There are plenty of new luthiers out there, and many tend to make a big splash with a website, Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, etc. But some of them fail to deliver the goods -- even after some users waiting YEARS. How do you find out such information and prevent yourself from getting ripped off? Here are a few tips:
- Do your research. Converse with the luthier and get a sense of their competency level, years of experience, etc. Do they sound like they are just starting out? Is it only a part-time job? Do they outsource a lot of the work? Are they scraping by because their business acumen is poor and luthiery is their only income? All of these are red flags.
- Get references and examples of previous work. You can google the luthier and usually find great info on specific guitar forums like www.thegearpage.net, www.sevenstring.org, or www.acousticguitarforum.com. Between these forums, most luthiers -- new and old, will be represented. You can also search google and these forums for instances of builders who have had problems delivering. Use the search term "bad guitar builders," or "guitar builder scam," etc.
- Be wary of builders who demand 100% up front and have a huge waiting time. Some of them are very reputable, but tend to be old. If they ever "retire" permanently, you will be out of luck.
- Get a written and signed contract to legally protect yourself
- Get an estimate of the complete work to be done, pricing, and delivery time
- Ask for milestones and status updates via e-mail using photos, etc.
- Look at the warranty and what would be covered for defects, etc.
