Why Try A Custom Guitar  ?

Guitars, just like any other instrument out there, comes in a variety of shapes and forms. With that said, almost every guitar will have set of defined elements to it, the same ones we have been using forever. When the topic of custom guitars pops up, you will see a lot of divided opinions. To some, these instruments offer no other value than just a unique look, but to others, it is all about pushing the limits. Those who are just starting out, and have learned about different parts of a guitar in their last guitar lesson, are probably not too hot about custom guitars, which is understandable.   They are expensive, you often have to wait for a long time before they're done, and no one can really guarantee that what you've ordered is going to be as good as you're hoping it will. Next logical question would be, why do people bother with custom guitars then? The easy answer is that some guitar players reach a level where they know exactly what kind of tone they want, but can't find a guitar which meets those requirements. To answer the question with more detail, here are 5 reasons why you should try a custom guitar.  

1.) Get the exact type of tone you need

  When you're building a guitar from scratch, one of the most exciting planning phases is the choice of electronics. Now, what you choose will ultimately depend on the genre of music you're playing and what kind of flavor you like. For example, if you mainly play metal, you can go for a hot-rodded set of active humbuckers. On the other hand, if you're more into jazz, a set of good quality soap bars will probably be more attractive to you. Whatever the case may be, you have full control over this aspect of the guitar. Let's go a step deeper and enter the world of hand wound coils. If you really need a niche type of sound, you can contract someone to build a pickup that is up to your specs. These two gentlemen perfectly explain why a custom made guitar can be awesome:  

2.) Ultimate playing comfort for You

  One of the most important requirements a guitar needs to meet is a decent level of comfort. This is also why you will see a variety of different body shapes and neck profiles available on the market. However, everyone has their own taste so while you might like the shape of one guitar, you could simply find the necks available to be uncomfortable. When you're building a guitar, you can custom order whatever you want. Naturally, luthiers contracted to do the work will help you explore your ideas and lead you to a good setup. Someone who's been playing guitar for decades and is limited in some ways by factory made guitars, can seriously benefit from a custom built axe.  

3.) Increased reliability and Features that You need

  While not many guitar players decide to go for custom made guitars, there's a whole lot of those who customize factory made instruments. Why is this such a popular thing to do? The most common answer is reliability. Maybe that bridge you have is constantly messing with your intonation, maybe the tuners can't hold a key properly. Building a guitar from scratch allows you to pick the best components, which will ensure that you won't run into reliability issues no matter how aggressive your playing style is. On top of bulletproof hardware, other components of the guitar will also be tuned adequately as well. We're talking polished high-quality frets, custom made nut and more. Check out this video series to get a grasp of what the process of building a custom made guitar looks like:  

4.) Sometimes it's necessary to Customize for the Music

  One genre of music where you will see a lot of custom made guitars is jazz. The reason for this is the fact that most serious jazz guitarists use semi-hollow or hollow guitars for this purpose. Since these guitars have a pretty important acoustic factor to them, there is a lot of room for experimentation and improvement. Sure, there are many great factory-made semi-hollows out there, but even the most expensive model on the market is hardly going match what a hand-made guitar of this type can do. This is especially true if the guitar was made by one of the most popular luthiers in the business. When you are so invested in your music, like some jazz guitarists are, you will always be looking for that next level of sound quality.  

5.) Uniqueness factor that works for just You

  No matter what aspect of life, what activity or what type of widely used material object we are talking about, you will always have those who just need to stand out. Custom made guitars offer that to guitar players. With a one of a kind build, you will simply know that no one out there has the same guitar like you. Actually, even if someone asked to you give them the blueprint for your build, the one made for them would still be different from yours. That's the case with all hand made instruments. The point here is that aside from a wide spectrum of practical reasons why you would want a custom-made guitar, there are also those which many would define as petty, but still important.  

Bottom Line for You

 At the end of the day, the whole discussion related to custom made guitars comes down to having the best tool for the job. While there are many exotic custom guitars out there, featuring a plethora of crazy designs and outlandish finishes, there is even more of those who look boring and average. What all of them have in common is a much more refined playing experience and a tone that is custom designed for their owners. If you ever get a chance to try out a custom-made guitar, you should definitely do it. Not only will you understand why these instruments are different, but it will also show you what a custom setup can do for your own experience.

Thank you to our special guest author: Stephan for your article contribution the the Haywire Custom Shop blog.

About the Author:
Stefan is playing guitar for more than 9 years. He is passionate about helping people find the right gear and is also co-founder of: http:www.guitarfella.com - GuitarFella