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the first three were finished at a rate of 1 per year. no kits, learning just about everything from the ground up. both #4 and 5 will be finished during this calendar year.
ideally i'd love to get to a point where i can finish 3 per year at a relaxed pace. trying to sell them for just a bit more than cost and have more people lined up than i can satisfy.
but alas, working full time with two little ones at home and a job that requires a number of evenings each week. if i'm lucky i get a few two hour chunks of time each week in the shop.
phil

I build to sell. I build one at a time to finish cure stage. I build in the evenings for four hours a day and on weekends for 8-12 hours a day when I can. I typically build 3-5 commissions a year and if luck one for my self. But this year I have built 7 commissions and have #7 on the bench. However it has just started and will not be ready till after the first of the year.

Three or four instuments a year on average, though some years I've made six and some only one or two depends on what I'm making and whether I'm away on field work.

I've just started an Archlute that will probably take about 5 years to finish (got to learn sculpture and gold/silver/ivory inlay techniques).

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I have been at this for almost 3 years on a part-time basis. I am building about 6-10 a year. The orders are starting to mount so I will have to try and figure out how to speep up production in the future. Do I go full-time? That would be scary.....

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
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House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
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[QUOTE=Colin S]

I've just started an Archlute that will probably take about 5 years to finish (got to learn sculpture and gold/silver/ivory inlay techniques).

Colin[/QUOTE]

WOW, that sounds absolutely FASCINATING!!!

I am a hobbyist,

I started "batch" building 4 at a time about 2 months ago, prior to that 1 at a time. It looks like it will take about 3 months per batch using my current and first group going. I plan to continue to batch build between 3-4 each time, I find I learn more and hone skills better taking this approach. I hope to build 12-16 per year. I built 6 this year with 4 in the batch and the other two one at a time. I currently give my guitars away and have set that when I complete #20, maybe #25 I will start considering building for dollars. Self imposed criteria, although I have been ask, I don't feel that my skill level, knowledge or experience will be complete enough until I get to that point and still will be a newb compared to some of these great builders on this site.

Mike