Question 1

What is the single biggest suggestion you would give to someone wanting to get into this career?

Matt Rubendall · Accepted Answer

“I would say don’t go out and buy a lot of tools but go and visit someone [first.] Go and talk to someone. Start really slowly and don’t be afraid if it is not the thing you want to do. To get through the crap you have to get through to do this you have to have this obsessive ‘I don’t know why I want to do this but I want to build guitars’ attitude. 
“Hang out in a shop and slowly build a kit. It’s not something you’re going to do overnight. This isn’t something you can go to school for and come out six years later and you’re a doctor type of thing.”

Question 2

What’s the #1 mistake people make when trying to get into this career?

Matt Rubendall · Accepted Answer

“Trying to go out there and make that perfect guitar on the first try. What’s great about Classical Guitar Builders is they’re the most innovative of all of them [meaning Guitar Makers]. They have the weirdest techniques. They’re building things in all new ways. 
“I think a lot of students see that and want to start at that level, but it’s easier to start at the basic level and from there you can go on. I started making guitars and I wanted to be the most innovative thing right away, but that’s not going to happen.”

Question 3

What is the question people should ask about this career but rarely do?

Matt Rubendall · Accepted Answer

“How far are you willing to go for an art in terms of money or sacrifice or what else you could be doing? I think people see it as a really cool career, but as you know people tour forever and never pay their bills. It’s a matter of how much you’re willing to put out there for an art form, just for the sake of doing it. That’s for anything — painting or anything — where there’s no guarantee of pay.
If you’re going to be a Guitar Player, damn it, be a Session Guitar Player—that’s the only way you’ll make money. I see a lot of kids who come to me who are great Guitar Players but especially with a classical instrument you have to be better than good. You have to be at 11. Guitar making is less of that, but there’s that kind of thing to it, too.“

Question 4

What is one thing I should have asked which I didn’t?

Matt Rubendall · Accepted Answer

“The one thing I would say is you don’t start making guitars right away. It takes a long time and you do a lot of other things in between. It’s not like I’m a Guitar Maker—bam! 
“If someone really wanted to get started as a Guitar Maker — especially for high school kids — go to a repair shop so you can get an ear and an eye to what they do and eventually they’ll let you do small things. That’s a great way to get started and go from there.”

Question 5

If you could describe in one word what makes you successful, what would it be?

Matt Rubendall · Accepted Answer

“Diligence. You’re never going to be the Stradivarius of anything you’re going to do. You just have to keep doing it every day and as long as you’re doing it the best you can every day, that’s what counts.“

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Musical Instrument Builder/Designer