Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Turkeychicken on March 11, 2012 at 4:46am

One thing I forgot to mention, is that I also try to give the client exactly what they want. Choice of box, neck, fretboard, all the way down to the tiniest detail. It isn't like I am just building what suits me and then seeing who is interested. This is a double edged sword. On one hand, I know I am building exactly what the customer wants, on the other, it doesn't allow my to expand my talents and challlenge my skills as quickly as I would like.

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Permalink Reply by South Paw,Davey on March 11, 2012 at 4:51am

I think if you are builiding customs then you should ask more. If you buy from ebay you get what you see. its not personal.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on March 11, 2012 at 5:32am

Tc,

Gotta agree. People are lining up for your work because of craftsmanship. $300-400 for your work would be minimum, given that each one is a custom order. The sad fact is, your public could get a reasonably well made Korean or Chinese 6-stringer for about that. I suspect they know that. They want something "different" or "unique," which is what you offer them.

Most builders figure actual cost of parts, plus maybe 10%; the hard part is valuing your time, and even harder is valuing that intangible "difference."

What is your time worth to you? One way of looking at that is to ask yourself what else you could be doing with it. For example, going to an hour and a half to two hour movie in a theater cost 8-10 bucks. Plus drink and popcorn ( which prices are waaay overinflated for the actual cost - which is how movie theaters make their money), you can easily spend another 10 bucks. So that's looking like your own entertainment cost, which you might willingly and reasonably pay, is 10-12 bucks an hour. How long does it take you to do a build? 5 hours? 10? Plus time spent dealing with customers, gas, electricity, marketing, etc.; figure those hours in as well. My guess is your labor cost might be in the neighborhood of $100-150.

I think you could easily charge $200, but start a bit higher, in the $400 range. When people stop buying, that's when you know you've exceeded their price threshold.

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Permalink Reply by Andy Eight Spades CBG on March 11, 2012 at 5:55am

Hey TC, I've had the same experience as you. Sold ky first for 90 and went up from there. It killed me to let the guitar go for so little but I wanted to ease into it and make sure people were liking my stuff. Most of my sales now come from word of mouth from previous customers that want more or send their friends my way. I sell on ebay too and every once in a while I have a guitar that lingers there......like the one I have up now for 200. Don't know why but the competition is pretty good. I know many here look down on some of the builders that list there but there are some really good quality instruments in my price range or above. I'm like you though, this isn't my job. I just do it for gas money, beer, and the pure enjoyment of making something so cool. I base my prices on what I would pay for something similar and leave it at that. If I put.nicer parts in or use a really nice or rare box, I might ask a little more.

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Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on March 11, 2012 at 9:53am

Online is a TOTALLY different market. Ppl will only go so far based on photos alone. Because the truth is its pretty easy to make a shitty one look good in a photo. If you can put it in ppls hands and they can feel it hear it smell it, well that's a totally different sensory experience than a couple little pix on a computer screen IMHO. Roosterman says its about what u have the balls to ask for and he's right. It's also about what are you prepared to part with it for and not regret it. Try turning it aroun on them and asking the buyer to give you a figure, how much are you prepared to pay for it. The first party to voice a figure is at a disadvantage in any negotiation. When i was doing tin gitts it was $300 minimum. Now of solid bodies it's $750 minimum. And people don't hesitate. The other consideration is is it to your advantage for this guy to have one? If its a gigging musician I'll give him a break but tell him he owes me some sales. Gigging Players get guitar tragics bugging them about their rig every night
IMHO what is your time worth is a null argument, no offense meant, cos its not like you're being asked to man the drive thru at McDonald's. You're gonna build anyway right? And at some point whether there's ten hangin on the wall or forty at some point the wife wants some gone or you gotta stop building, which ur not gonna do

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Permalink Reply by Turkeychicken on March 11, 2012 at 2:51pm

Thank you all for the replies, opinions and insight. I think Oily sums it up pretty well, I could probably ask $200+, but when you can buy a chinese made Fender Strat w/ amp for less, I would prolly catch hell. I am about to the point that I don't care, take it or leave it, but I have already taken orders for 45 builds and I am not one to go back on my word. I almost regret taking orders, probably should have just built what I wanted to build and then worry about pricing/selling. Theres just so many other things that I am ready to try, but it is all I can do to just keep up with demand.

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Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on March 11, 2012 at 5:09pm

Oily fool actually summed it up better than that, he said your buyers are probly aware of that option but choosing something unique and handmade. In fact there is no comparison whatsoever with a Cnc Chinese made anything. Ppl who wanna make that comparison are far better off with the Chinese product for sure and good luck to em. I say again ask ppl for an offer before you name a price you may be surprised. Btw I would personally consider taking orders From forty odd people foolish you are setting yourself up to piss people off for sure unless you plan to go into production Chinese stylee yourself. Best of luck with it

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Permalink Reply by Turkeychicken on March 11, 2012 at 5:22pm

Yeah, I had no idea it would take off like it did. I thought if I made a dozen it would fill a few orders and give me a few to keep. Kinda fell in face first, although I make it perfectly clear to clients that they will get it when I get to it, I have a family and job that come first.

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Permalink Reply by Lonman on March 11, 2012 at 3:54pm

Good topic. I ask this a few months back myself when I was asked to build a friend a cbg.

I am finding out on the build I am doing now that costs definitely plays a part. The build I am doing now has somewhere in the $125 range in costs for parts. Then you add time, then how much profit you want to make.  So far, and I have only sold 2 builds, I have let the buyer give me an offer. The first one was sold for $150 and the build cost close to $40 and had 10-15 hours of time in it. (see my photos 'mcginnis build') I thought $150 was very fair price. Now the second was a didley bow that cost under $8.00 to make and I accepted the offer from the buyer and sold for $10. I also keep in mind these are only worth what folks will pay. If you have folks that will pay an amount you are happy with, then most certainly do it. I am in this for the fun, but if I can get monies to cover parts, that is fine too.

Best wishes. Keep us posted.

Lonman

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Permalink Reply by Turkeychicken on March 11, 2012 at 4:28pm

Yeah, that's about where I am at, around $40 in parts/materials and 10-12 hours build time. I can't complain, even if I consider electricity and heat I am still averaging minimum wage enjoying my hobby. And it is gratifying having so many people show interest and want my builds. My problem is that i try to be a perfectionist and before i know it i am spending 15+ hours trying to make it look/play/sound better, even though it is a damn fine instrument for what i am asking for them. I guess what it comes down to is that I am getting stuck in a rut. Each build is for the most part just like the last, just different boxes/hardware combinations. I have ideas that I want to tackle such as a few varieties of canjos and panjos, venture into the wonderful world of resonators, move up to high class cbg's like Smokestacks and others (LOVE my Smokestack!!) progressing up to solid bodies and if I could ever build an acoustic like the $4000 koa Taylor that I played yesterday I will die a happy man.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on March 12, 2012 at 2:58am

I have had numerous discussions about this with friends. It is not an easy thing to answer. You certainly want to charge what you think it is worth, but you don't want to price it too high. I don't want to have a shop full of guitars sitting there that nobody is buying, even if I think they are priced appropriately. It boils down to that old axiom, "it is only worth what someone is willing to pay." The most I have ever sold one of my builds for was $225.00. And yes, it was probably way too low a price. But again, I don't want to be sitting on a bunch of instruments because nobody is buying them.

 

If the price approaches what a "quality" commercial instrument would cost, then I think the expectations of the buyers increases. If I am going to charge $300-$400 for a build, I assume the buyer will expect the instrument to of high quality, and great playability. I don't think they will accept any blemishes or other minor imperfections that might come with a hand built instrument.

 

I think if you are in the $150-$200 range and you are making a good quality instrument, you shouldn't have any trouble selling them for that.

 

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Permalink Reply by Andy Eight Spades CBG on March 12, 2012 at 5:25am

Great answer Dan, I agree 100%

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