想买Ryan吉他？看这一篇帖子就够了！

冰岛的括号

本贴更新完成之后，我会发给Ryan Guitars，所以会用中英双语更新帖子。本帖标题是：想买Ryan吉他？看这一篇帖子就够了！


After this post is updated, I will send it to Ryan Guitars, so the post will be updated in both Chinese and English. The title of the post is: "Thinking of Buying a Ryan Guitar? This Post Has Everything You Need!"


以下是写这篇帖子的原因：

我是Kevin Ryan铁粉。之前买过一把Ryan吉他，由于我想折腾新的配置和桶形就卖掉了，紧接着买了第二把。但在购买第二把时，经销商出现了一些问题，我不得不绕过经销商直接和Ryan Guitars进行沟通。在此期间，我和Ryan Guitars的沟通友好而专业，我得到了非常细致的服务，最后我也顺利地拿到了琴。非常感谢Ryan Guitars！

由于我和Ryan Guitars的沟通很顺畅，我也感觉他们是非常友好的人，所以我顺水推舟提出了采访他们的请求。希望让中国对Ryan Guitars感兴趣的琴友，可以更了解这个牌子，当然其中有些问题也是我自己想知道的。他们欣然接受了采访，一共书面回答了我25个问题。

我想如果你想买一把Ryan吉他，看了这篇帖子，你只需要考虑价格了，因为其他问题都说清楚了。另外，请看到这篇帖子的朋友，不要去给Ryan Guitars发邮件。他们是很小的团队，而且巨忙，他们愿意和我直接沟通，也是因为此前提到的“意外情况”。

The reason for writing this post is as follows:

I am a huge fan of Kevin Ryan. I previously owned a Ryan guitar but sold it because I wanted to try new configurations and body shapes, which led me to buy a second one. However, when purchasing the second guitar, I encountered some issues with the dealer, so I had to bypass them and communicate directly with Ryan Guitars. Throughout this process, my communication with Ryan Guitars was both friendly and professional. I received highly detailed service, and in the end, I got my guitar smoothly. I am very grateful to Ryan Guitars!

Since my communication with them was so smooth and I found them to be very friendly, I took the opportunity to ask if I could interview them. I hope that this interview will help guitar enthusiasts in China who are interested in Ryan Guitars to learn more about the brand. Of course, some of the questions are ones I personally wanted to know as well. They kindly agreed to the interview and provided written answers to 25 of my questions.

I believe if you're thinking about buying a Ryan guitar, after reading this post, the only thing you'll need to consider is the price, because all other questions have been answered clearly. Additionally, I kindly ask those who see this post not to email Ryan Guitars. They are a small team and incredibly busy. The reason they were willing to communicate with me directly was due to the "unusual circumstances" mentioned earlier.

冰岛的括号

问题1 - 问题4，主题【订购一把Ryan吉他】
Questions 1 - 4, Topic: Ordering a Ryan Guitar

1、通常情况下，当客户想要订购一把Ryan吉他时，是否并不应该直接与Ryan Guitars沟通，而是仅通过经销商联系？（回答者：Jacob，Kevin的左膀右臂）

我们是一个非常小的制作团队，因此我们的经销商在确保我们能够专注于制作吉他方面变得越来越重要。我们理解大家喜欢直接和我们交流，当然我们对此非常欢迎。我们也很喜欢和客户交流，只是因为我们太忙，很难找到时间。

我们的经销商对我们的乐器非常了解并充满热情。我们鼓励大家联系经销商，尤其是当他们附近有经销商并且可以亲自试弹我们的一些吉他时。如果客户由于某种原因无法联系到经销商，我们有时仍会直接与客户合作。

1. Typically, when customers wish to order a Ryan guitar, are they not supposed to communicate directly with Ryan Guitars, but rather solely with dealers?（Respondent: Jacob, Kevin's right-hand man）

With our very small team of builders, our dealers are increasingly essential to ensuring our ability to focus on building guitars. We understand that people enjoy speaking directly with us which of course we welcome. We love speaking with clients when we have the time, but finding the time is difficult with how busy we are. Our dealers communicate with our clients and we have found that this is simply better for everyone.

Our dealers are very knowledgeable and passionate about our instruments. We encourage people to go to dealers especially if they have one locally and can play a few of our guitars in person. If a client for some reason does not have access to a dealer, we occasionally still work directly with clients.

2、当客户通过经销商订购Ryan 吉他时，Ryan Guitars推荐的订购和付款流程是什么？如果客户想获得一把满意的Ryan吉他，在沟通过程中有哪些关键点需要特别注意？（回答者：Kevin）

我们的每个经销商在订购和付款流程上都有不同的政策。最终，我们学会了信任客户的直觉。比如，如果客户在云杉和雪松之间犹豫不决，并且无法确切说明为什么更想要雪松，我们完全支持客户选择他们认为合适的那一款。

2.When a customer orders a Ryan guitar through a dealer, what is the ordering and payment process recommended by Ryan Guitars? What are the key aspects to pay attention to in communication if a customer wants to obtain a satisfactory Ryan guitar?（Respondent: Kevin）

Each of our dealers has different policies regarding ordering and payment processes. At the end of the day, we have learned to trust the instincts of our clients. For instance, if a client was deliberating between Spruce and Cedar and couldn’t justify why he wanted Cedar, we would fully endorse the client going with what feels right to them.

3、众所周知，订购Signature系列的客户可以获得精美的镶嵌设计。但订购Standard 系列的客户是否也有机会定制自己喜欢的镶嵌设计，就像我一样？还是Standard系列的客户只能从特定的镶嵌包中选择？（回答者：Jacob）

通常情况下，我们所有受欢迎的镶嵌设计都可以用于每把吉他，无论是Signature系列还是其他系列。由于每把吉他都被视为独特的定制作品，因此没有特定的镶嵌包限制。实际上，吉他的每个部分都可以根据客户的需求选择他们喜欢的镶嵌设计。

3.We all know that customers ordering the signature series can obtain exquisite inlays. But do customers ordering the standard series have the option to customize desired inlays, just like I did? Or are standard series customers limited to selecting from specific inlay packages?（Respondent: Jacob）

For the most part, all of our popular inlay designs are available for every guitar, whether Signature Series or not. Because every guitar is treated as a unique build, there are no limitations to specific inlay packages. Rather, each part of the guitar can have whichever inlay the client desires.

4、Kevin 经常推荐的木材组合有哪些？每种木材组合的音色特点是什么？（回答者：Kevin）

我非常喜欢雪松与某种玫瑰木的组合。这种搭配能够提供丰富的低音和清亮的高音。

4.What are the wood combinations that Kevin frequently recommends, and what are the tonal characteristics associated with each?（Respondent: Kevin）

I love the combination of Cedar paired with some kind of rosewood. This provides a rich baritone bass and a sparkling treble.

冰岛的括号

问题5 - 问题9，主题【Ryan Guitars团队】
Questions 5 - 9, Topic: Ryan Guitars Team

5、许多人仍然认为 Ryan Guitars 是一家独立制琴师工坊，这显然不是事实。请介绍一下Ryan Guitars当前的团队，并概述Kevin和他的同事分别承担的职责？（回答者：Jacob）

我们有一个小而非常有才华的团队。当然，Kevin 是这一切的主导者，他教会了我们所有的知识。Kevin 不仅投入时间制作吉他并指导团队，还致力于构建系统、工具和流程。周一早上来到工作室，看到 Kevin 在周末发明了一些新工具，让复杂的操作变得更加可重复和精确，这种情况屡见不鲜。比如今天，Kevin 安装了一根琴颈调节杆和指板，喷涂了琴箱的漆面，进行了多次检查，修一把琴，教一位制琴师如何制作headblocks（同时为提高效率制造新的工具），编程我们的 CNC 机器以适应制作琴颈调节杆盖的新工具，抽了一根（或两根）雪茄，更新了标准生产顺序系统，还教另一位制琴师如何制作琴颈调节杆盖，而这些只是我一天中看到他做的事情。

我们其余的成员在工作室里承担着多种职责，下面简单介绍一下我们的团队：

Andrew Ficke 制作琴身零件、弯曲琴箱侧板、安装背板和音板的支撑。他在工作室里的热情富有感染力，我们非常喜欢和他共事。除了他作为吉他制作者的技能，他还是一位出色的摄影师。

Josh Gutierrez 是我所认识的最勤奋的人之一。无论何时看到他，他总是在埋头苦干。他从 Andrew 手中接过琴箱侧板和支撑板，制作并绑定整个琴箱。

Dylan Arant 是我们最新的制琴师，我们对他技能的成长感到非常满意。他已经掌握了打磨的技能，现在负责琴箱的最后打磨和漆面的抛光处理。Kevin 正在教他油漆方面的所有细节，用不了多久，他就能为吉他喷漆了！

Dr. Tim Buchanan 是一位哲学教授，后来转行做了制琴师。他的智慧在工作室里非常受重视，他与 Kevin 一起从事研发工作，并开发我们的系统。他还负责从原木的桃花心木板加工成最终准备装配到吉他上的琴颈。

最后，我是 Jacob Kisner。我原本的背景是音频工程，但当我看到 Kevin 制作的吉他后，我就一定要参与其中。Kevin 非常好心地给了我一个机会，教我如何制作这些乐器。现在我是 Ryan Guitars 的总经理，支持团队的其他成员，尽我所能。我还负责一些最有趣的操作，比如雕刻琴身的倒角和槽口，以及对吉他和琴颈进行最终抛光。

我们所做的一切都在 Kevin 的详细指导下进行。他与我们并肩工作，确保每件事都达到他的标准。能够向 Kevin 学习是一种非常特别的体验，我们都非常荣幸能向他学习并为他工作。

冰岛的括号

5. Many people still believe Ryan Guitars is a one-man shop, which is obviously not the case. Please introduce the current team at Ryan Guitars and outline on the roles Kevin and his colleagues respectively undertake?（Respondent: Jacob）

We have a small and very talented team. Of course Kevin is the mastermind behind all of this and taught all of us everything we know. Kevin spends his time not only building guitars and mentoring the team, but building systems, tools, and processes. It’s not uncommon to come in on a Monday morning to see Kevin has invented some new tool over the weekend that makes a complicated operation more repeatable and precise. Today for example, Kevin installed a truss rod and fretboard on a neck, sprayed the finish on a box, did multiple inspections, repaired a soundboard for a client, taught one of our luthiers to build headblocks (while simultaneously building new tooling for efficiency), programmed our CNC machine to accommodate some new tooling for building truss rod covers, smoked a cigar (or two), updated a system for standard production sequencing, taught another builder to make truss rod covers, and this is just what I noticed him doing throughout the day.

The rest of us wear many hats around the shop, but here is a quick introduction to the team:

Andrew Ficke builds parts, bends sides, and braces backs and soundboards. His energy in the shop is infectious and we love having him around. In addition to his skills as a guitar builder, he is an accomplished photographer.

Josh Gutierrez is one of the hardest working guys I know. Any time you see him, he has his nose to the grindstone. He takes the ribs and braced plates from Andrew and builds and binds the entire box.

Dylan Arant is our newest builder and we couldn’t be happier with how he’s developing his skills. He has mastered the skill of sanding and now handles the final sanding of the boxes and leveling the finish to be buffed. Kevin is teaching him the ins and outs of the finish department and it won’t be long before he’s spraying guitars!

Dr. Tim Buchanan is a Philosophy professor turned luthier. His intelligence is so valued at the shop and he works a lot with Kevin on R&D and developing our systems. He’s also responsible for taking slabs of raw Mahogany and turning them into completed necks ready to be mated to guitars.

Lastly, I’m Jacob Kisner. My background is in audio engineering, but once I saw Kevin’s guitars, I just had to be involved. Kevin was kind enough to give me a shot and teach me how to build these instruments. I’m now the General Manager here at Ryan Guitars and I support the rest of the team however I can. I also get to do some of the most fun operations like carving bevels and flutes and final buffing guitars and necks.

Everything we do undergoes thorough guidance from Kevin. He works right alongside us to ensure everything meets his standards. Getting to learn from Kevin is a truly special experience and we are all absolutely honored to get to learn from and work for him.

冰岛的括号

6、我猜想只有高技能的制琴师才能成为 Ryan Guitars 的成员。那么，被 Kevin 招募需要具备什么样的资质？作为 Kevin 的左膀右臂，Jacob 无疑非常能干。请与中国的粉丝们分享一些 Jacob 的故事或背景。（回答者：Kevin）

我们绝不会聘请已经是吉他制作者的人。我们的吉他与众不同，所以我希望团队中的每个成员都按照我的方式进行训练。Jacob 在吉他制作方面展现出了极高的天赋。现在，我认为他是世界上最好的吉他制作者。他完美地结合了智力上的好奇心、出色的动手能力、对吉他运作原理的深刻理解，以及以最优方式完成任务的创造性方法。他的驱动力几乎是我从未见过的，除了当我自己照镜子的时候。

冰岛的括号

6. I suppose only highly skilled luthiers can become members of Ryan Guitars. What qualifications are required to be recruited by Kevin? As Kevin's right-hand man, Jacob is undoubtedly very capable. Please share some stories or background of Jacob to the fans in China.

We absolutely do not hire guitar builders. Our guitars are so different that I want to train every single member of the team to do it my way. Jacob has turned out to be supremely gifted at guitar building. At this point, I consider him to be the best guitar builder in the world. He has the perfect combination of intellectual curiosity, hand skills, understanding conceptually how guitars work, and an incredibly creative approach to accomplishing tasks in the very best way possible. He is driven in a way I have almost never seen; except when I look in the mirror.

冰岛的括号

7、在 Ryan Guitars，Kevin 和制琴师们的关系更像是同事，还是更像是导师和学徒的关系？（回答者：Kevin）

Jacob 和我负责指导这个小团队，教他们如何按照 Ryan 的方式制作吉他。

冰岛的括号

7. Do Kevin and the luthiers at Ryan Guitars operate more as colleagues or as mentor and apprentices in guitar making? （Respondent: Kevin）

Jacob and I are the mentors teaching this small team how to build the Ryan way.

冰岛的括号

8、在原声吉他界，Ryan Guitars 与其他世界级独立制琴师品牌享有同等的声誉。Kevin 是何时以及出于什么原因决定从单人作坊转型为团队生产的？Kevin 如何看待单人作坊与团队制琴之间的区别？它们各自的优势和劣势是什么？（回答者：Kevin）

很多年前我就决定与团队一起制作吉他。我相信，与一个世界级的团队合作，其创造力可以超越单人作坊。此外，还有一个问题是，当我没有精力再继续制作吉他时该怎么办。虽然这一天不会很快到来，但终究有一天会来。我非常热爱这些吉他，希望在我制作完最后一把吉他之后，它们还能继续为热爱它们的演奏者所制作。

冰岛的括号

8. In the acoustic guitar world, Ryan Guitars is on par with other world-class one-man shops, enjoying equal status. When and why did Kevin decide on transforming to team-based production from one-man shop in his career? How does Kevin perceive the differences between one-man shops and team-based guitar making, and what are the respective advantages and disadvantages?（Respondent: Kevin）

I decided many years ago to build with a team. I believe the creative energy with a world-class team can exceed the creativity of just one man. There is also a question of when I don’t have the energy to build anymore. That day is not soon, but it will come someday. I love these guitars so much, I want them to continue being made for appreciative players long after I build my last guitar.

冰岛的括号

9、Ryan Guitars 当前的年产量是多少？未来是否有扩展团队和增加产量的计划？鉴于当前的产能，客户下单后通常需要多长时间才能收到他们的吉他？

我们当前的年产量大约在60到80把之间。由于我们的吉他制作工艺非常复杂，很难想象我们能够显著提高这个数字。这些都是手工制作的吉他，我可以亲身告诉你，这些吉他的制作非常困难。制作 Ryan 吉他需要一套特别的技能和气质，而我们很少能找到完全合适的人，所以团队的扩展注定会非常缓慢。我们无法预测未来会怎样，但我们认为年产量的自然上限大约是100把。目前我们的交货周期大约是九个月。

冰岛的括号

9. What is the current annual production capacity of Ryan Guitars, and are there any plans to expand the team and increase production capacity in the future? Given the current production capacity, what is the typical turnaround time for a customer to receive their guitar after placing an order?（Respondent: Jacob）

Our current annual production numbers hover around 60-80. With the complicated nature of our builds, it’s hard to imagine we’ll ever be able to dramatically increase those numbers. These are handmade guitars and I can tell you first hand they are very difficult to build. It takes a special set of skills and temperament to build Ryan guitars, and it’s not often we find someone who fits in just right, so any expansion of our team is bound to be glacially slow. We don’t know what the future holds, but we see a natural ceiling of about 100 guitars per year. Our lead time at this point is around nine months.

冰岛的括号

10 - 12 桶形和音色

10、恭喜 Ryan Guitars 迎来35周年！您能介绍一下在 MGC 型号之后的四款 Ryan 吉他的推出顺序吗？我猜想 Nightingale 是首先问世的，并且正是这个型号为 Ryan Guitars 带来了巨大的成功。请描述一下 Nightingale 的诞生过程，以及其他三款型号的故事。您认为这四款型号是 Ryan Guitars 的最终产品吗？（回答者：Kevin）

在 Mission 之后，首先推出的是 Abbey Grand Concert，然后是 Cathedral。在吸取了所有经验之后，我创造了 Nightingale，我认为这是我吉他设计的巅峰之作。最后是 Paradiso，这是一款经过调整后缩小版的 Nightingale。我们制作它的初衷是为了替代 Mission，满足那些喜欢grand concert型号和集中音色的人。

Nightingale 的创作过程开始于 Pierre Bensusan 合作款的制作。那时我陷入了数月的创作瓶颈，无法完成设计。在最后不得不完成的时刻，我在一晚之内完成了整个设计。与其他型号经过多次修改不同，Nightingale 只用了大约两个小时就完成了设计，自那晚以来我就没有再修改它的形状。目前，我无法想象我们还需要创造出另一款原声吉他的新形状，但我们过去的创造性探索也曾带来过惊喜。

冰岛的括号

10 - 12 Models and Tones

10.  Congratulations to Ryan Guitars on reaching its 35th anniversary! Could you please introduce the chronological order of the four models of Ryan Guitars after the MGC model? I assume the Nightingale was the first to appear, and it was this model that brought Ryan Guitars great success. Please describe the process of the Nightingale's creation, as well as the stories of the other three models. And do you consider these four models to be the endpoint for Ryan Guitars?（Respondent: Kevin）

After the Mission, the Abbey Grand Concert was the first. Then came the Cathedral. And then, after everything I had learned, I created the Nightingale which I consider to be the pinnacle of my guitar design. Lastly came the Paradiso which was, with modifications, a scaled-down Nightingale. We made it essentially to replace the Mission. It was for people who liked the focused sound of a grand concert-sized guitar. The process of the Nightingale creation began with the creation of the Pierre Bensusan model. I hit a creative impasse for months and couldn’t get any designing done. At the very end when we reached the point where it had to be done, I designed the entire thing in one night. Unlike the other models that underwent extensive revisions, the Nightingale was done in about two hours and I haven’t modified the shape since that night. At this point, I can’t imagine a scenario where there’s another acoustic guitar shape we feel we need to make. But I have been surprised before by creative rabbit trails we’ve taken.

冰岛的括号

11、并不是每个人都能在订购前试弹不同型号的 Ryan 吉他。所以，能否请 Kevin 从个人角度对比一下 Cathedral 和 Nightingale 之间的差异，以及 Nightingale 和 Paradiso 之间的区别？（回答者：Kevin）

Cathedral Grand Fingerstyle 是我们最大的吉他。我常说它的声音就像雷暴滚过大草原——宽广、共鸣感十足。Nightingale Grand Soloist 是下一尺寸的型号。它继承了 Cathedral 的大部分浑厚音色，但设计更为平衡。它有着我非常喜爱的更为清晰的低音，同时高音部分则如同闪烁的光彩。对我来说，这代表了我作为吉他制作者在那种音乐风格中所能做到的最佳水平。接下来是 Paradiso Grand Concert，它与 Nightingale 共享了很多基因，但音色更加集中，琴弦之间的清晰度稍强。最后是 Abbey Grand Parlor，它是对过去经典的客厅吉他致敬。在音色上，它与前三款吉他完全不同。它有着你所联想到的那种甜美而独特的客厅吉他音色，但我们在其中引入了更长的弦长，这是我们首创的设计。其音色差异令人惊叹。

冰岛的括号

11. Not everyone can play various models of Ryan guitars before ordering one. So, could Kevin compare the differences between the Cathedral and the Nightingale, as well as between the Nightingale and the Paradiso, from his personal perspective?（Respondent: Kevin）

The Cathedral Grand Fingerstyle is our largest guitar. I’ve always said the sound is like a thunderstorm rolling over a prairie. Big and expansive and resonant. The Nightingale Grand Soloist is next in size. It has much of the big voice of the Cathedral but in a more balanced design. It has a crisper bass which I love and the trebles are iridescent. For me, it represents the best I can do as a guitar builder for that style of music. The Paradiso Grand Concert is next. It shares much of the DNA of the Nightingale but with a more focused sound a little bit more string to string clarity. Lastly, our Abbey Grand Parlor is a tip of the hat to the great parlor guitar of yesteryear. Tonally, it is a different breed of cat than the other three. It has that sweet and quirky sound you associate with parlor guitars, but with a longer scale length which we were the first to introduce to parlor guitars. The difference is astounding.

冰岛的括号

12、您如何定义当前 Ryan 吉他的音色方向？您认为还有进一步变化的空间吗？

我们始终在追求让低音越来越丰富，高音也越来越饱满。我们总是在寻找更好的方法。但要找到尚未攻克的领域变得越来越难。不过，我确实有一些想法，期待能付诸实践。

冰岛的括号

12. How do you define the current tonal direction of Ryan guitars, and is there still room for further changes?（Respondent: Kevin）

It’s always a quest to make the bass more and more rich and the trebles more and more rich. We are always looking to do things better. It gets harder and harder to find the ground we need to conquer to achieve that. But I definitely have a few ideas I’m looking forward to implementing.

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13 - 20 吉他制作

13、大家最常问的问题是标准系列和 Signature 系列的区别。据我所知，首先，Signature 系列吉他均采用巴西玫瑰木作为背板和侧板材料；其次，它们拥有更精美的镶嵌装饰。除此之外，还有其他区别吗？首先，在制作工艺和工艺流程上有区别吗？Signature 系列在音质上是否真的优于标准系列？其次，Kevin 是否对 Signature 系列的制作有更多的参与？第三，Signature 系列的木材等级是否更高？第四，客户在订购 Signature 系列时是否能获得更细致的服务或更短的等待时间？（回答者：Jacob）

标准系列和 Signature 系列吉他的主要区别在于我们在制作过程中使用的材料和装饰。Signature 系列吉他最初是巴西玫瑰木的代名词，但在过去十年左右的时间里，Kevin 越来越钟情于其他木材种类。像苍月乌木（Pale Moon Ebony）和 The Tree 这样的木材被用于我们的一些 Signature 吉他上，但我们也有许多其他木材的惊艳范例，它们同样达到了 Signature 级别的标准。我们只想在 Signature 吉他上使用世界上最稀有、最美丽的木材。Signature 吉他还会使用我们最好的面板，这些面板在外观上通常更加出众，但在音色上并没有显著优势。在制造工艺或流程上，两者没有区别。Kevin 在材料选择上参与更多，但我们对待 Signature 吉他和其他吉他一样，投入了相同的关怀和工艺水平。我们希望所有的吉他都能达到我们所能做到的最佳音质。我们的目标是，如果你闭着眼睛依次弹奏一把标准吉他和一把 Signature 吉他，你无法分辨出哪一把是哪一把。

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13. The most common question people ask is about the differences between the standard series and the signature series. From my understanding, firstly, signature series guitars all feature Brazilian Rosewood as the back and sides material; secondly, they boast more exquisite inlay decorations. Apart from these, are there any other distinctions? Firstly, are there differences in the manufacturing process and craftsmanship? Is the signature series truly superior in sound quality compared to the standard series? Secondly, does Kevin have a higher level of involvement in crafting the signature series? Thirdly, are the wood grades higher for the signature series? Fourthly, do customers receive more meticulous service or shorter waiting time when ordering the signature series?（Respondent: Jacob）

The main differences between the standard and Signature Series guitars are the materials and ornamentation we use in the builds. Signature Series guitars originally were synonymous with Brazilian Rosewood, but in the last decade or so, Kevin has been increasingly enamored with other species as well. Woods like Pale Moon Ebony and The Tree make up some of our Signature guitars, but we also have just stunning examples of other woods that we feel are Signature-grade. We just want to use the rarest and most beautiful woods in the world on our Signature guitars. Signature guitars also use our very best soundboards which are often aesthetically superior, but not tonally superior. There are no differences in the manufacturing process or craftsmanship. Kevin is more involved in the material selection, but we treat Signature guitars with the same level of care and craftsmanship as all our guitars. We like to think that all of our guitars sound as good as we can possibly make them. Our hope is that if you played a standard and Signature guitar back to back with your eyes closed, it wouldn’t be possible to tell which was which.

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14、在 Ryan Guitars，音色是可以定制的吗？我的意思是，当客户提出他们对音色的要求时，您不仅会提供木材组合的建议，还会根据客户的期望和需求，在制作过程中定制音色吗？（回答者：Kevin）

当然，我们总是尽量考虑客户的音色要求。但现实情况是，我们对音色的控制远没有大家想象的那么大。更有益的方式是通过选择正确的型号和音色木材，来打造符合客户音色需求的吉他。

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14. At Ryan Guitars, is the tone customizable? I mean, when a customer presents their tone requirements, do you not only provide suggestions on wood combinations but also tailor the crafting process to meet the customer's expectations and needs for tone? （Respondent: Kevin）

Of course we always try to take people’s tonal requests into consideration. But the reality is that we have way less control over this than everybody pretends. A more beneficial way to look at it is crafting a guitar for a person’s tonal desires is choosing the correct model and tonewoods.

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15、请介绍一下 Ryan Guitars 目前使用的高科技技术，这些技术是如何积极影响高质量吉他的生产的？

我们利用 CNC 技术的创造力和精确度，完成了一些手工无法做到的事情。同样地，我们的激光技术也非常独特。我们在镶嵌设计到支撑结构的各个方面使用激光技术，这种做法是世界上前所未见的（现在我们看到一些大公司在模仿我们的技术）。此外，我们还发明并申请了多项专利技术，外界永远不会知道这些技术的具体细节。比如，我们的全新 Cellar Door 漆面技术运用了世界上前所未见的工艺和技术。

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15. Please introduce the high technologies currently used by Ryan Guitars and how these technologies have positively impacted the production of high-quality guitars?（Respondent: Kevin）

We have harnessed the creativity and precision of CNC to do things that we could otherwise not do by hand. The same with our laser. We use our laser in ways that the world has never seen; on everything from our inlays to our bracing (which we now see is being copied by some major companies). We’ve also invented and patented a number of technologies that the world will never know about. For instance, our new Cellar Door finishes include techniques that the world has never seen or done.

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16、Engineered Laser Cut Bracing 是 Ryan Guitars 的标志性技术。Ryan 吉他中的所有支撑结构都是完全由机器制作的吗？还是只有中间镂空的部分是由机器完成的？制琴师是否仍需要手工一刀一刀地切割音梁？制琴师如何判断削切已经完成，最后一刀就是最后一刀了？

除了使用激光来帮助我们确定形状之外，所有的支撑结构都是手工制作的。是的，我们仍然手工切割支撑结构。对于我们来说，支撑的制作不是基于个人感觉或主观判断，而是依赖于科学和客观的标准。我们使用复杂的测量系统来量化每张面板的物理特性，并根据这些客观的物理特性为每块面板加上相应的音梁。

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16. Engineered Laser Cut Bracing is a signature technology of Ryan Guitars. Are all the braces in Ryan guitars made entirely by machines, or is it only the hollowed-out portion in the middle that is machined? Is it still necessary for the luthier to manually cut the braces one cut after another? How does the luthier determine that the work is done, the last cut is indeed the final one？（Respondent: Kevin）

All of the braces are made by hand with the exception of where we use the laser to help us define the shapes. Yes, we still manually cut the braces. For us, bracing is not subjective. We are very scientific in our bracing procedures. We use a sophisticated measuring system to quantify the physical properties of each soundboard and brace each soundboard according to those objective physical properties.

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17、Acoustic Honeycomb 是 Ryan Guitars 的另一项标志性技术。但看起来有一块木板覆盖了 Honeycomb，这导致我们看到的图像与官网上的 Honeycomb 图片不符。是什么原因造成的？（回答者：Jacob）

是的，我们所有的吉他上都有一块木板覆盖着 Honeycomb。这层极薄的应力层提供了极大的刚性。至于图片，我们认为大家会喜欢看到应力层下面的结构，因为这是 Kevin 创造的一个非常美丽的设计！

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17. Acoustic Honeycomb is another signature technology of Ryan Guitars. But it appears there's a piece of wood covering the Honeycomb. This results in the image we see not matching the Honeycomb picture on the official website. What's the reason for this?（Respondent: Jacob）

Yes, there is a piece of wood covering the honeycomb on all of our guitars. This micro-thin stress-skin provides extreme stiffness. For the photo, we thought people would enjoy seeing what is underneath that stress-skin because it really is a thing of beauty that Kevin created!

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18、您如何在吉他制作中平衡高效机械的使用与手工制作？有些人认为，在吉他制作中过多使用机械会在某种程度上削弱手工吉他的魅力。您如何看待这一观点？（回答者：第一段为Kevin，第二段为Jacob）

是的，我在大部分制琴生涯中都遇到过这种心态。首先，世界上的每一把吉他都是“手工制作”的。其次，没有人不使用工具就能制作部件。CNC 和激光器只不过是其他一些精密工具，用来将我们的艺术构想变为现实。我们工作室的现实情况是，几乎所有工作都是手工完成的。CNC 和激光只是在某些情况下补充使用，当这些机器能比人手做得更好时才用。我们的目标是尽可能制作出最好的吉他。我们把每一步都注入了心血和手工技艺。

另外补充一点，我们喜欢做对吉他最有利的事情。如果某项操作手工完成更好，我们就手工做。如果某项操作由机器完成对吉他更有利，我们就使用机器。尽管我们追求精确，但我们制琴师毕竟是人类。相比依赖我们自己的手，使用能够精确到 0.0001 英寸的机器来处理品位定位和琴桥补偿等几何结构，对吉他来说要好得多。而 Kevin 的艺术性已经融入到这些年来我们所编程的一切中。机器只不过是让我们能够完美且可重复地执行这些构想。

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18. How do you balance the use of efficient machinery and handcrafting in guitar making? Some argue that excessive involvement of machinery in making a guitar would somewhat diminish the charm of handmade guitars. What is your perspective on this viewpoint? (Respondent: The first paragraph is from Kevin, and the second paragraph is from Jacob)

Yes, I have encountered this particular mindset most of my lutherie career. First of all, every guitar in the world is “handmade.” Second of all, nobody makes parts without the use of tools. CNC and lasers are just other sophisticated tools to bring our artistic vision to reality. The reality in our shop is that nearly everything is done by hand. The CNC and laser supplement that in situations where those machines can do things better than human hands. The goal is to make the best guitar that we possibly can. Our hearts and hand skills go into every single step.

Just to add another thought here, we like to do whatever is best for the guitar. If an operation is better done by hand, we do it by hand. If it’s better for the guitar to have a machine do a particular operation, we will use a machine. As precise as we strive to be, all of us builders are humans. It is much better for the guitar to have precise geometry like fret locations and saddle compensation done by a machine that is precise down to .0001 inches than to trust our own hands. And Kevin’s artistry has gone into everything we’ve programmed over the years. The machines simply allow us to execute the vision perfectly and repeatably.

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19、Kevin 制作吉他的主要理念是：“1. 它在音色或人体工学方面必须对演奏者产生真正且有意义的影响。2. 它必须优雅且美丽。”这一理念确立了多久？它对 Kevin 的制琴生涯产生了怎样的影响？（回答者：Kevin）

这个理念大约是在我制琴生涯的第三年确立的，当时我看到吉他界充斥着许多无意义的东西和非理性的做法。我当时就决定，这两条原则将指导我做出的每一个决定，并且我一直遵循至今。

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19. Kevin's main philosophy of guitar making is: "1. It has to have a real and meaningful impact for the player in sound or ergonomics. 2. It has to be elegant and beautiful." How long has this philosophy been established, and how has it influenced Kevin's career in guitar making?（Respondent: Kevin）

This philosophy dates from about three years into my career when I saw that the guitar world was filled with so much nonsense and irrationality. I decided then and there that those two things would govern every decision I’d make, and I’ve lived by it since.

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20 - 23 木材相关

20、红杉（Redwood）和沉水红杉（Sinker Redwood）有区别吗？哪一种更稀有？（回答者：Kevin）

根据我们的经验，近年来获取普通红杉比沉木红杉更困难。红杉（沉水和非沉水）差异很大，很难对它们的音色差异做出明确的判断。所有的区别都取决于具体的面板，而且两者之间有很多重叠。

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20. Is there a difference between Redwood and Sinker Redwood? Which one is rarer?（Respondent: Kevin）

In our experience, it has become more difficult for us to obtain regular Redwood than Sinker Redwood in recent years. Redwood (sinker and non) varies so much it’s hard to make a definitive statement on the acoustic differences between the two. It all depends on the particular soundboard and there is a lot of overlap between the two.

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21、直纹木材与纹理复杂的木材作为背板和侧板材料是否有显著差异？（回答者：Kevin）

我们认为纹理复杂的木材更漂亮，而且我们非常喜欢它们！我相信在过去，人们总是偏爱直纹木材，因为径切木材在被弯曲时要容易得多。但现在我们有了新技术和新工艺，几乎可以弯曲任何木材。

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21. Is there a significant difference between straight-grain and figured materials as back & sides materials?（Respondent: Kevin）

We think the figured woods are far prettier and we love them! I believe that in the old days, straight grain was always desired because it was far easier to bend the sides on a straight grained quartersawn piece of wood. But now we have new techniques and technology that allow us to bend nearly anything.

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22、您如何看待作为吉他音板的“aged tone”材料，指的是经过烘烤处理的木材？看起来这种材料似乎从未用于 Ryan 吉他。（回答者：Kevin）

实际上，我们确实使用过烘焙处理的木材，并且非常喜欢这种材料！这项技术在不断进步，我们期待在更多的吉他制作中应用它。目前，烘焙处理后的木材颜色较深，这在美观上有一些影响，但我们会找到解决办法。

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22. How do you perceive "aged tone" material as guitar soundboards, referring to woods that have been baked? It seems like such materials have never been used on Ryan guitars.（Respondent: Kevin）

We have in fact used torrefied woods and we like them very much! The technology is constantly improving and we look forward to incorporating more and more of this into our builds. There is the question of the wood being darker now which has some aesthetic ramifications, but we will figure that out.

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23、Kevin 是否可以推荐用于清洁 Ryan 吉他指板和琴身的产品？（回答者：Kevin）

清洁指板时，您可以使用Naphtha。对于琴身，可以使用微纤维布搭配简单的无硅吉他抛光剂。

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23. Does Kevin have any recommended products for cleaning fingerboards and bodies for Ryan guitars?（Respondent: Kevin）

For cleaning the fretboards, you can use Naphtha. For the bodies, a microfiber cloth with a simple non-silicone guitar polish.