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| Ed Schaefer gigs on weekends on his very own Schaefer 15 along with a “Freddy” model (not shown) inspired by Mel Bay author Fred Hamilton. |
The State of Schaefer Guitars
by Ed Schaefer
Although I have been in the guitar industry repairing and building for some thirty-five years, Schaefer Guitars, my custom archtop company, is only a few months away from its tenth anniversary. Given that momentous occasion, I'd like to address the state of Schaefer Guitars at this juncture. I'll break it down into several different topics including my several different shops across the country, jigs, different models and prices, building techniques, finishing, marketing, my many great players, and whatever else comes to my mind during this writing!
Shops
As a child, I went to some twenty-six different schools as a result of my father's job. We were always moving, and I guess that all that wanderlust is still in my blood; I really don't plan on moving again, however, because I can't bring myself to move that old Powermatic band saw even one more time!
I've had several shops in the ten-year history of Schaefer Guitars. My first shop in Fort Worth, Texas was a garage shop that was very nice, but I got tired of the city and moved fifty miles into the countryside to Hillsboro, Texas. That shop was in a custom-built mobile home and was pretty big for a one-man shop. It had three rooms totaling 750 sq. ft! It had a large workroom, a sanding room, and a finishing room. It was a great shop, but family issues required a move back to Ft. Worth to a wonderful, but small shop in my sunroom! It worked, but space was tight!
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| A general view of Schaefer’s immaculate basement shop in Duluth, Minnesota. The large Powermatic band saw at the back makes another change of location unlikely. |
After two years of the sunroom shop in Fort Worth we moved to Duluth, Minnesota and I set up a basement shop! It was a real nice three-room shop, but after a year in the basement, I decided to open a shop in downtown Duluth right in the heart of the tourist district! It was a huge (2500 sq. ft.) shop right across the street from Lake Superior! Having a shop in downtown Duluth proved to be just a dream, however; because of all the transients and people who mistook my neon Schaefer Guitar sign as a beer logo, I could not get any work done.
Due to the high rent and other operating expenses, I decided to move back to my basement shop- which is where I am now and intend to stay the rest of my life! There is nothing like a home shop where you can get up early and get a bunch done; when you get tired, just take a nap and you can get to work again...This is the life!!
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| Checking out the finish on a nearly completed Schaefer 15. |
Models
Ten years ago I started with one model. I think it was the Elegante, which I no longer make. Now I have some eight different models and, of course- there are an infinite number of possibilities available. My basic models start at $6,000.00 (The "Freddy") and go up to $9,400.00 (The "Rhythmaster"). I do have a new project- my "Tenth Anniversary Limited Edition"- which I am currently building and will sell for $12,000.00. I will build only ten of them and three are already sold. My customers have been the impetus for all of my different models. You have to build what the players want! The trend is towards smaller body designs that are comfortable to play and feed back less.
I also have another project that I am working on that will surprise some people. I am creating a headless guitar at the request of UNT Jazz Professor Fred Hamilton. As many of you may know, I designed the "Freddy" (my 14" jazz box) for Fred Hamilton a few years ago. Fred came to me with this new idea a few months ago and I went with it! I am making the first two and am currently in a holding pattern waiting on parts! I will post pictures of the Fred's new headless guitar on my website when it is complete.
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| The jig room in Schaefer’s Duluth MN shop. Each jig conforms to a set of mounting holes drilled in his workbench surface, giving it the appearance of Swiss cheese; yet without labeling the holes, Schaefer knows exactly where each jig is placed. |
Building Techniques
After ten years I have finally decided what jigs to use and what gigs will be classified as art! To begin with, I started building archtops with a bending machine, but now I do all my side bending by hand over a bending iron. I have found this approach much more effective. I break very little wood, touch-ups are very easy and an iron is cheaper than a heating blanket!
I have abandoned some of the techniques and procedures that I used to do for safer methods, especially when it involves close finger proximity to router bits! A few extra minutes can mean the difference between being a player or not! Thankfully, I have not had any serious injuries in my shop and do not plan on any!! The best example I can think of is a huge 3" pattern bit that I use to employ. Now I use balsa wood to make the pattern of the arch on my bridge bases; I scribe the pattern onto the ebony blank and cut it out with a band saw as opposed to using that huge intimidating bit!
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| Rather than traditional small planes, Ed uses a power grinder to carefully shape top and back plates. An ingenious vacuum system simultaneously holds the plate firmly to the work surface and draws off sawdust generated by the grinder. Note safety equipment. |
A recent visitor noticed that I do not have a table saw in my shop. Those things are really dangerous! I don't want to mention any names, but I have several player friends who have injured themselves in shops and I do not want to join them!
Most of my techniques of carving plates are the same as they were from day one. I route a ledge around each plate and carve the arches with a Makita die grinder with a 4", 36-grit disc. Even that small disc will get you if you are not careful! It is hard to find a 4" disc; 4 ½" is common, but the 4" disc makes it a little easier carving around the cutaway on my smaller models. When I am done with the 36 grit disc, I go to 100 grit and then 220 and it is ready for finish.
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| Examining a newly-carved back plate. |
Finishing
Finishing can be a problem up in the frigid Northland, but my situation is excellent! I have said this before and I will say it again... you must have great finishing facilities to get the best finishes and I have the perfect facility for this part of the world! It consists of a one-car garage that is heated, well lighted and has an explosion-proof exhaust fan. I can go out when it is -40º F and turn on the heat and it will heat up to 70º in one hour. I have been finishing all of my adult life and have never been injured. It only takes one flash and you are history so I really recommend an explosion-proof exhaust fan. You can get the fan and louvers at Granger Industrial Supply for about $700.00. It will be the best $700.00 you will ever spend…it's your life!
Player Endorsements
Over the past ten years I have been blessed with the endorsements of some pretty fine players, people like: Fred Hamilton, Dan Gioioso, Sam Miltich, Jim Madison, Ron Koivisto, Mike Nase, Mike Wheeler, Noel Johnston, Frank D'Rone, Mike Overly, Alan Schaefer, Charles Davis, Bernie Petteway, Richard Aulenbacher, Rich Severson, Mike Moss, Mike Murray, Rich Raezer, and Joey McKenzie...to name a few! I think that the key to success in the luthiery business is getting guitars in players' hands...I am talking about players that are out performing in the public regularly. I took that approach from the beginning and it has paid off.
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| Special form-fitting cauls protect archtop box systems during gluing and clamping. |
Learning the Craft
Now I'm going to mention something that most people do not know; I offer one-on-one luthiery classes in my shop. I have never really advertised it, or if I have, it was very low profile! The reason I don't talk too much about it is that I am looking for someone exceptional, someone who sticks out a little among the rest! If I am talking to a prospective student /apprentice, I will see whether they possess the attributes that might make them the one I would like in my shop for an extended time.
I currently have a young man named Chris Denzler working in my shop, cleaning and providing an extra hand; he even dog sits when I have long gigs! While I let him build a guitar for himself while helping out around here, nobody will ever carve or do anything on my guitars except me; my apprentices or students primarily help clean or possibly run blanks, but they do learn the basics of archtop luthiery. And yes, I teach my students to bend sides by hand!
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| A batch of guitars ready for finishing coats of nitrocellulose lacquer. |
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