Knockoff guitars are sweet music for small village
Knockoff guitars are sweet music for small village
By Tarko Sudiarno
SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): They may bear famous brand names
such as Osmod, Yamaha and Kawasaki, but the gleaming guitars
available in city shops are sometimes merely knockoffs of the
originals.
They sell for between Rp 50,000 and Rp 60,000 in stores, and
as little as Rp 30,000 direct from producers. This is a hefty
savings from the bonafide articles, which cost about Rp 200,000.
The hub for producing the guitars is Kembangan, 5 kms south of
Surakarta (Solo). Set amid a patchwork of rice fields, the
village does not appear any different from hundreds of others in
the area. Yet a stroll through its dirt road reveals most of the
villagers engrossed in making guitars.
Seventy-five local craftsmen supply guitars to music shops in
most cities in Indonesia. The village's reputation as a guitar-
making center dates back to at least 1955 and today's craftsmen
are continuing the work of their parents.
They deny that they are responsible for violating copyright
laws on the guitar brand names.
Craftsman Mujiono claims they do not affix a name on their
products before they are sent off to the retailers. "We do not
fake brand names. It is the shopowners who put brand names on the
guitars," he said.
"It is not a problem for us. It is not our concern if the
brand owner files suit," he said.
For Mudjiono and the other guitar-makers, the important issue
is that their products sell well. They only earn Rp 2,000 for
each guitar, but they are content.
The Kembangan guitars are good quality and include melody
guitars, bass guitars and small guitars. They vary in price. A
melody guitar costs between Rp 20,000 and Rp 200,000. Bass
guitars are sold for an average of Rp 350,000. The small guitars
sell for Rp 15,000.
The craftsmen vie with each other in determining the price of
their products. Mujiono complains the competition is unhealthy.
"We should establish an association or a cooperative to
control the price and to channel loans," said this elementary
school graduate.
Each guitar-maker has his own market share in Jakarta,
Bandung, Surabaya and other major cities. "Whatever quantity of
guitars we send those traders, it is accepted," said Hadiwiyono,
another craftsman.
The average weekly output is 12 dozen but Some produce as many
as 25 dozen.
The craftsmen do not receive payment on delivery. "We get paid
only after the shop has sold the guitars," said Mudjiono. This
often takes months, making some of the craftsmen dependent on
their more successful colleagues.
The process of guitar making at Kembangan village involves
many people. The craftsmen specialize in a particular area. Some
make the shaft only, some produce the body of the guitar, and
some others do the finishing. This last part requires the most
capital. Not many craftsmen are capable of handling this last
process, which usually takes up to four days. They are usually
the ones who collect guitar parts from economically disadvantaged
craftsmen.
The craftsmen experience no difficulty in acquiring the raw
material. Wood is available in abundance in Surakarta and its
vicinity. Plywood is used for the body of the guitar, and
mahogany for the shaft. For better quality guitars, sengon wood
is preferred.
Some craftsmen make use of modern equipment but they still
utilize manual instruments to smoothen the surface of a guitar
with abrasives, to apply putty, to use paint and cover the
surface with melamine, an anti-scratch resin.
Nearly all of the villagers are involved in some aspect of
guitar product. A day's work brings them an average of Rp 8,000,
and schoolchildren at the apprentice stage can earn Rp 10,000 a
week.