The current crop of custom bike builders is a lot like rock stars.
They have to come up with a bike that is on the cutting edge to make people notice but also keep its design within the conventions of contemporary design so that it will appeal to a greater market. They're much like musicians who have to think up songs that are similar to their original sound so they can keep their current listeners happy. On the other hand, the tune has to be different enough to be considered fresh and new. As with some of the great independent/unsigned bands, builders can be extremely knowledgeable about their craft and receive little or no recognition.
It's easy to see the parallels between popular music and builders. For example, Hank Young could be a musician who likes songs from the '30s to the '50s and relates them to contemporary sounds, the way his bikes incorporate old '30s car parts with a newer-style Evo motor. El Pitts, owner of Vegas City Choppers, would be something like blues fused with rock and a little funk. Johnny Chop was punk rock and old country-western; his minimalist themes and old technology would fit into that category perfectly. Arlen Ness through the '70s and '80s would be experimental, testing the range of building much like the rock and roll of the Beatles in the early '70s. Dave Perewitz and Donnie Smith fall in with good ol' classic rock with their classic custom-bike lines and paint.
A bike can be built that is technically perfect and runs great, but if the builder lacks imagination (or great marketing), the public won't pay attention. Manufacturers and shops know how much marketing it takes to get a shop or manufacturer noticed-and some of the most talented shops aren't interested in making a name for themselves; they just want to build good-looking bikes that run well. The same goes for musicians. A band that only performs covers of other bands' music will never make it because its members aren't thinking up anything new-even if they're playing the songs better than the originals did.
Good or bad, each shop and manufacturer is fighting for exposure by building a bike that the media and public can't resist. Just like a song or an album that puts a band on the map, the same can happen for a shop and a style of bike. Look at Russell Mitchell's sanitary, black-only bike style, or Matt Hotch's smooth, flowing sheetmetal and hidden lines. Even Orange County choppers have a distinct style that the informed can easily pick out from a crowd.
So just because your local shop hasn't been on TV or in any magazines doesn't mean that they're doing bad work. Keep in mind that some of the best music is played by unknown musicians, and in the end the good local mechanic that can tune your bike to sound like music to your ears is just as important as all the rock stars out there.