RCB said:
If ATD pricing is correct, why are you against the disclosure of the method?
Primarily because the technique used to swirl a body is not an easy one and can lead to the body being totally destroyed. It's much more critical than just a bad paint job.
You can't imagine the number of emails I got after people saw this tutorial and tried a home brew swirl.
Emails like
"I tried swirling my guitar and the body cracked, it's my only guitar, can you repair it? I really don't have any money though, that's why I tried it myself"
"I tried swirling my guitar but I really hate how it looks, it's all runny and gross looking, can you refinish it for me again?"
"I swirled my own guitar using the tutorial I saw on project guitar, but I can't clear it myself, can you clear it?"
Well, first of all, repairing somebodies mistakes is more work than doing it in the first place, so I quote a price then get called a robber for the money I need to fix what they tried to do. I will not clear a finish that somebody else applies as I have no control over how the paint will react, not only that, when they find out that the clear alone is half the cost of an ATD swirl they think again that I'm ripping them off. It doesn't seem to matter than the clear I use is $300 a gallon and it takes a good 6 to 10 hours to do perfect clear on a swirled body.
It's the same as inlay, I don't tell everyone that emails me how to inlay a neck, I also won't sell precut inlay pieces, because it's something that will make or break a guitar. I don't want to be blamed for somebody screwing up their neck.
As for the secrets in luthiery, I guess I always just really looked up to luthiers, painters, etc, it was all a form of magic. Just like watching an illusionist do something, I dont' think all the secrets should be given away. I have no problem with people experimenting, and learning on their own, but I thought it was really crappy when that one magician made a TV show about how the tricks were done.
The reason there are so few people doing swirls properly isn't because it's a huge secret, or that it's an impossible task, it's that it is not a cheap finish to do and unless you are willing to accept that you may need to redo it, or refund a customer, you best not do it. That's why I don't offer swirls, chrome finishes, or LED's, I know how they're all done, I know methods to do them, I choose not to do them. There is a liability risk there that I don't want to deal with. People will bitch, I get people bitching to me about their own projects that they've goofed up on.
Hey, to each their own, I just think some things should be left as secrets, it's part of the mysteries of life, I don't condone what's been done, maybe I don't agree with it, but I don't agree with many things in life that happen, doesn't mean it's right or wrong in anyway though.
Jeremy