The Reason Behind The Madness
RT Basses & Guitars is a one man operation based in Willow Street, PA. Just a few miles south of Lancaster in a rural neighborhood, I frequently annoy the locals with the sounds of power tools in the wee hours of the morning, not to mention the loud blasts coming from the shop stereo!!!
I started my career in music at age 11, when I picked up my first guitar. Over the years I've learned to play bass, guitar, drums, keyboards, mandolin, ukulele, dulcimer, and every other instrument I could get my hands on. Somewhere around 2005, the desire to design and build my own instruments started to form. It would still be a few years until the desire became reality.
And then it happened. I suffered a major back injury, and the resuIting recovery left me bored out of my mind. I started building basses as a way to keep myself from going crazy after four back surgeries took me out of working full time. Most of my builds take a month or more, because on a good day I get about two hours of actual work done before the pain stops me for the day. On days that the pain is really bad, I work in five to twenty minute bursts, taking breaks as often as needed.
It's an interesting way to work. Being forced into taking so many breaks gives me plenty of time to research each build, and examine my work in order to do it better next time.
As a result, each build is better than the last by leaps and bounds.
Since I take so long to build each instrument, my philosophy has been to build whatever I want, and then sell it when I'm happy with the final outcome.
That said, as long as you understand my working limitations, I'm always willing to discuss building commissioned instruments. I'm willing to attempt pretty much anything, except for acoustic instruments. Sorry, the shop just isn't big enough. But who's to say it wouldn't be cool to have a triple-neck electric mandolin, guitar, and bass? If it sounds interesting, I'll try it.
Call or email and let's discuss your ideas.
I started my career in music at age 11, when I picked up my first guitar. Over the years I've learned to play bass, guitar, drums, keyboards, mandolin, ukulele, dulcimer, and every other instrument I could get my hands on. Somewhere around 2005, the desire to design and build my own instruments started to form. It would still be a few years until the desire became reality.
And then it happened. I suffered a major back injury, and the resuIting recovery left me bored out of my mind. I started building basses as a way to keep myself from going crazy after four back surgeries took me out of working full time. Most of my builds take a month or more, because on a good day I get about two hours of actual work done before the pain stops me for the day. On days that the pain is really bad, I work in five to twenty minute bursts, taking breaks as often as needed.
It's an interesting way to work. Being forced into taking so many breaks gives me plenty of time to research each build, and examine my work in order to do it better next time.
As a result, each build is better than the last by leaps and bounds.
Since I take so long to build each instrument, my philosophy has been to build whatever I want, and then sell it when I'm happy with the final outcome.
That said, as long as you understand my working limitations, I'm always willing to discuss building commissioned instruments. I'm willing to attempt pretty much anything, except for acoustic instruments. Sorry, the shop just isn't big enough. But who's to say it wouldn't be cool to have a triple-neck electric mandolin, guitar, and bass? If it sounds interesting, I'll try it.
Call or email and let's discuss your ideas.