Sound clip of My LP

[Deleted]

Yeah but they are customs. Each guitar will have it's own thing go on with it. It is what will give them that little something extra. I once built cars as a Hobby and no two went together the same way. But too as you get older the better you will become. Tools will change and your experience will too. Just so you know I have built around 200 cars in my day. All customs of one kind or another.

[killemall1983]

Wow, thats a lot of cars!!! Did you paint them too? I painted a motorcycle once.

By inconsistant, I mean that some are better than others, and I Some could have been better. But I guess i have gotten better.

And also, I just checked, and its more like about 40 guitars now.

[Deleted]

I have almost owned that many. Sorry to say some have found new homes. (Guitars)
I painted most of them. But what happened on some I would get them in primer and some one would come by wanting to buy them and if the offer was good enough down the road they go. All of them where built from the ground up. That was a fun time for me. I was just a little older than you when I started building cars as hobby. Back then you could find some cool stuff in junk yards. Not like today. Also back then I had to make my parts work there was no going to the speed shop and buying the parts. So I think I have tried to do that with guitar building. I try and do most of the stuff myself. I would like to some day not only do my own necks but I want to make the pickups too.
As far as inconsistent goes... there are always going to be some that come out better than others. It was that way on my cars. It's that way on my few builds I have done guitar wise. For me I have to put up with the outdoors. I have no spry booth or even a room to paint in. So I have to deal with bugs, rain, wind, cold, and so on. I have to do most of the build outside. So each one comes out a little diffident or inconsistent. But I deal with it. The other thing I have to deal with is using spray cans. I hope I can get a spray gun before my next build.
I can see you have a passion for guitar building. You are an artiest and most artiest are hard on them selves. I know I am that way. I see the flaws in my work but not always everyone else. But It makes me try a little harder on the next one.

[dnic]

Experience is the best teacher. And past that we hope to gain some speed. When we get so good at it we become careless then we screw up and/ or lose fingers. And if guitar count counts for anything you are probably the most experienced on board and could school us all.

You should probably try to up your prices a little so you can upgrade your tooling and make life a little easier on yourself. Your prices need not only reflect material and labor but also shop costs, it's just a part of doing business. The financial thing may be from another thread but I just threw it in no charge.

dane

[killemall1983]

Thanks for the input guys. I really appreciate it that you guys take the time to write these replies.

Dane,
I have tried upping my prices, but only to have to lower them, because I get messages saying that no one is going pay 1200$ for a non name brand guitar. So, basicly, 900 is the best i can do, and thats with the best parts. People just wont buy if its anything over that for some reason. I will try listing a few of these new ones for about 1000$, and see what happens.

[Deleted]

What I have done in my line of work is increase the price a little at a time. In printing paper prices go up ever two to three months. Since I have started building guitar I has seen the price of parts alone have gone up. So to hold a price of something like your guitars how long can you afford to sell them for that price before you start loosing money on the guitar? I wonder how long PRS was around before they sold guitars for the money they get for them now. I remember when they were all hand built. At that time I wanted to buy one but at that ime to have built was going to cost me 3500. That was about 20+ years ago!

[killemall1983]

Wow, I diddnt even know PRS was around that long!!
Your right, I am barley making profit as it is. See, i have this problem. I look at the overall value of what my guitars sell for, not how much i put into them and the actual profit.

For the longest time, I was just making my money back ( most of the time less) and recycling it to other guitars. I just hope now i have gotten good enough to sell them for a bit more. What im planning on doing is this. My local music store doesnt buy instruments, but they do trade. Im thinking i could trade a brand new build for some store credit. I would use that for parts pickups, that kind of stuff. And, I get the benefit of that guitar hanging in the store, to build a bit of a reputation. I dont know if i'll actually do this, but its a possiblity.

[cknowles]

May 5, 2009 22:05:38 GMT -6 killemall1983 said:

My local music store doesnt buy instruments, but they do trade.

Where do the other local Luthiers sell their guitars?
I'm guessing not through the local music store.

My plan is to build up a stock of guitars to sell, then invite local musicians to try them out. The idea will be to sell guitars by invitation only.

Chris

[killemall1983]

May 6, 2009 5:58:52 GMT -6 cknowles said:

May 5, 2009 22:05:38 GMT -6 killemall1983 said:

My local music store doesnt buy instruments, but they do trade.

Where do the other local Luthiers sell their guitars?
I'm guessing not through the local music store.

My plan is to build up a stock of guitars to sell, then invite local musicians to try them out. The idea will be to sell guitars by invitation only.

Chris

There are no other local luthiers.

[irishrover]

only local builder near me is paul beard.

[killemall1983]

Who is Paul Beard?

[irishrover]

paul beard goldtone resonators.