A nod to the past, or just a knock-off
Last year, 75% of revenue in the US acoustic and electric guitar market, including accessories and repairs, went to just four companies: Gibson, Fender, Martin, and Taylor. That’s down from 95% in 2020, which you’d initially think is great news for boutique makers like MachMachines. However, much of that market share shift is the result of a lot of new players picking up guitars during COVID (more demand) being met with an influx of low-end imports (more supply).* So there are the big guys making what they’ve always made, a lot of cheap crap, and then a small but mighty group of independent luthiers.
In the face of that hegemony, I have to ask: why are custom builds so often just knock-offs of the old classics? I’m not trying to be provocative; this is a serious question. Isn’t there room in the market for some originality?
Some Considerations for Players
Don’t get me wrong: I revere Leo Fender and Orville Gibson. The Tele and Les Paul are great instruments, and I have deep respect for the creativity and innovation that went into those designs. And if what you really want is a T-style or S-style or any other style, I can and will make you a great one. I love to build, and I definitely want you to support your local luthier!
However, I don’t really think we need more of them. I hope that you want to work with me because you want to collaborate creatively, not just because I have the suppliers to buy templates and the tools to assemble them. There’s also the matter of infringement. Many of my friends and colleagues have received cease and desist notifications from the big guys for using their designs.
At the risk of making the Big 4 bigger, I have to wonder why not just go to their custom shops if you’re looking for a variation on their product.
Some Considerations for Builders
If you’re new to building, I get buying kits to learn the basics. Partscasters are wonderful for hobbyists making something for themselves. And I definitely get the financial constraints that drive all professional luthiers, including Fender and Gibson, to produce as many of the same instruments at the same time as possible.
But what I don’t understand is why so many boutique builders are making knock-offs of guitars that already exist—and almost exclusively! It would be so exciting to see some new ideas break through, even if they’re not my own. I love lutherie and guitars and music, and every part of this ecosystem would benefit from more competition in creativity.
As For Me
The guitar world to me right now looks a lot like Fast Fashion. The influx of super low-budget instruments from overseas over the past several years enrages me. I don’t mind the business that I get from them on the repair front, but I would rather not see so many kids with cuts on their fingers from improper fretwork.
I’m interested in designing and building guitars that are unique—and unique to you. I believe that getting a custom or small batch instrument from a local luthier should be no different than buying original artwork or getting a tattoo. Sure, you can choose the flash off the tattoo shop wall. Or you can co-create something meaningful to you.
All human creativity is built on the creativity of humans before us. In that respect, I have no qualms about looking to past masters for inspiration, but I have little desire to just copy what they have already done. And while I have my own preferences as a guitarist, I get so much joy from designing something unique with a player and working with them to make it real.
If you’re considering a custom instrument and truly want it to be custom to you, then I’d love to talk. Contact me here.
Author: David Showalter, MachMachines Co-founder & Head of Instruments
*Source: IBISWorld, Acoustic & Electric Guitar Manufacturing in the US, July 2025