From the Bench: The Truth About Backlogs, and Building Instruments That Matter
The uncomfortable truth of it all...
From the Bench: The Truth About Backlogs, Burnout, and Building Instruments That Matter
By Jonathan Eric Wilson
Hello everyone,
For over two + decades I’ve poured myself into the GuitarViol and its family of instruments — that fretted, bowed guitar-viola hybrid that found its way into film and television scores, live performances, and the hands of composers who needed sounds nobody else was making. What started as a deep personal obsession became a calling that outran me. And for a long time, I tried to keep up.
I’m writing this from the quieter side of the bench these days. Not because the fire has gone out — it hasn’t — but because my nervous system made it very clear that the old pace was no longer sustainable. This is the honest story I wish more people understood about solo makers.
They Wanted Factory Speed
Many expected factory speed, showrooms, and cork-sniffing luxury service. What they got was a lone artisan attempting to scale responsibly in the worst possible decade. I tried to grow — to create a few jobs, meet the surge of serious inquiries from composers and players, and honor the demand my instruments had created. The world went sideways.
The 2010s had taught me realistic ETAs grounded in years of (average) real data. Then came the 2020s: supply chains fractured, pandemic chaos, regulations that scattered freelance help, DDoS attacks that wiped out inquiries at critical moments, and the post-Valencia regrouping. Did I mention years of outside hours making tooling molds through evenings and weekends? Prior to the 2020’s? The backlog flywheel kept turning while new 2020’s inputs slowed and jammed. ETA’s became an unknown quantity. Therein lies the rub. Not fun!
The summit was that of an imploding mountain. The priority Jenga tower collapsed. I pushed harder than I should have, until chronic stress turned into real nervous system injury. I damn near worked myself into the ground trying to deliver to all. The younger man with the commercial shop and eager crew isn’t walking through that door anymore. I’m older now, carrying the aftermath.
What I Won’t Do Anymore
I won’t lock in hard deadlines I can’t guarantee. I won’t rush the voicing, the setup, the careful refinement that makes a GuitarViol truly sing under professional pressure. And I won’t pretend I’m something I’m not. ETA’s and deadlines/demands? Rejected!
Each instrument still passes through my hands at every critical stage — the custom acoustics (including those hemp “superwood” experiments), the playability that film composers rely on. These things don’t survive careless speed or delegation. Quality has always been the non-negotiable.
As I pick up the pieces, I am focusing on quality the best my reader spectacles and clients allow. Honest work. Not commodities.
New inquiries sometimes vanish when they see the current queue. That stings. I love making dreams happen for people who truly connect with the instrument. But I also can’t magically multiply myself or rewind the turbulent years. If you want the real OG, I am still here!
Trailblazing Has a Cost
It’s strange watching competitors appear on Instagram with designs and concepts that echo work I was doing decades ago. I don’t resent the validation — it means the category has legs. But pioneering means carrying the weight long after others notice the opportunity.
I’m too young to retire and walk away from commitments I’ve made. I’m also too exhausted — and too protective of the work — to easily rebuild a crew the way I once had. That’s the uncomfortable middle space many solo artisans eventually occupy.
A Note to Dreamers and Buyers
If you’re reading this and you want a GuitarViol because the sound lives in your head and your music, I’m still here building them. Thank you for supporting the OG! But understand what you’re stepping into: a relationship with a living maker (thank you) who cares deeply but who has finally learned to respect his own human limits.
This isn’t flakiness. This is the aftermath of years of saying “yes” until my body said “enough.” It’s the cautionary side of passion meeting demand in a world that romanticizes the lone artisan until the human underneath starts breaking.
I’m focusing now on sustainable output, special projects, limited editions, and the next chapters — including some documentary work and developments at Sparrow Haven. The instruments that leave here will still be built the right way.
To everyone who’s waited patiently, who’s used a GuitarViol on stage or screen, who’s reached out with kind words: thank you!! Your support kept me going when the bench felt very heavy.
To new folks: welcome, but come with patience and an appreciation for the process. The sound you’re chasing was never meant to be mass-produced.
I’m still here, still innovating, still committed. Just more honest about the realities of doing this as a solo builder who’s given it everything — sometimes more than he should have.
With gratitude from the bench,
Jonathan Eric Wilson
TogaMan GuitarViols