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Comment by frank tennyson on October 6, 2012 at 2:17am

Went, herucking.ard, liked three out of fove. Keep t

Comment by Cigar Box Gus on October 5, 2012 at 12:05pm

Dadgummit....new guitar, not "nre" guitar. Left hand was too far over...

Comment by Cigar Box Gus on October 5, 2012 at 12:03pm

This is why I change the subject when family members start telling me I should be trying to sell these things. They've never seen a CBG before, let alone a top-notch build, so they think I'm creating these masterpieces when in reality I'm building wonky guitars that hold together just well enough for me to play them.

I have a long history with low-end instruments (my favorite guitar is a 12 year old Danelectro Innuendo), and I'd rather get a nre guitar done quick and start bashing away and learning its idiosyncracies ("gotta angle the slide to'rds yah a little so's it'll be in tune...") than spend a month massaging a hunk of wood into a fretboard that could have come from a Martin factory. I'm beyond impressed with builders who can do that, because I don't have that skill set, and they deserve every dollar they make selling their work (and probably more). But I know that my builds are on the janky side, and I wouldn't feel right selling them. It feels dishonest to me. They're not totally junk, but they're a little bit junk.

In my case it's also because they don't "get" the music I'm making on these suckers (Shameless Plug Time: If y'ain't done it yet, hit up www.reverbnation.com/unclegus and download weirdo blues song absolutely freeeee. Git'em all! Four new ones on 10/16/12.), so selling the actual instruments is the only thing they really understand. They can't imagine how anyone could like the music (which, ironically, has brought me a more positive response than any other music I've ever made, and we're talking 30 years of involvement in this twisted, degenerate, music lifestyle), so they think, "Maybe he could sell those...those things."

Comment by frank tennyson on October 5, 2012 at 10:19am

Love this! We do live in a world where we measure things by hourly wages, and most of us make more than minimum wages - even though we don't haave much extra for fancy "wish list" tools. 

Actually even if I loose my derier on it just making one someone else will play and show others is a high! The thought of having turned someone else on is a rush. Reminds me of a misspent youth in the 70s. CBG artist and the music and thinking of a Jambree is like contemplating Woodstock all over again - without the drugs and naked chicks. Sturgess supplies the second (and first if that is your bag, Man). Me I'm way to old for that, I live better chemically - but is is heart medication, blood pressure pills, allergy meds, and a list of other prescriptions.

I ramble. What is it worth to build for a friend, or stranger fot that matter? I mean if we consider this a hobby? It ain't a business or we'd have a sign and/or web site. If It were a business $1,500.00 would not come close to covering start up costs. So what if materials cost is what I get from my "customer", that and a big smile, a excitement no one can explaine?

Yeah, Love what you said and agree, but somethmes it has to soak in the wash and sink in to get the spot out if you know what I mean - that initial shock can be a mite overwhelming.

Comment by Ron "Oily" Sprague on October 5, 2012 at 9:14am

Build for pleasure. BTW, if you were gonna do one for $75, and your profit over cost of materials was $36, then that looks like 52% profit to me. What's not very good about that? Oh, you were thinking "I can pay myself 20 bucks per hour!?" Unless building CBGs is designed to replace that college-degreed (maybe) computerized day job where you can listen to CBN all day, then start thinking minimum wage, and no more. So, now you gotta build one in 6 hours or less...to break even. Or, as you've already said, cut your production costs. You can charge $150+ when you've built hundreds, maybe...Ask Chickenbone John, Wichita Sam, Shane Speal, Josh Gayou, Ted, Michael S, and a host of others who've done this. Setting prices is tough.

Next time someone asks "What do you get out of them?," just wink and say, "A lot of pleasure." ;-)

Comment by Steve Tipton on October 5, 2012 at 4:27am

Well said Frank.  Hobbies that turn to business can ruin everything.  I used to build custom pens just for the fun and artistry.  People wanted to by them, ok great.  then I HAD to do 50, then a 100 and so on.  It lost its fun and worse I lost the joy of artistry.  It has been 5 years now and I can't stand the idea of building another pen. I started building CBG 's for fun and them thought I could sell a few to make a little money to cover some of my other builds.  Just in a short time the scenario you describe started to happen and the same feelings started to emerge.  As for me and my house we are sticking to building for fun.

Comment by howling on October 5, 2012 at 4:27am

This is close to my heart as im trying to get materials together for my first build, the mrs has told me more than one that is sick to the back teeth of me trying to scavenge anything i see in a dim hope it may work on a guitar...having said i walk down a guinnell today and lo and behold someone had dumped a full sized telephone pole. Ihad a prior appointment but that will be mine..although i have no idea what wood it will be to be fair

Comment by the anonymous pick on October 4, 2012 at 4:34pm

"""alternative ideas and techniques to cut cost, not corners""" 

   you  said it  yourself  ..  and  once  you   figure  it out   .. you''ll  be back  ;-)

 

and  it  don't hurt to  build for yourself in the meantime  . a great  way to  discover said  ideas and techniques.