Boutique Guitar Makers
60If you have been playing guitar for a long time and decide that it is a good time to get really serious about playing guitar, it might be time to invest in a guitar made from one of the top boutique guitar makers. Of course, you need to bring your wallet with you because these don't come cheap. But, the good thing about it is that you will be using that guitar for a lifetime because these are built with the most amount of care and attention to detail.
If you are going to be shopping for a custom made boutique guitar be prepared for a lot of research -- well, if you are like me and want to know everything about all the different companies first and then make a decision on what you are going to buy. When I first started shopping for mone, it was almost like I was just beginning in the guitar world again because I knew nothing about the boutique makers and wasn't really sure what I was looking for. Glad I had the internet!
Probably one of the hardest things about shopping for a boutique guitar is the fact that a lot of shops don't carry them so it will be harder to find one to try out first to see if you like it before you buy. At least this is the case for me and where I live. I don't have any shops near me that carry any of the boutique guitars so unfortunately I did not have a chance to try first. The way I got around that is that I know the type of neck I like, the radius I like and all the other specs that work for me and I shopped for a guitar that had all these specs. This was, I wasn't guaranteeing that I would love the guitar if I bought it sight unseen, but since it had the same specs there was still a good chance that I would. And I did!
There are a large number of boutique guitar makers including Suhr, Grosh, Nash Guitars, Tyler, Tom Anderson, Koll, Thorn, Nik Huber, John Page, Trussart, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc... You get the idea. Each of these give you the choice of Start style, Tele style, Gibson style and just about everything in between.
I would consider the guitars that come out of both the Fender and Gibson custom shops as boutique as well. So, if it is a Strat or Les Paul that you like but you want something of a higher quality go with the Custom Shop pieces. Some excellent stuff coming out of both of them.
You can also order a guitar from one of these boutique guitar makers to your specs. The only thing there is that you have to be prepared to wait.....and wait.....and wait... These guitars are all built by hand, finished by hand, tested, tweaked, etc. It takes awhile but you are going to get and excellent product in the end.
So, it is entirely up to you on which boutique guitars maker you choose for your next instrument. Just know that you are investing in an instrument that should be enjoyed for the rest of your life (assuming you play until you die!).
