitar safe/bunker which can resist a house fire. But probably these instruments will not be played so much… Musicians usually cannot afford expensive instruments. The best musicians usually receive their instruments for free by big industries. Very few musicians (very valuable to me) push us into experimenting and applying all of our knowledge to create something that goes beyond the already created. Years back I was giving a prize (the homemade jam I do) to the customers that ordered during the prior year, an instrument that let me create something truly new, and pushed me further into my creative work. So, are we working just to make something sexy and desirable for the wealthy people who can afford masterpieces, or are we building musical instruments for creating music? I try in my work to focus on the latter.”
Thinking about it and stepping out to see things from a distance, I came up with a clearer view of what I am doing. I haver never wanted consciously to make the most expensive luxury masterpiece; a piece of art to be sold as art. I have just tried over the years to build a musical instrument for the players. In these days where instruments are mostly bought with the eyes, I have tried my best to make nice looking instruments, but the focus was always on the instrument as a tool for the player. It should feel good, it should sound good and it should look good. But always from the perspective of the player.
And they should be accessible. And this probably is due to the Italian situation. In Italy the stories I read on the book Guitar Makers simply cannot happen. A guitar builder cannot become a star as we live in another world. I missed to enter into guitar building history, because I could not afford to go exhibit at the Montreal guitar show, although I was invited two times. I always had to deal with my own reality and to live thorough it, with a coherent vision and a good attitude in a difficult market. If we talk about a business model, really, there is no business model but just intuition, going for the best to keep doing what I love doing.
Now, after 28 years next month, I will have paid all my dues finally, going through a recent theft of 12 instruments, and so many thousands of challenges. The future is brighter than ever.
