Quality Transcends
Posted on | April 27, 2008 |
There’s a phrase from the Tao Te Ching: “Do your work, then step back.” This is my philosphy of mastering. I guess it’s sort of the Buddhist equivalent to “let the music do the talkin’.” Because for all the esoteric and technical knowledge one can accrue on a given subject, it’s the final product that reflects whether or not an artisan or technican has “the goods.”
I was reminded of this while plunking around on my guitar today. I recently bought a Larrivée parlor guitar. I’ve played guitar for 32 years (give or take) and have owned acoustic guitars by Martin, Taylor, and Guild. But the Larrivée I purchased about six months ago is hands-down the best guitar I’ve ever owned. And I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise. Jean Larrivée has been making guitars for more than forty years. Quietly plying his trade…doing his work, then stepping back.
If you’re at all involved in music, you must know how many acoustic guitar makers have appeared on the scene since Larrivée opened up. And few have done as good of a job of marrying quality with affordability and mass production as they have. They’ve stood the test of time.
It’s always good to have role models. A business model doesn’t hurt, either.
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From Ohm to Om reflects the opinions of mastering engineer Paul Abbott, owner of San Diego's ZenMastering.
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