Updated Oct 30, 2026
How long is the wait for a custom guitar right now?
The wait times, prices and deposits custom guitar builders post on their own websites, in one table. Every row links to its source and shows the date it was checked. If a builder doesn't post a wait, it says so.
Wait-time table
| Builder | Posted wait | Type | Price (as posted) | Deposit | Checked |
|---|
Weeks are converted from the builder's wording (1 month ≈ 4.33 weeks) only for sorting and the bars. The posted wording is what counts, and some builders post a build time rather than a queue (see wait vs. build time). Rows marked page dated use a page that carries an older "updated" date. Prices are in the builder's own currency. Download the data (CSV).
Some factory custom shops (for example Suhr and Tom Anderson) don't post a wait and quote through their dealers. Ask an authorized dealer for a current estimate.
What's new
- Added 8 builders: Aristides Instruments, Escher Guitars, Halo Custom Guitars, Muth Guitars, Ormsby Guitars (Custom Shop), Rubato Guitars, Skervesen Guitars, Thierry André Instruments
- Guide Custom vs. Custom Shop vs. boutique builder: what you're actually ordering
- Guide How custom guitar deposits work: amounts, timing and refunds
- Guide Posted wait vs. build time: why custom guitar wait times don't compare directly
- Guide 10 questions to ask before joining a custom guitar builder's waitlist
- Launch Tracker started with 16 builders.
How this is collected
Each row comes from the builder's own website (order, pricing, availability, terms or FAQ page), checked on the date shown. Builders don't pay to be listed. Prices and deposits are copied as posted. Each check is kept, so every builder page shows a wait-time history. The builder's own page is always the final word.
Shopping used instead of waiting?
Guides
10 questions to ask before joining a custom guitar builder's waitlist
A checklist of questions for a custom guitar builder before you send a deposit: queue, refunds, price lock, payments, shipping and warranty.
Posted wait vs. build time: why custom guitar wait times don't compare directly
Some builders post the queue, some post the build time, some post both, and some count from a different starting point. How to read a posted wait.
How custom guitar deposits work: amounts, timing and refunds
Flat deposits, percentages, staged payments and refund rules, copied from custom guitar builders' own order pages and compared in one table.
Custom vs. Custom Shop vs. boutique builder: what you're actually ordering
Made-to-order production models, factory custom shops and independent builders have very different waits. Real examples from builders' own pages.