Too true all of it. I think from memory it is about 200 hours to hand make a guitar with inlays on the headstock and down the neck.
I have to say though in my experience of looking at some big name guitars and owning a couple and having worked on them I can see the benefit of buying a Luthier made guitar. When you look at a Gibson which is not top of the line for $4000usd and they are mass produced. Then look at a Luthier made guitar for the same money I will take the Luthier made every time now I know the difference.
The big name brands spend a lot of placing their instruments with big names for free and they do a lot of advertising which Luthiers cannot do. It will be a sad day when hand made gives way to mass produced anything. I have hand made clothes which are better than the mass produced. Ive had a hand made beautiful handmade coat Ive had for 20 years and its still good and a one of.
