Tradition through Innovation! …What??

January 3rd, 2012

First of all, I want to thank Grant for his unmatched approach to marketing and maintaining client relationships! From my earliest memories of my brother to present day, I have yet to see another as naturally gifted with pencil and paper! We wish you good health and believe the best is yet to come in this new season. Cheers, brother!!
What a year!  While 2011 has proven to be a great year, I’m excited about what’s to come in 2012!  As a “broke” woodworker, I began building my first acoustic guitar in 1997 after realizing that a “great guitar,” more often than not, was synonymous with an ”expensive guitar.”   Aside from my original short-term goal of completing that first guitar, I wanted to build a great guitar that was affordable.   I realized quickly that this would be extremely difficult!   The No.5, launched earlier this year, was our first move toward achieving this goal.   The response to this new “affordable” line of our guitars has been met with great excitement!   Well…. We aren’t finished yet!
You may have noticed that our guitars look a little different–non-traditional. Including that first guitar, I have only built three truly traditional guitars.   I began experimenting early on with different designs searching for a cleaner, more balanced, and clear toned instrument. Until developing our current design, I had not stopped changing and tweaking things.   After 15 years of building guitars, and much trial and error, I have learned what it is about the acoustic guitar that I absolutely love–the possibilities are virtually limitless!  I think all luthiers, in one way or another, continually try new things to achieve some sort of “perfect” acoustic guitar.   I believe that this “perfect” guitar exists only in theory.   As luthiers, we will have a lifetime worth of searching, and to me, that makes acoustic guitar construction the most exciting trade yet!
Marketability and brand-awareness can pigeonhole a business.  In most cases this is a desired affect; but, can brand-awareness be based on a company’s philosophy rather than a specific design?  I think so!  Batson Guitar Company is where it is today because of an understanding that no matter how awesome a new guitar design is, there’s always room for improvement.   I was thinking through and discussing my perspective on lutherie, and what I love about it, with Eric W.   He had a simple and concise thought that summed it up perfectly: “Tradition through innovation!”  This really spoke to me.   I have the utmost respect for the pioneers, originators, innovators, rebels, etc. that created the most widely used instrument ever–the acoustic guitar!  When hearing “Tradition through Innovation,” I realized that my philosophy and approach to acoustic guitar construction is traditional!  And it is the traditional philosophy–not design–that conceived the acoustic guitar.   We will hold fast to this tradition, and can’t wait to see where it takes us…all of us! We are moving right along with our current orders and production of the No.5’s and custom acoustics you have grown to love, and we will continue to do so!  And, being inspired by tradition, we have some exciting new additions to our line-up that will be coming in 2012!
Batson Guitars, through this traditional philosophy, continues to be committed to excellence by creating the best instruments possible for you, our clients.

Happy New Year, and thank you for your trust and support!

-Cory Batson

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