Prostheta Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 Guitars in cases sell visually, as to studio shots. The outdoor photos are not doing you too many favours other than the easy diffuse light. Brand cohesion. Photos of headstocks with a unifying logo or name establish your work and differentiate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted November 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 18 hours ago, Prostheta said: Certainly will on both counts. You can easily price yourself out of the market at both ends. Don't ask, won't get. Undercutting or undervaluing your work is equally as negative on sales too. People compares apples and oranges based on price if you get what I mean. If I could get one of your finished instruments into a photo studio, I could sell it for four times what you're putting them out at. Didn't a customer do this exact same thing? Additionally, you are not making your mark. Brand recognition is key to securing more prestige in people's minds. Waterslide decals under lacquer with an alternative for oil would make all the difference. It bothers me so much that you're not raking in the sales, man. Your work and wood choice is getting compliments across the board, but having positive commentary on the process doesn't always translate to somebody slamming money on the table for the finished item. They're going silly for the porn but they're not putting a ring on your finger. Hell if I had the money I'd have you manufacture these instruments for me at your output price and I'd be making all the money by doing very little work solving the bugs in marketing. I just hope that the lack of sales influx or good hard money isn't shooting your enthusiasm in the foot Luis. Don't make me come over there and put you to work now! Ive tried upping my prices a few times over the past year. Every now and then EMG or seymour duncan share my picture on facebook and i get an influx of a ton of interest. But as soon as i say "2000$ for a full custom" It instantly weeds out all the people who arnt willing to go for a real custom guitar, because every one of them freaks out and either doesnt respond or says there is no way they can afford that. I went with the higher prices for a while but during that time i had the least interest in my guitars that i ever have. I had to drop the prices again to gain some interest again. It is still really slow business. I still believe there is no real money in guitar building unless you do full on commission custom guitars. On a separate note, i got the neck glued in on the olive ash today. I also Got the skull walnut burl guitar pretty much dont today too, and glued its neck in as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 I'd have to agree - you need a logo on those headstocks to get yourself the recognition you deserve. It's patently obvious you know how to make a great looking instrument that gets people's attention, but unless they're talking about a brand attached to these guitars you're missing out on the real market of people who are willing to shell out $2k on one of those. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 It's still no reason to cut your prices back; the people that say they won't pay $2000 are not your customers. They either don't understand why an instrument costs what it does or they're trying to gouge you. Seriously. They're not your customers and shouldn't be; don't let them define your price. Boutique instruments are based on scarcity and not abundance. Exclusivity whether it be in an instrument individual uniqueness or intrinsic quality. Pulling your prices down to non-exclusive prices removes all of the things that make your instruments scarce. A good solid brand image and selective outreach increases your exclusivity. Never seen to be idly building, experimenting or repairing. This is entirely why I don't want to sell instruments and write for this site. I am happy to explain, demonstrate, show the nuts and bolts in their real-world glory. You can't do that if you have a product to sell. One will always shoot the other in the back at some point. That's not to say you shouldn't share the process; just look at it the other way around and consider everything you do as outreach. Don't tell us that you screwed up lacquer! I want to see you do well Luis. Like I've said dozens of times, if I were in a position to pay that big ticket for one of yours I likely would. Apologies if any of this has seemed overly harsh, patronising or out of order. It certainly hasn't been meant that way. Now pull your pants back up and get to work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted November 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 10 hours ago, Prostheta said: It's still no reason to cut your prices back; the people that say they won't pay $2000 are not your customers. They either don't understand why an instrument costs what it does or they're trying to gouge you. Seriously. They're not your customers and shouldn't be; don't let them define your price. Boutique instruments are based on scarcity and not abundance. Exclusivity whether it be in an instrument individual uniqueness or intrinsic quality. Pulling your prices down to non-exclusive prices removes all of the things that make your instruments scarce. A good solid brand image and selective outreach increases your exclusivity. Never seen to be idly building, experimenting or repairing. This is entirely why I don't want to sell instruments and write for this site. I am happy to explain, demonstrate, show the nuts and bolts in their real-world glory. You can't do that if you have a product to sell. One will always shoot the other in the back at some point. That's not to say you shouldn't share the process; just look at it the other way around and consider everything you do as outreach. Don't tell us that you screwed up lacquer! I want to see you do well Luis. Like I've said dozens of times, if I were in a position to pay that big ticket for one of yours I likely would. Apologies if any of this has seemed overly harsh, patronising or out of order. It certainly hasn't been meant that way. Now pull your pants back up and get to work! Not at all harsh. I completely agree across the board. It almost feels like at this point it is too late though. I could try a whole new business method now, but since i have to move out sometime around march and wont have a way to build wit a full time job, i am not sure if it would help at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 If you want to make a business of it, you have to think like a business man. That's not easy, at least for me. There's a guy from my place in Spain (AlmerÃa) who makes stunning instruments (http://www.o3custom.com/en/5-guitarras) and had a lot of success. The guitars are cool, but the guy doesn't stop. He's working constantly on self promotion, appears in some guitar magazines, TV, social media, etc... he also goes to some exhibitions here in Europe, like the Musikmesse and the Holy Grail Guitar Show... I'm following his career and I see how hard is to make a name. Maybe if you turn it to a (paid) hobby, you save in frustration... life is not about money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted November 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 1 hour ago, psikoT said: Maybe if you turn it to a (paid) hobby, you save in frustration... life is not about money. That is what i have been doing for the past 10 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted November 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 On a separate note, does anybody know of a source for multi scale fretboards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted November 12, 2015 Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 Good question. If not, there is a potential for somebody with a small CNC to take advantage of that need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted November 12, 2015 Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 Isn't @HuntinDoug still doing that? SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted November 12, 2015 Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 At the very least he was. I'm unsure whether laser is still a major part of his business as he seemed to be moving more towards CNC last I heard. Those roughnecks of his seemed a great idea so hopefully the radio silence is down to Doug making his first million off those and not having time to post here ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted November 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 I had contacted doug a few months ago about something similar and he said he was no longer doing any of the little stuff and has moved on to only building full guitars. I wish i had gotten some stuff from him before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted November 12, 2015 Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 @demonx might do you one if you don't mind paying for the international shipping. If you can make 1:1 prints of a fretboard layout there's always the manual option. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted November 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 I would prefer not to go with international because i want to have a specific board i already have slotted. I am a little skeptical on trying the manual option. But is probably my only option. I really wanted to make a multi scale before i have to stop building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted November 12, 2015 Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 Especially now.http://www.projectguitar.com/fretfind2d/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted November 12, 2015 Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 RAD might do one for you too. Hand slotting is probably the only choice if you can't find someone with a CNC who will do it for you. Provided you go slowly and carefully it gives perfectly acceptable results. I usually just use the printed template to get the slots started. Once that's done the template comes off and the slots are cut to their final depths freehand. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted November 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 41 minutes ago, Prostheta said: Especially now.http://www.projectguitar.com/fretfind2d/ I had been checking that out. Isnt there a way to change the parallel fret? I cant remember which it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted November 12, 2015 Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 The 'Perpendicular Fret Distance' is the one that does it. If you click the '?' symbol next to the heading it gives you a small table at the bottom that shows what value to insert for a given fret to be the perp'. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted November 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 Ah, dont know how i missed that. When you print it out, how do you align the separate pages perfectly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted November 12, 2015 Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 I've only ever printed them out as a single sheet (I'm lucky enough to have access to a large format printer at the office), but it looks like when you print it as a multi-page PDF it adds several reference marks on each page that you can use to line it all up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted November 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2015 Ok, got it. I might take a file to kinkos and have it printed 1 sheet there. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 That's your best call. I only ever use multi-page A4 prints for bodies unless there is something very specific about the template geometry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted November 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 Got one oiled and also made some matching knobs for the Olive ash. The Pickups also came in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 21 hours ago, killemall8 said: I would prefer not to go with international because i want to have a specific board i already have slotted. I am a little skeptical on trying the manual option. But is probably my only option. I really wanted to make a multi scale before i have to stop building. Take a look at @curtisa's jig he built for multi-scale fret cutting. I think it may be in his build just before his current one. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted November 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 Yup, i checked it out. Pretty good idea. I am still a little hesitant to do it that way but i guess i can try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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