Over on the AGF Ren Ferguson did not retire after all...he's in China!!!

F312

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
2,760
Reaction score
958
It's all about the money and why not. I think he will enjoy all the aspects of his new position, if not he can go retire as planned.

Ralph
 

gjmalcyon

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Feb 6, 2011
Messages
4,181
Reaction score
2,419
Location
Gloucester County, NJ
Guild Total
13
If I had Mr. Ferguson's skill set, the challenge of attempting to imbue production-line, factory-built instruments with some or all the things that make boutique instruments the desirable objects of worship that they are would be irresistible.

If the most or all of the magic that is an Orpheum is available more broadly and at more affordable price points, I think that's a good thing.

Unless you're competing with it.
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,791
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
So what seems kind of odd to you seems like a natural progression to me but we differ on the goals and motivations we think drives him.
And "retirement" is not what it used to. The days of staying home and collecting a pension from the most recent employer are gone. An awful lot of folks use the time to do something similar but different and not do it full time. Ren seems to fit that pattern. "If it is fun or interesting then I am going to do it."

Speculation on more possible reasons for the "about face" is in that earlier thread that TXbumper linked to:
http://letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?193408-Ren-Ferguson-s-new-job-in-China
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,791
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
Leaving CA for China in search of less strict emissions regulations could be a smart move.

beijing-pollution.jpg

Why it's illegal to fart in public in China.
 

Westerly Wood

Venerated Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2007
Messages
13,331
Reaction score
6,504
Guild Total
2
If the most or all of the magic that is an Orpheum is available more broadly and at more affordable price points, I think that's a good thing.

I would seriously consider a Shadow if this turns out to be the case :)
 

Westerly Wood

Venerated Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2007
Messages
13,331
Reaction score
6,504
Guild Total
2
So these videos and blog that mention this factory are by the supposed European distributor of the "Shadow Guitars", supposedly specs and details will be forthcoming soon:

https://www.bestacoustics.eu/germany.html

"Together with the famous master luthier Ren Ferguson he developed a process of building solid acoustic guitars in large amounts with fantastic quality. Shadow guitars are guitars developed by a legendary master luthier and built in the most modern factory."

sweet!
 

dreadnut

Gone But Not Forgotten
Gone But Not Forgotten
Joined
Jun 15, 2005
Messages
16,082
Reaction score
6,442
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
Guild Total
2
Sandy, I'm not saying that's a good thing at all! I was just contrasting the US vs China manufacturing/environmental regs. This is one reason why we lost most of our manufacturing jobs. Cheaper cost of manufacturing, indeed. Someday soon, we'll (the U.S.) be paying for environmental cleanups in China, Indonesia, etc. There is no such thing as free lunch.
 
Last edited:

bobouz

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2015
Messages
2,231
Reaction score
1,827
I've never been a fan of the cheap labor shell game.

For assorted reasons, I can tolerate clones of historic US instruments being made in Japan & South Korea, but it bothers me to have instruments originally designed & built in the US being made in the poorly regulated manufacturing monster that China has become.

So I simply won't buy a Chinese made instrument. Fwiw, my personal mini-protest.
 
Last edited:

chazmo

Super Moderator
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
25,480
Reaction score
7,134
Location
Central Massachusetts
Advance warning: no politics, please. This thread isn't there yet, but it's close. If it goes over a cliff it'll be gone and people will be spoken to.
 

JohnW63

Enlightened Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2012
Messages
6,295
Reaction score
2,219
Location
Southern California
Guild Total
4
Never heard of Shadow Guitars. If they get a more streamlined factory and some Res-isms to make the guitars better, I still have no clue who they are or where they can be purchased. I figure it will remain like this after Ren moves to his next project and the articles stop being printed. Over the last few years, I figure there are plenty of brands that I HAVE heard of, making very nice instruments, that I don't need yet another Pac Rim one.
 

bobouz

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2015
Messages
2,231
Reaction score
1,827
Advance warning: no politics, please. This thread isn't there yet, but it's close. If it goes over a cliff it'll be gone and people will be spoken to.

Chazmo - Apologies if any of my comments may have been interpreted as political in nature. My thoughts were focused on developments in guitar manufacturing since the '70s.

I truly do not want to be reading anything political here, either!
 
Last edited:

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
Never heard of Shadow Guitars. If they get a more streamlined factory and some Res-isms to make the guitars better, I still have no clue who they are or where they can be purchased. I figure it will remain like this after Ren moves to his next project and the articles stop being printed. Over the last few years, I figure there are plenty of brands that I HAVE heard of, making very nice instruments, that I don't need yet another Pac Rim one.

My memory is that the fruits of Ren's most recent labors are targeted for the European market which might explain why you have not seen/heard much yet.
 

Quantum Strummer

Senior Member
Joined
May 26, 2015
Messages
2,382
Reaction score
118
Location
Michigan
My memory is that the fruits of Ren's most recent labors are targeted for the European market which might explain why you have not seen/heard much yet.

Not to mention the Asian market, particularly the growing interest in guitars in China. Personally I salute Ren for seeing the opportunity to, and wanting to, have an impact there. It's not all about us.

-Dave-
 

Westerly Wood

Venerated Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2007
Messages
13,331
Reaction score
6,504
Guild Total
2
Not to mention the Asian market, particularly the growing interest in guitars in China. Personally I salute Ren for seeing the opportunity to, and wanting to, have an impact there. It's not all about us.

-Dave-

I just look forward to seeing some examples of these acoustic guitars.
 

SFIV1967

Venerated Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Messages
18,442
Reaction score
8,956
Location
Bavaria / Germany
Guild Total
8
Never heard of Shadow Guitars. ... I still have no clue who they are or where they can be purchased.
John, the link was posted a few times after I posted it in June already. There is a lot of info there already. Unfortunatelly my pictures in the thread are gone due to the great Photobucket issue...

Anyway, Shadow is a German company (not Chinese) and the guitars can be bought first at following dealers:

- Sound color Acoustics, Vienna, Austria
- Music of Schneidhofer, Kapfenberg, Austria
- Votruba Musikinstrumente GmbH, Wiener-Neustadt, Austria
- Farm Sound, Kassel, Germany
- Musikatelier Gabel GmbH, Erfurt, Germany
- Musikhaus Korn e.K., Leipzig, Germany
- Rockland, Witten, Germany
- Haef Gitaaratelier & Lifestyle, Vrouwenpolder, The Netherlands

At the moment, almost 5,000 instruments are being built per month in the factory.

And as you also can read in the above link, Ren is not only a consultant to Shadow but also to another German guitar company, German Vintage Guitars, now.
See also this post from April 9th from Frankfurt/Germany:
https://www.facebook.com/germanvint...41828.242583005928441/713667212153349/?type=3

Ralf
 
Last edited:

markus

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2007
Messages
1,501
Reaction score
146
Location
Vienna/Austria
Guild Total
8
[…]- Sound color Acoustics, Vienna, Austria […]
Hahaha! Ralf, that made me wonder for a minute or two about a new shop in town. Then I realized: this must be Klangfarbe's acoustic department, biggest guitar store in Austria.

I guess it was their translation program and not you!?

Markus :smile:
 

dapmdave

Enlightened Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
7,612
Reaction score
24
My memory is that the fruits of Ren's most recent labors are targeted for the European market which might explain why you have not seen/heard much yet.

I think that this could be a key point. If you can have someone like Ren establish efficient, high-quality production in China, and market the guitars primarily outside of the U.S., you might be pretty successful. And if Ren takes the environment into consideration while doing so, then so much the better.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Nov 22, 2017
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
I have 2 Ren Ferguson era Gibsons, a 2010 Woody Guthrie Southern Jumbo and a 2009 J-200 Historic Collection. Both are production guitars, not custom shop, and both kick serious ***. My first J-45 was a well worn 1953, should never have sold it, and I've played some other great vintage ones. I compared my Woody Guthrie to a new Vintage custom shop model and a 50's custom shop triburst and it was louder and more balanced than either one with better action too. (Of course mine's been set up.) I compared my J-200 to several vintage 40's and 50's models, including a killer '59 and it was 95% of that '59. Its a great recording guitar, I immediately sold my '73 after I got it. I've played several Ferguson era Bozeman Gibsons and all have been really good.
 
Top