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.