Something I was thinking about.

[Deleted]

Here is something I was thinking about.

 Is there or do think that there is a shift in the way we look at guitars?

 Let me explain; I was looking at some videos about the NAM show and other videos talking about guitar building. Over the years, I have seen more and more people building guitars. Not just putting a kit together, but people making custom guitars from scratch.

 And over the years we have all seen a decline in production sales.

 I have also seen people asking more about custom-made guitars and less about what the manufactures are coming out with this year or that year. Could the influx of custom builders out there, starting to affect the market? If so, I think it's a good thing for the custom builder. Maybe some are tired of all the cookie cutter guitars, and are in search of their dream guitar that can only be build by a custom maker?

 I know for me, I have approached 4 times this year to make a "Kustom" guitar. I have had to turn down two, the other ones did not want to pay the price I was wanting.

Sorry, I cannot build a "Kustom: guitar for $650 US.

 But because of my health, I can no longer build for the public. I'll leave that to Dane. So, what do you think? Do you think there is a shift in what people are now wanting in their guitars and are looking for someone to build them that guitar?

 Yep, I'm bored. 95 degrees and 97% humid, Not a fun time to be outside.

EB

[antares]

Ah, "righteousness and humidity- a deadly cocktail!" *

I think you have something Eddie, but I also think that despite their apparent proliferation, the custom built guitar sources cannot hope to satisfy the market generally, much less the far from inconsiderable market that would regard what others pay for say a Warmoth neck or some boutique pickups as being way too much even for a whole "instrument". Custom builders can try to charge whatever they like, those who cannot stump up will turn to the old favourites, and most likely find them easier to flip. Sad but very probably true.

Upon being requested, I once recommended a Pacifica as awesome value for a work colleague's son who couldn't play at all. He nearly choked at the price and indicated he was thinking more along the lines of something around what I'd just paid for a set of locking Sperzels.

*Ack. Martin Simpson- the influence for obtaining my first squeeze acoustic.

でつ e&oe ...

[Deleted]

Jul 10, 2022 11:42:01 GMT -6 antares said:

Ah, "righteousness and humidity- a deadly cocktail!" *

I think you have something Eddie, but I also think that despite their apparent proliferation, the custom built guitar sources cannot hope to satisfy the market generally, much less the far from inconsiderable market that would regard what others pay for say a Warmoth neck or some boutique pickups as being way too much even for a whole "instrument". Custom builders can try to charge whatever they like, those who cannot stump up will turn to the old favourites, and most likely find them easier to flip. Sad but very probably true.

Upon being requested, I once recommended a Pacifica as awesome value for a work colleague's son who couldn't play at all. He nearly choked at the price and indicated he was thinking more along the lines of something around what I'd just paid for a set of locking Sperzels.

*Ack. Martin Simpson- the influence for obtaining my first squeeze acoustic.

でつ e&oe ...

I know when it comes to custom-building anything, most people will not like the price. Over the years of doing guitars, I have had a lot of people wanting me to make them a guitar for little money. There have been some I had to show them my cost, not just on the hardware but wood as well, because they did not believe me when I told them my cost of making them a guitar was higher than they were willing to pay.

 I learned over time to tell them go buy a ready-made guitar or buy used. But today I see so many custom guitars being made. I am starting to see a lot of custom-made guitars appearing on the market. And they are selling.

 Yes the "Kustom" market will be for those that can afford it. But at the same time it seems to be growing. I only wish that the "Boom" in this would have happened sooner for me. Now I can only watch as some will grow in making guitars. I have been watching Ben of Crimson Guitars since his first video on UT. Look at how big he has gotten. He now has a school to teach guitar building and sells kit guitars.

  Someone helped him get to where he is today. He is getting as big as Stew Mac. I was buying from Stew Mac for a really long time. Way before they were ever online. Back then I could get items form them pretty inexpensive. Can't do that no more!

 Warmouth is another. Their stuff to me is expensive. But yet a lot of people buy their stuff every day. One can buy a production guitar, strip it and put in all new hardware for what you can buy  Warmouth Body and neck for. But yet I see a lot of video on people that buy for them and make a guitar.

 But people that have been playing guitar for a while have gotten tired of the same old stuff that production guitars offer. I know the customers I had in AZ liked how I worked with them to give them a guitar that they had dreamed of. There are some nice production guitars out there. But for me, most of them are not what I would have dreams of. LOL!

  When I use the words "Custom" or "Kustom", I find a lot of people really do not understand what those word mean. They mean to me, you can have a guitar mad any way shape or form you want. You don't have to conform to what has been made. You cannot get that from a production guitar.

 I have been looking at the GGBO contest. I see a lot of interesting things going on. There are a few I like a lot. More on the scratch build side of things, that is. I am willing to say that some of these people that we have seen in this year and year past, they will go on to be big in the guitar world.

 If I were younger and healthy, I know if wanted to, I could have made a big impact in the "Kustom" guitar world. I know how to market and make a business grow. Been there, done it!

 Dane could grow his guitar making really big. He has so much talent. I feel Dane is doing alright in what he wants to get out of his guitars.

 Well, any ways... When I moved here in Greenville, AL, I was hoping to be able to get back to where I was in AZ. But it's not going to happen with my health stuff going on.

 Here is something you all may not have known that I was doing back in AZ. I know this may shock ya. But, I was buying kit guitars and selling them for $500 to $650 as built guitars. Now, I did tell people that they were Kit guitars. My number one sellers were the Tele guitars. At one point I could not build them fast enough. That one summer I had to hire someone to help me out. In sold 10 built kit guitars and 7 of them were Teles. The others were an LP and 2 Strats. I also did all the upgrades to them. Heck, I was making money on them, and it was better than me having to carve them out. LOL!

 All of that money helped out keeping my hobby going at the time. Plus other things.

EB

   

[dnic]

I personally have not run into very many people that have the disposable income needed to pay what boutique guitars should sell for. But I live in a very small market. My YouTube channel was an effort to increase my market share so to speak. I sold 2 1000$ guitars last year. Bare bones on those should have been 2k. The custom'69 Strat should have been 2500 easy but I wanted to build it so I ball parked 1500. The 335 bass went for 2k I would have been happier with 3k but it went to friends and I get to see it every week.

Driftwood guitars is known for acoustic guitars that start at 10k and increase with every mm of inlay or pearl purfling. Now they have also added Tele style guitars to their stuff which they use CNC to make the big parts. They got preorders 20 of these at 4500 each. Mind blown OK!

I didn't list my prices as bragging or complaining but just to prove I could not make a living as a guitar builder in my current market. I make much more money doing repairs and if all I did was 50$ set ups all day long I'd be money ahead.

Seems like Texas Toast Guitars sells most of their units at 1500-2000 shipped with cases. But I think they make their real money on guitar building classes.

Anyway most people I run into that find out what my guitars should cost are usually happy to stick with their 5-600$ Ibanez.

Still have that 9 string carved walnut topped Night Hawk if anyone is interested. 3K

[GuitarAttack Forum]

All --

I've been talking to some of my guitar friends about this lately, and I keep coming up with the same answers; that is, what is selling is really expensive, and really cheap. It seems like everybody is competing for what is in the middle.

One the high end -- I saw one of these up close: languedocguitars.com/. This guy, Paul Languedoc, builds as many as he can, and they are expensive (around $10k US) if you can get one. It was an exceptionally well-made instrument.

However, I also know a guy who recently bought a new Murphy Lab Gibson R9 Les Paul for - hold on to your hats, kids - over $12,000 at the Nashville Guitar Center. It was pretty cool, but wow...that is a lot of money for a new Les Paul.

If I can figure out how to tap into that high-end market, I will let you know! Until that happens, I'll keep at it with repair and pickups, and build those custom guitars I want to build.

John

[dnic]

Three guys, a doctor, a lawyer and a building contractor go in together and buy a bunch of lotto tickets. Well they win big and split the money three ways. They each get 30 million dollars. The doctor says he's going travel the world and do free medical work for the under privileged. The lawyer says he's going to finally get that trophy wife and a yacht and live the good life. The building contractor says I'll just keep building until the money runs out.

That's me and guitars, just keep building until the money runs out!