After 16 years and about 1,200 instruments, I have arrived at some business decisions. So, before you email me, ring my telephone, or come walking up into my shop, here’s some things you need to know.
I don’t rush. If you’re in too big of a hurry to wait on me to do it right, then take it to somebody else and leave me alone.
If you want a knock off of some real expensive guitar, I’m not your man. You got two choices: you can be a man about it and put up the money for the real thing, or you can do without. But, either way, you can leave me alone.
If your social life is lacking and you think you need a pen pal, I’m not it. I have always had to take that Biblical command of “work 6 days and rest 1” literally. I am making somewhere in the neighborhood of minimum wage, and the only way I can make a living at this is to stay on the job 50-70 hours a week. So, I don’t have time to try to make you feel good about your life. Catch up with Dr. Neil Clark Warren or get yourself a dog. I don’t care. Just leave me alone.
You have 20 guitars and you don’t like the sound of any of them. You are an artistic genius and you need a guitar that is worthy of your greatness! You probably won’t like mine either. I build out of wood just like everybody else. It’s not like the Almighty is giving me all the best wood and holding out on all the other builders. I build to meet very specific physical needs that folks have. Some are left-handed like me. Some have real small hands, or large hands. There’s people over 7 feet tall who need a long scale guitar, and then you got short people who need a short scale small body guitar. But my guitars are still guitars. There’s nothing magical or mystical about them that will cause you to be complete as a person. They won’t turn you into a better player, get jiggy with you, bring you flowers, or rock you to sleep at night. So, if you are looking for any of these things in a guitar, I’m not your man. Leave me alone.>/b>
So you love Jesus and you play in the Praise Band down at your church house. Glad to hear it! I love Jesus too. But, if you are poor and you want me to hook you up with a free guitar in the Name of Jesus, the answer is “NO!” The one you presently have is good enough. Play it and leave me alone.
If you have done any checking around on the internet, you have figured out that I am the lowest priced hand builder on the planet. You’re checking with me because you can’t afford anybody else, so please have the good grace not to ask me to come down even lower. Any lower and I wouldn’t even be able to stay in business.
I put my best into every instrument I build. But at my age, my best is subject to change on any given day. My eyes are getting dim and my joints hurt worse. Some days are more difficult than others, and I’m not inclined to put up with fussy people. You’ll probably find a piece of lent in the finish on most every instrument I build. You might see knife marks. If you want a hand made guitar that looks like a genuine factory made guitar, then I can promise you, I am not your man. Buy yourself a factory made guitar and leave me alone.
If you need a well built guitar to meet a specific need and it’s not offered on the production lines, then check with me. Perhaps I can be of use to you.
Rick Felkel