Artigner Custom Guitars
photos courtesy of Matt Artigner
by Ryan Ackerman
posted 2006-07-31
When building a custom guitar what would be your neck preference?
As for neck preferences, I believe I'm like most mainstream players in my leanings.....a soft C shape, gibsonesque/guildesque, not too fat, not too thin. 1 11/16 nut width...although I've grown accustomed to SO many neck shapes over the years. The only one I can't really function with is the 'shredder thin' shape (a-la ibanez, etc)...great for some, but never comfortable for my gorilla sized hands.
What bridge/tremolo hardware do you prefer?
The hardware issue has been a major pondering point for me throughout my career....I primarily use schaller tuners, variations of the tune-o-matic, and stop tail, as well as a good number of ebony bridge and tail designs of my own.....BUT----I have always felt that hardware can advance so much further than where it currently stands. We have been using generally the same designs of hardware for 50 years without too much innovation. My hat's off to Tone Pros for thinking of some ways to solidify some of these older designs, but i think we can make designs that are sexier and more fitting to current designs while also improving overall functionality and simplicity....I definitely see hardware making some revolutionary changes in the not so distant future.
What pickup configuration do you prefer? Double or single coil?
With pickups, a good portion of my guitars have been humbucker/humbucker, but I am a HUGE fan of p-90's personally....they have a bite and kineticism that I've never heard any other pickup get close to...your left hand pressure can change the attitude of a p-90 instantly!!
Which body style do you prefer?
My body styles are based around the dual cutaway design with a neck backed out of the body as much as possible for full access.
What materials do you prefer to use in the construction of a body or neck?
Woods----three words....mahogany, mahogany, mahogany...;-). In comparison to some of the other woods I use on a regular basis (maples, spruces, koa), it has a broader tonal palette, and just like the p-90's, has this hard to describe 'kinetic' quality to it.....it can tend to sound a bit stiff when the guitar is brand new, but as the guitar gets played in, it blossoms like crazy.....an amazing, and sadly soon to be hard to find wood...
When building a guitar, what are the primary tools and machinery do you use?
My tools run the gammet, but I'm completely old school! I don't own any computer driven equipment, and some of my most used daily tools are my chisels, palm planes and scrapers!! It's much more intimate that way, and you can gain knowledge about your guitars that machines won't allow you to experience....I don't want to disparage any of my guitarmaking bretheren by saying this, but I cringe at some makers who are whip smart at programming cnc and building their guitars that way, but couldn't carve themselves out of a cardboard box with a chisel....they are missing out on a whole depth of knowledge that doesn't translate to a cnc program......bummer for them because in my opinion, for a guitar to have a True personality from day one, it needs to be cultivated with care.
The Artinger booth at the "Classic American
Guitar Show", Long Island - 2001
What is the price range that your guitars run for?
My price range bases run from $3000 for my chambered solid body, $3200 for my semi hollow, and $5500 and up for my hollows.
Where do you see the future of custom guitar building over the next five years? With respect to recent innovations and technological advancements, where is it headed?
As I touched on with hardware, I think there is an enormous amount of innovation to be seen in the next 5-10 years, and it's generally small companies like mine who spearhead these before they get filtered into some of the larger companies. From new forms of acoustic amplification, to hardware, to the successor to midi and beyond...it's all on the horizon!!
Thanks Matt for spending the time to answer these questions for us.
I hope to add one of these works of art to my collection some day...
For more information or questions about Artinger guitars visit http://www.artingerguitar.com
