One question you might be asking is, why a guitar from Dunham Guitars? Why Dunham Guitars instead of another luthier? Why not a Les Paul, or a Strat, or a PRS... should I go on?
Fortunately, and sometimes unfortunately, there are a lot of options out there for your next guitar. How do you choose? First, let's get this out of the way: If you want a Les Paul, or a Strat, or a PRS, then buy a Les Paul or a Strat or a PRS. They're classic, iconic, and can be great guitars! However, any experienced collector or luthier will heavily encourage you to handle and play one of these guitars down at your local store before buying. These and most other names you've usually heard of are mass-produced instruments, run on the high-volume business model of "pick 2 from cost, speed, and quality"; and this is where we start thinking about comparing with the products from your artisan luthier. With so many different assembly line technicians touching different stages of production, there can be a pretty wide variance in fit and finish on even the premium line axes from the big guys. There are insane-deal $1500 one-offs out there that play like a dream, and there are some real lemons at $7000; hence the "play-it-for-yourself" recommendation.
A smaller-time luthier, on the other hand, will often dedicate his or her entire craft to the whole of the instrument: selecting specific woods with complementary coloring and grain, inlay pieces and hardware to provide a specific accent, balancing art and engineering to tell a story with each individual guitar. So maybe a way to think about it is that going with a luthier is (or should be) a more personal option. For a full custom build, that can mean an opportunity to work with the luthier directly on wood and hardware selection, and the benefit of having a partner who can visualize how different materials in the build will support the feel and story that the customer wants it to tell.
So finally, why one luthier over another? Like in most industries, there are lots of people out there making awesome stuff, and I'll happily recommend and support any good people doing good work. I think it really comes down to a personal connection and a feel. Who do you want to craft the story in your next guitar? Take a look at my history, philosophy, current, and previous builds here on the website, and ask questions! If you decide to go with a custom Dunham Guitar, my guarantee is you'll end up a personal work of art like no other that will play and sound as impressive as it looks, that bonds with your story and artistic voice, as well as a promise that I will always be honest and ethical. As for attention to detail and research into your personal build, I also believe my mechanical engineering Ph.D. in nanomaterials, microtechnology, and solid state physics from Stanford University helps out a bit ;-)
Happy shredding!
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