After that, I just sort of hung it up. This takes so much of your spirit. Now Ribbecke sells to players and collectors, recently returning from an L.A. trip where he sold two of his specialty instruments to pop-phenom Seal. I've just had a wonderful experience, though, with that guy Seal. Guys like that are rare.
Most artists get discounts for endorsing big companies.
If you look at the other segment of the market, it's baby boomers and jazz musicians. Because Ribbecke won't discount for endorsements, he also prefers not to drop the names of his other clients. It's like wine. Instrument woods are the gems of the woodworking world . . . Picking up a guitar body backed in mahogany, Ribbecke applies a small amount of naptha fluid to the surface.