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July 30, 2010
Budagov joins Fender, Gibson
Israeli-made guitar is becoming musicians’ instrument of choice.
JEFFREY HEYMAN ISRAEL21C
Celebrated veteran Israeli guitarist Shmuel Budagov is on the way to realizing his dream that music stores worldwide will one day stock Fender, Gibson and Budagov guitars. His line of “designed in Israel” electric and acoustic guitars is already in demand in Israel and is making its way to Europe and the United States.
Over the past five years, working out of his flagship Budagov Music Store in south Tel Aviv that doubles as a technical lab, and a nearby factory, Budagov has quietly and effectively positioned his electric and acoustic guitars against the big brands, by making quality guitars and selling them at lower prices. Guitarists around the country are now opting for the Budagov as their guitar of choice.
The trend could soon spread worldwide, Budagov suggested from his second-floor office above the bustling store. Interspersed among some of his favorite guitars are framed vintage posters of Israeli bands he’s played with, which include the likes of Sheshet and Brosh. The posters are joined by covers of some of the nearly 1,000 albums that Budagov has played on or produced for artists ranging from Arik Einstein to Hayehudim.
“All the years I was playing, I was never interested in flashy name-brand guitars. A lot of the guitars on the wall here don’t have famous brand names. It’s all nonsense,” Budagov said.
“All my life, I searched for the perfect guitar sound, a good guitar that cradles in my arm comfortably. I had a beautiful, riveting journey with playing music, but at around age 50, I flicked the switch and began realizing my dream of building my own guitars.”
As soon as he made the decision to move from making music to making guitars, Budagov started learning all he could about guitar building, which included traveling to the United States and Taiwan to visit guitar factories. The first Budagov guitar, which he produced more than three years ago, was a classic acoustic guitar, but he soon branched out into electric guitars for all tastes and wallets.
“It’s my taste. I brought elements to my guitars of what I like as a musician,” said Budagov, explaining the difference between his guitars and others.
Today, with the Tel Aviv shop, another nearby in Ra’anana, and smaller branches at two music schools in Modi’in and Tel Aviv, Budagov’s tinkering has led to satisfied customers, including some high-profile guitarists. Benua Nehaissy, axe man for popular rockers Synergia, has been using a Budagov classic acoustic guitar ever since the band backed Rami Kleinstein on an acoustic tour last year.
“I was looking for a good acoustic guitar and a friend said ‘You have to go hear a Budagov,’” recalled Nehaissy. “I went to the store and played some of the guitars and I really liked his high-end acoustic. It has a really warm and big sound, exactly what I was looking for.” Nehaissy worked out a sponsorship deal with Budagov, used the guitar on the tour and continues to play it at Synergia shows and recording sessions.
Another musician, David Broza, was so smitten with Budagov’s guitars that he went into business with him. Longtime friends, the pair have designed seven top-of-the-line Broza signature classical guitars with the names Galil, Megiddo, Yarkon, Carmel, Negev, Yarden and Masada.
“For a long time, [David] was coming to the store, looking around, buying guitars for his nephew or another relative. One day, he came and looked at the more top-of-the-line guitars I was making, and he said, ‘Let’s do something together,’” said Budagov, adding that he’s been eager to produce a signature line of guitars ever since meeting Eric Clapton in 1989 after his performance at Jerusalem’s Sultan’s Pool and seeing the Fender signature Clapton model up close.
“We got some tips from a friend of David’s, a famous guitar maker in Spain, and we went to the factory that produces my premium guitars and worked on the models. David would ask for variations – ‘I want the neck this way’ – and he adapted things for his own feel. I took care of the rest. It’s all high-end, the very best parts and design.”
Broza has already played three guitars from the line at concerts, and Budagov is manufacturing 600 guitars slated to be sold throughout Europe. It was Broza’s idea to give them historical Israeli names, but Budagov insisted that all the guitars he manufactures bear the label “Designed in Israel.”
“When agents from Europe came to me, and they said how much they liked the guitars and wanted to expand their sales in Europe, I said, ‘Great.’ But, I said, ‘You know, it says ‘Designed in Israel’ on it,’ thinking they would want me to remove it. And they said ‘No. You don’t understand that when we’re talking about politics and the Palestinians, it’s one thing – but this is business.’ In business, the word ‘Israel’ is magic – whether in the security field or in high-tech, you’re talking about quality. So all the guitars that are being exported to Europe have ‘Designed in Israel’ on them,” he said.
With a multitude of guitars to choose from, why would a consumer choose a Budagov over a more recognizable model? According to Budagov, it all comes down to price and, ultimately, the big names mean high cost.
“My main advantage today is that the same factory which is producing my guitars according to my specs and tastes, is also producing the most popular guitars in the world – at twice or three times the price because the consumer is paying for the brand,” Budagov said.
According to him, that comes in handy when picking out a guitar for a young beginner when a parent doesn’t know whether the child will stick to it or not. Budagov said that his beginner guitars don’t scrimp on quality, but don’t cost a fortune to buy. “A beginner doesn’t need a name-brand guitar, he needs a good one,” he said. “You can put any name on it – McDonald’s, Coca Cola – and the price skyrockets. It’s a shame to spend that money. The same factory that makes the professional, high-end guitars for me, I said to them, I want the same line exactly, with regard to its feel and touch and action and its setup, because I didn’t want to lessen the quality. Make the strings close to frets. Let the kid know he’s playing a real guitar.”
That’s sound advice and just may propel the Israeli Budagov to the status of a Fender or a Gibson for the coming generation.
Israel21c is a nonprofit educational foundation with a mission to focus media and public attention on the 21st-century Israel that exists beyond the conflict. For more, or to donate, visit israel21c.org.
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