Not all guitars are created equal. Some are made in a factory, while others are made by hand.
For serious musicians, a custom-made guitar means getting exactly what you want from your instrument. Sound, feel, weight and appearance are all taken into consideration during the construction process.
Erdem Koca has been making guitars for 12 years.
“The relationship between the instrument and the musician is very unique," Koca said. "You get to express your musical feeling through that instrument. If they wreck their car, they don’t care. But, if anything happens to their instruments, their guitar, they’re very sensitive.”
It’s for that reason that Koca takes his job very seriously. Working out of a shop in Tampa, with several other guitar makers, Koca brainstorms with his clients to figure out what type of sound they’re looking for, types of music they like and will be playing, along with the type of wood they want for the guitar.
“Florida has a unique tropical climate obviously, so especially for the necks we have to make sure our wood is super dry," explained Koca. "Sometimes we use carbon fiber rods in the necks to make them even more stable.”
It typically takes 15-20 working days, spread of over a three-to-four month period, to complete a guitar.
“When we cut the body or neck wood, we’ll rest it for a couple weeks. We observe it, if it’s going to twist of turn or crack," Koca said. "We just have to make sure everything is in order."
The price of a custom made guitar varies depending on the type of wood and hardware used, but they usually start around $2,800 and go up from there.
“At the end, we make sure that we understand the customer, we understand that musician, what he’s looking for,” said Koca. “And, at the end of the journey, we create something that is really unique for that musician."
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