Builders Market?

[Alfang]

I've been thinking about this for sometime, and am just gonna throw it out there for any positive or negative feedback.  Keep in mind please, there are solutions to all problems ( so consider your negative response before submitting)

The jist of it is this: I have seen a lot of Nice guitars at Warmoths customer Gallery,  I have seen the pictures and read the descriptions of all your guitars here as well, There are some talented people here who probably, like me, enjoy building them as much as playing them.

Can we get a group of People here to start a website to showcase and sell our guitars?
I recognize that consistant quality ( of our work, not warmoths) would be a concern, so that would need to be addressed and figured out how to do it.
There's a whole bunch of things to be considered, but a group of open minded smart people like us, can figure it all out.

If we here dont start a site like this, would any of you be interested in selling your guitars on a site like this. Letme guess, it's already out there?
E-Bay dont count

John

 

[Volitions Advocate]

I've been pretty seriously looking into becoming a luthier actually.  and not just for electric guitars.  Sometime this year or early next year I may register for a 3 month apprentiship (spelling??) to learn how to do it all.

I hope to make a buisness out of it.  I think building guitars for people for a living would be quite fulfilling even if it just suppliments my income.

Not sure what I'd do to advertise. I thought Id have my own site or something

 

[Alfang]

there are so many good books out there to show you how to build a real guitar (acustic) i feel i could do it if i had the space to do it in, and a few more tools.
It might take me a few tries to get a fair result. But I would guess that by 10 guitars I would be creating A top notch guitar. That's if I learn from mistakes and always work towards quality. Each guitar might take 6 months to start, but its possible. To all the real luthiers out there, I speak from my own dream world.
So let me be. 
I would love to apprentice under a real luthier. But I'm a reble from the 70's and the mindset of 70's people is, what they learned in the 60's, we perfected in the70's
If you know what i mean. :toothy10:

 

[Volitions Advocate]

Well this guy looks like hes from the 40s so im sure hes got stories to tell haha!

 

[Greg P]

There is sort of a site like that.  This place is basically a clearing house for high end custom basses: 

http://www.bunnybass.com/

 

[nathan a]

I've been planning quite seriously on heading to Roberto-Venn after I finish school.

Hopefully you guys only have good experiences / things to say about them? I don't expect to actually be able to do real quality work after only 6 months of training, but I'm hoping it would be great prep for a serious apprenticeship or something like that.

What do you all think? I usually hear such good things about the roberto-venn school

 

[CD]

I think a lot of the appeal is the DIY aspect of Warmoth stuff.

 

[givememytoys]

i totally agree with cd on his view of this topic.and to add:::: this is what i think it could prob. be done but the profit margin would be small. you would have to do it for the sheer pleasure of building awsome guitars. most people ie. the public have no idea what or who warmoth is. if you watch ebay youll see verry few of the new and used warmoth  guitars sold are for what it  would cost to build .most people dont want to spen more than $400.00 on a guitar /unless it says fender or gibson ,prs and such.most of these people/guitar players buy them to impress their frends. its a small percetage that would drop say $900.00 - $1500.00 on a what {{{{they}}}}} concider no name guitar.  let me explain what i mean real shortly  how many all fender parts guitars have you seen with a warmoth decal on the headstock, and how many total  warmoth parts guitars have you seen with fender decals on the headstock. i worked in a music store for 3years and built and sold several custom warmoths never made more than $175.00 on them. but i diddnt care i just wanted to build customs. anyhoo if you did do it think about how much fun it would be to go to work everyday. thanks kayle

 

[Superbeast520]

Yeah Alfang,I agree with both CD and Toys as well, If every rock star alive would skip the endorsement deal and the Mythical appeal of the Gibson / Fender Voodoo Jive, and actually play on some Warmoth guitars, then there would be some money to be had, but like toys said, as amazing as Warmoth is once your on the inside, well sheese Im 40 and have been playing since I was 19-20 and other than noticing the little neck pic or body pic ad by Warmoth in the back of my Guitar World magazine, I didn't even know anything about em or even care until just a year ago ??????? ..........bummer, I can only imagine the joy of a life spent playing these fine instruments???????

That and there are soooooo many Custom builders out there its just rediculous.......punch in "custom guitars" and you'll be tripping at the pages and pages that will pop up, then start clicking on and you'll be blown away at what these guys are doing out there, Super Amazing stuff, try it, once you see whats being offered you'll know what we're saying.........

Just to be positive and look at the bright side of a dream, as you gotta start somewhere, If ya ever get a shop going and ya have room for an amatuer builder and I can make a living doing this then E-mail me,  Im onboard  ...... :icon_biggrin:

There are guys however who are doing what your talking about and selling custom guitars that started out as Warmoth customers, you'll notice it on some of the custom sites, right off you'll notice which guys are using Warmoth bodies and Necks...........

 

[Volitions Advocate]

I think It's important to note how many people opt for custom shop guitars from the big names.
Recently I looked into getting a Dean Soltero, and the waiting list is 8 months. and the price is 5200USD.

and you still don't get EXACTLY what you want, you ahve to choose from the options they give.

My idea was to start a shop where somebody who was a real tweaker could get exactly what they wanted.

I want to build a Warmoth Guitar with a SOLTERO or EVO style body, but they dont do dean type guitars. so im kinda pooched..
a buddy of mine loves the EVO but he wants one that has separate knob controls for each pickup like an LP, (the EVO only has a master volume and tone)

So what if a guy wants ... say a Les Paul ..  but he wants a deepset neck instead of a simple glue in, with a bigsby and a roller nut,, or maybe a flloyd. and a built in wireless like Midi Rose's Variax he posted.  I know guys who would spend thousands if somebody could do this for them.  and then there's custom paint jobs and inlays.

This friend Im talking about is a real tweaker.  He owns 2 marshal JCM 800's and a Mode Four, a GT5 processor and a slough of pedals. He owns over 20 guitars.  American Made Strat. LP Goldtop. Some ibby's some Jacksons, a bunch of deans.. and he still doesn't have his pefect guitar.

Theres got to be a demand for that out there. theres millions of guitar players around. and im sure thousands of them are real tweakers like that.  They dotn care if they're not goign to get famous playing, they just want their toys cause they love it.

I think you could make a good living building guitars.  or repairing them or setting them up.  Lots of guys charge by the hour.  And a lot more end up with so many clients they stop taking orders for a year or two just to catch up.

I think you guys might be wrong about there not being much profit or demand. Respectfully of course, im not flaming, just sharing my opinion

 

[Superbeast520]

Yeah I think your right on all accounts, I guess what I meant but didn't realize it till you said this, is its such a tough market to get noticed in, because there is soo much available, but I agree, there are alot of guys that would dish out the dough, whats a trip is how just when ya think ya got the best guitar you've ever had and will ever need ya want another one only different.....hahahahahah
This is the best guitar I have ever owned or played and then I see something like Gregs new Monster and I am just dying to have something like that............hahahhhahahah............there's a certain beauty in a guy like Stevie Ray or Brian may and guy's like that who played one or two guitars their whole career..........
By all accounts I would honestly never need another guitar, than my Superbeast, as It has all the necessary features I have ever wanted, I spent months and months researching to get the best specs and parts I could pick for every aspect of this guitar, so in some ways I did just as we're talking through Warmoth.........so yeah I guess maybe your onto something. :icon_thumright:

By the way........I Love The Dean Cadillac ..............   check this one out:  http://www.deanguitars.com/exotic_caddys.php :blob7:

 

[CD]

I think after 20 guitars, or at least halfway, if I didn't get what I'd wanted yet I would go to a custom shop, if not Warmoth. That's saying I had the money. :tard:

 

[Stuck in the Sixties]

Alfang I got a little side tracked when I was reading all of the other posts I would agree that you have a great Idea but I don't know  that I would be interested right now but after I gather up more projects then I would say yes. V. A. I have to agree with everything said so far the only things I'd like to add is going to school would be great to learn to build a guitar from the ground up and make repairs.. Why not start with a Warmoth finished body, finished neck, and the hardware then buy a loaded pick guard. All you have to do is screw it together and make a few adjustments not really a custom but better than something off the wall and see how that would work for you. If they sell good then move on to the next step. Then work up to doing your own finishing on the bodies and necks. It takes a lot of time and talent to create a guitar like Midi did and a few others I've seen posted. Good luck on your choices