It is my personal standard now. How I wish everybody could recreate it so that it can become affordable and everyone's standard. In my case: " I never knew that there could be so much more in a guitar". Thats one reason why I was weary to compare it to a Mang Max. When this guitar arrived, it caused me to sell all my other non-baker guitars. As you probably know, I am down to 2 bakers.
From the start I was skeptical before Baker#55 arrived, I was ready with a PLAN B to have the guitar sent back to USA and sold somewhere else because I believed my Japanese Guitars that sounded so good that it would kick a USA guitar in the ass. Fortunately or unfortunately at least for me, I got a surprise lesson on tone. When it first arrived, I and my close luthier friend were laughing about the flame. The case even had more flame!!! But after plugging in. We were floored. From that point, I did understand Ron Thorn. What we realized that more than specifications and workmanship, that this guitar was a product of years of experience and exposure to the very best guitars. It was simply not something you could design yourself. It was a personal custom by the luthier himself.
"How I wish everybody could recreate it so that it can become affordable and everyone's standard."
i would love for that to happen. but of course, hanggang pangarap lang yan unless i win the lottery or something. well having one made from mang max, i cant expect baker levels of goodness but like i said, for a guy like me, any guitar id own next would definitely be better than the one i owned last. and maybe in time ill get better and better and my taste (and wallet) would upgrade.
if i had P150,000 would i have a max rufo custom made? id probably not spend it all on it (not that i dont have faith in mang max or anything. id definitely want to try something different for a change). but if i have some money left over (which i probably would haha) id still have a guitar comissioned.
i think max rufo offers a "stepping stone" for guitarists who want to get a feel of having a personalized guitar made for em. there are some of us here who havent really tried the best guitars in the planet yet (GRRRR lucky you, deadlifted). i sort of see myself as lucky rin naman. at least sa ngayon di ako naapekto ng gas.
well thanks for giving a little clarification on your being adamantly glued to the idea of a quality guitar. but yea, to each his own na lang talaga.
o tara guys, on topic na ulit.
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guise, sino ba sa inyo regular pumupunta sa shop ni mang max? taga davao kasi ako and si faceless ang nag checheck for me. the prob is, hes a busy man and i wouldnt want to bother him by making him go out of the way for me. pa favor naman o. pwede nyo akong balitaan about the guitar im having made? pm me if pwede and ill give you my contact number.