Ladies and Gentlemen:
Welcome to my web site, and thank you for your interest in my work. My name is Kazimierz Marian Krawczak and I am a Polish emigrant, toolmaker by trade.Starting around 1980 my interest in guitar construction and manufacturing transformed into a serious hobby. This hobby fully fills my free time between work, responsibilities and etc.Because from time to time I receive orders for my brochures, I concluded that the interest in instruments of my design and construction is alive and well. Also, when I would present my work at various guitar shows, I would be flooded with questions about my work and me. Because English is my second language, I was not always able to answer those questions in great detail. Therefore, having this opportunity, I have posted this FAQ on my site.
The most frequently asked questions.
Q 1- Have I ever finished some kind of guitar building school?
A
: No, I never graduated from any school, which taught how to design and build a guitar. My father passed down the fundamental knowledge of this subject to me. When I was young he discovered my talent and love for woodworking. By overseeing my education (and steering me in the right direction), my father made sure that I acquired a thorough knowledge of wood and metal treatment and of woodworking. My father was a furniture maker, and his hobby was building mandolins and banjos in the Warsaw style. I have been furthering my education ever since through self-instruction in the art of guitar design and construction.Q 2
- Why are your instruments so expensive?A
: I have a feeling that this question is usually asked by people who are not Lutherans, or whose knowledge of guitar building is limited. It is widely known that a successful completion of a guitar is dependent on several factors. Such as; how complicated the project is, time, assembled assortment of tools, availability of right materials and workspace used for the creation of the instrument, as well as upkeep of the workshop, hourly compensation and a profit margin. Therefore, the price for such an instrument should not be surprising. A current price list is attached to my brochure, in the form of a cover letter.Q 3-
Is there a deposit due when an order is placed?A
: Yes. If a client decided to place an order for one of my instruments, than a deposit of 25% of total price is required. After receiving a contract signed by both parties, and the deposit payment is made, I will begin building the instrument. The rest of the total price is payable upon delivery of the completed guitar. All of the above terms will be listed in a contract between a client and myself.Q 4-
How long do I have to wait for my instrument?A: That depends on the number of orders in production. First come, first served. I am not yet involved in guitar building full time, therefore overall construction time will be considerably longer. Also, the designs for each instrument differ, therefore the completion time for each instrument will differ. The total construction time for each instrument will be pre-determined in a contract (between myself and the client), which I will use as the basis for each order.
Q 5-
Why are the guitars, which I have built, controversial in relation to standard guitars?A:
I do not aim to build something, which can be bought, from any one of the fine guitar makers around. The uniqueness of my guitars comes from their innovative construction. My designs contain new elements, which improve the sound and overall condition of said instrument. A detail description of these elements can be found in my brochures.Q 6-
What was the reasoning behind improving the design of flat-top acoustic guitar with fixed bridge?A:
The idea came to me a long time ago in Poland, when I was building my first guitar with my fathers help. After I have been using that guitar for some time, the soundboard started to deform. Later I learned that this was a common problem with flat-top guitars. What happens is the pulling force of the metallic strings frequently deforms the soundboard, and even sometimes rips it from the body of the instrument. I started working on this problem after coming to USA, and that is when an idea was formed, an idea of a gadget, which to a great degree minimizes the force produced by the strings pulling on the soundboard. And at the same time this gadget performs the function of mechanical amplification of vibrations created by the soundboard. "Acoustic Arm", that is how I named this device, was also used by me in guitar No.5, and in 1997 I was awarded a US Patent for this innovation. Next, after some time, I found out that there already exists a device called "Bridge System" or "Bridge Doctor", which also fixes the above-mentioned problem. After studding this device, I concluded that with some sounds this device could diminish the soundboard vibrations of the instrument.Q 7-
Have my instruments been published?A:
Yes. Guitar No.3, along with my autobiography, was featured in Guitar Maker #27, as well as VG Classics - March 1997. Also, in 1995 guitar No.3 was purchased by "The Chinery Collection".Q 8-
Will I ever consider letting someone other than me build my guitars?A
: This possibility is negotiable with a potential producer.Q 9-
Where do I purchase my materials, and tools?A:
My primary supplier is Macdonald's Guitar Shop Supply. If they can not accommodate my needs, than I look elsewhere.
If you have additional questions pleas e-mail me at:
Best regards;
Kazimerz Krawczak
63 Marshall Ave, Warwick RI 02886
USA
GUITARS