My reaction was as a result of the statement that wala yatang luthier in the truest sense.
That to me is an allegation that no pinoy luthier deserves the title. To that I have to disagree.
Like you, I too would disagree ...but I think I understand the basis for the opposite POV.
Before reacting I searched the net for the definition of luthier.
Then you might have arrived at the root of almost all contention here: that the term
luthier (or
guitarrero) traditionally relates to
acoustic stringed instruments, which
are in certain ways more demanding in terms of craftsmanship than electrics, and,
more to the point, is a regulated title in the Old World, earned after apprenticeship
under a master. In that particular application, the term denotes someone who can
build a guitar from nearly scratch, with some purists machining even the gears for
tuning mechanisms, in their tiny one-man (or nearly so) shops.
In that "strictest sense" of regulated apprenticeship and certification, yes, it might
seem that there are no Filipino "luthiers" (Adolfo Timuat y Toyoda aside... and yes,
I'm not sure Tabo Derecho qualifies)...
but only if one has his head firmly planted
in the Old World, where it's not so much having the actual skill, but having the formal
certification of such skill, that matters.
To one who does have his head so-planted, then the only way for a local Filipino to
be able to claim to be a "luthier" is to train in Spain and set up shop here; and then
HE/SHE can begin training apprentice luthiers here, under the same guild guidelines.
Magiging lineage/pedigree 'yan.
Pero naman, if you bring a Spanish-trained luthier to the Philippines, e malamang na
mangangapa yan, kasi iba ang climate and raw materials, no matter how well-certified
he is as an Old World "luthier": malamang talbog sila kay Tabo.
Natatawa nga ako sa criticisms of Pinoy-made acoustic guitars: palpak daw because
the boards tend to shrink and even split in a drier overseas climate. But acoustic guitars
built in drier overseas climates are just as 'palpak', because they can't handle our local
humidity: bubuntis na lang ang soundboard sa bridge, kakalas ang binding, sakal ang
neck, etc... but I digress.Henyweyyy....
OP was likely asking about electrics, so all of the ^above "strictest sense" blah
never applied. He was likely asking about build/repair of electrics, and the highly skilled
builders we have in this country would more than satisfy his guitar-needs.
Do I think local builders of electrics are world-class?For custom/pasadya one-offs, I think they have what it takes.
With enough incentive, any of the better "builders" here could match the quality of many
'names' abroad. Kaso nga lang, asaan ang incentive? Lowball ang budget ng clients, e.
Kung bihira lang ang high-end customer, why maintain high-end inventory? If they have
little experience sustaining volume of high-quality inventory, e di kulang rin ang overall
experience nila in terms of consistency in quality, production management, and above
all, aftersales service... all of which counts when assessing "world class" operations.