# Montrealer looking for builder and ideas.



## tcon (Dec 23, 2009)

Hello,

I am interested in getting a custom guitar built and any opinions are welcome. I think I found someone near Quebec city who will take on the project. http://www.guitarebeaulieu.com/guitares_sur_mesure.htm Site is only in French.
I like it because he lets me buy my own supplies and wood. Does anyone know anyone else in Qc or Ontario? I just want to shop around. Also, who is a good Guitar supplier of wood and accessories? Allied Lutherie and Stew Mac are popular in US but it must be a fortune to ship into Canada.

Basically, I want a simple, like no fancy inlays, but expensive looking guitar. Have you ever just walked into a guitar shop and a guitar looked crazy expensive? Yeah, that. I intend on making it a grand auditorium with Red Cedar and Cocobolo back and sides. I love slotted head stocks so I am going to try to do that.

I guess I will say more as people respond but all feedback and ideas are welcome.

T


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## speedster (Nov 11, 2009)

Mario Proulx out of Eriquiois Falls Ontario builds some of the best Custom made Acoustic Guitars on the market today.

They are truely tone and volume monsters. 

Many of the pro's are playing his guitars today.


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## Guitarman64 (May 27, 2008)

Well ..in Montreal, for those specs, you could ask Pierre Laporte on Duluth street. I know Pierre is pretty busy but he'll make you a guitar you will never sell after !! Only need to be patient because a lot of pros are going to his shop. here's the link : http://www.djangomontreal.com/doc/PierreLaporte.htm


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## tcon (Dec 23, 2009)

Wow, that is so funny. I went to Steve's today and they also said Laporte. Any idea on the price range? Thanks,

Tal


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## Ian John (Aug 11, 2009)

Shipping is no big deal from the United states but there are very good suppliers in Canada. I have bought wood from A&M , another from Quebec...can't remember the name and two others in Ontario that I will make my way to one day. 
One suggestion I could make is Kit guitars>>>stew Mac has some nice ones that can be built with limited tools. Some luthiers have serviced kits that you could end up with a pretty cool guitar. 
I started out looking for a custom, then just trying to build myself a guitar and now I can't stop. Another addiction...great..

Regards Ian


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## tcon (Dec 23, 2009)

Hi Mr. John,

Thank you for your input but I simply can't see the joy in getting a guitar kit built for me. That's like having someone put together the puzzle you bought at the store. I am looking for someone to make the puzzle that I envision.


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## Ian John (Aug 11, 2009)

I was suggesting you put the puzzle together! ha! 
Never done a kit myself, as you put it....no joy in that for me either. But I am sure quite satisfying from some that I have seen.

I plan on going on a wood hunt this week, Cocobolo is one wood I am interested in also. I will let you know if I find some nice stuff.
I would have thought Montreal had a number of luthiers to choose from, seems more in Ontario from some searches.

Regards Ian


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## Mike MacLeod (Nov 27, 2006)

Slotted headstocks only look good on 12 fret guitars. Really!!! An educated buyer will never invest in a slot-head 14 fret guitar. Unless you have the instrument built with a 12 fret neck, you will never be able to sell the guitar. - 'Course I do tend to be a tad opinionated.  It wouldn't be so annoying if I wasn't always right.

Having said that, I love slot-head 12 fret guitars. The traditional 12 fret guitar has the bridge and sound hole further back on the top and has a slightly larger body than it's 14 fret cousin. This tends to make for a very very nice guitar. 

A Cocobolo and Cedar GA will make a very pretty guitar. Depending upon the builder it will sound wonderful or horrible. Pick the builder based on the sound of his guitars and not whether he will use your materials or not. 

I've discussed this with a few builders who generally reject the idea of using the customer's wood as they have no idea as to how it was aged, or how it was stored, etc. It is not hard to break a side if it has not been properly aged - then the whole set is useless. If they have purchased the material, then they have the responsibility to produce the guitar, even if the sides split during the bending. If you have supplied the wood ............ Yer hooped.


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## tcon (Dec 23, 2009)

Thanks, Mike. What a great site you have. The only specialty Cdn. guitar store that I know of is 12 fret in Toronto. 

I still don't know about the headstock. I mean, these specialty guitars are worthless as resale if I get it from a local luthier who is not a big name. 

And I really hate the look of those snakehead headstocks. Who honestly finds that attractive?


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## roadflix (Nov 4, 2008)

What sort of music do you play - and what style? Are you primarily a flat-picker or finger picker. Do you play for an audience or at home for your own pleasure? What guitar do you have now? What do you like about it? What would you change if you could? Do you want electric sound enhancement?

Also why cedar? We've found ways to bring out the warmth of the wood without loosing the "punch" associated with spruce but it requires fanatically high standards in wood selection - both top and tone wood - not to mention unique bracing and body design.

Sorry for the number of questions but I'm curious as to why you are looking for a custom built guitar.

Oh and Mikes comments about slot-heads - Dead on in my opinion!


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## Mike MacLeod (Nov 27, 2006)

tcon said:


> I still don't know about the headstock. I mean, these specialty guitars are worthless as resale if I get it from a local luthier who is not a big name.


Do not worry about the small name. Make sure the guitars sound good and are stable. The builder will develop a name and the value of your guitar will move up with his prices.

I commissioned a new Laskin in 1980. It was delivered in 1981 for $1400. To replace the guitar today would cost *$14,000*. I did not buy a guitar from my pal Judy Threet when they were $3K. Now I have the ordered the same guitar at $7K and count myself lucky. 

Here endeth the lesson!! :smile:


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## Mike MacLeod (Nov 27, 2006)

*Oh Yeah, the headstock.*

The headstock is the maker's signature. Not everyone uses a snake-head shape, though there are some reasons why it makes a good shape. Many will have a curve of some sort. However, I must say that a Dreadnought copy only looks good with a flat-top headstock. I suppose it's because the "Martin" shape calls up some primordial memories.

I should also point out, in case you haven't noticed, that I am a real conservative when it comes to these elements of guitars. It may come from having acquired a couple dozen very fine vintage acoustics over the last few decades.

There is something about the visual balance of a 12-fret guitar that benefits from a slotted headstock, whereas a 14 fret guitar looks somehow ungainly with a slotted headstock.


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## sonic74 (May 21, 2009)

Why do you specifically want to buy your own wood? It seems like a better idea to trust someone who builds guitars for a living to buy the wood he/she will work with.


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## Krule Music Group (Jun 12, 2009)

*Send a message to al3d*

Hey buddy,
Send a message to al3d from this forum. He can make you the guitar you want. He has pictures posted of some of his builds. very impressive. 

Cheers.
http://krulemusicgroup.blogspot.com


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## tcon (Dec 23, 2009)

roadflix said:


> What sort of music do you play - and what style? Are you primarily a flat-picker or finger picker. Do you play for an audience or at home for your own pleasure? What guitar do you have now? What do you like about it? What would you change if you could? Do you want electric sound enhancement?
> 
> Also why cedar? We've found ways to bring out the warmth of the wood without loosing the "punch" associated with spruce but it requires fanatically high standards in wood selection - both top and tone wood - not to mention unique bracing and body design.
> 
> ...


I am a home playing finger picker. I love playing classical guitar which frequently uses Cedar as a sound board.

I want custom because it is one of the few things in life that I can design and have control over many elements from the ground up. I love the idea of something built for me, and to an extent, designed by me. That is the attraction of choosing my own wood.

Right now, I have a Martin OM16GT. I like that it is light and sounds great. But it looks boring as hell. In terms of electric sound enhancement, I use a decent mike and phantom power. I record with a Zoom H series and use audacity. Feel free to ask anything else.


T


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Krule Music Group said:


> Hey buddy,
> Send a message to al3d from this forum. He can make you the guitar you want. He has pictures posted of some of his builds. very impressive.
> 
> Cheers.
> http://krulemusicgroup.blogspot.com


Thanks for the head's up man..appriciate it..but i THINK he's looking for an accoustic guitar unless i'm mistaken


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## gstring (Nov 4, 2008)

*builder*

Les Guitares Pellerin........wow. Thetford Mines Quebec. Wow.

Top builder,very reasonable.


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## Daniel Grenier (Jun 24, 2008)

Check out Sergei De Jonge from Chelsea QC or Oskar Graff just south of there on the Ontario side. Both top notch luthiers with terrific guitars to offer. 

http://www.dejongeguitars.com/home9.html
http://www.grafguitars.com/


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## six-string (Oct 7, 2009)

don't know what sort of budget you are thinking of, but you could check out Sergei De Jonge's website. He and his family build world class acoustic guitars at his workshop in Chelsea Quebec. (edit; i see someone else had this suggestion...)
http://www.dejongeguitars.com/home5.html
also check out Marc Beneteau's website. another of Canada's great custom luthiers.
http://www.beneteauguitars.com/
you could also try Grit Laskin in Toronto (if you are into awesome inlays, this guy is the best in the world).
http://www.williamlaskin.com/
or Jean Larrivee
http://www.larrivee.com/
there are lots of others too. good luck finding the perfect guitar for you.


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## tcon (Dec 23, 2009)

Thank you all so much. I am looking for a smaller builder and most of your suggestions have been out of my price range. I am looking at Pierre Laporte, Beaulieu in QC city and some other small time guys. Thanks, again.


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## nitehawk55 (Sep 19, 2007)

Marc Beneteau can build a guitar pretty much any way you want it and always has good advice to help you make the right decisions to make you a guitar that sounds and looks fantastic .
http://www.beneteauguitars.com/


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## pattste (Dec 30, 2007)

tcon said:


> Thank you all so much. I am looking for a smaller builder and most of your suggestions have been out of my price range. I am looking at Pierre Laporte, Beaulieu in QC city and some other small time guys. Thanks, again.


Pierre Laporte is the luthier and guitar tech of many of Quebec's most commercially successful guitarists. I would have expected him to be expensive. Unless one of his assistants does the work (which may work out just fine, too).


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