Members cobalt-60 Posted September 12, 2009 Members Share Posted September 12, 2009 I've been plotting to make my own guitars for a long time now. I'm taking several business courses at the moment. The guitars would be heavily influenced by off-beat 60s designs, like Eastwood does, but I would thoroughly redesign them, making them polished and consistent in style throughout, like a Gretsch. I'd also use lots of modern colors, including vibrant color stains, vintage car colors, and custom paint jobs based on abstract art (as in Jackson Pollock paint jobs). There are three things I'd like to do in terms of production. Keep costs low, avoid Chinese labor, and offer a wide range of custom options, and think the best way to do that would be with "some assembly required". Without the pressure of putting it together, it'd be easy to throw all sorts of custom parts in a box. It also cuts down on shipping. The holes would be pre-drilled, the neck slotted, the bridge would be pre-installed, and for the wiring I was thinking custom wire clips that would snap together. I want to emphasize, the frets, paint job, and bridge will be pre-setup (unless you request otherwise, of course). I am not expecting people to do anything like that. Just tuners, strap pins, PG, PUs, and neck. No solder required. This would have less steps than a Lego kit. So, before I even research the feasibility of all this, if you were to buy such an axe, would you mind bolting the guitar together, and screwing on the tuners and PG? Keep in mind you could heavily customize your order, and be saving money on the cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pbone Posted September 12, 2009 Members Share Posted September 12, 2009 One of the big reasons people buy guitars to have them professionally assembled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cobalt-60 Posted September 12, 2009 Author Members Share Posted September 12, 2009 One of the big reasons people buy guitars to have them professionally assembled. How professionally is your pickgaurd assembled? I'm not talking frets, bridge, or paint job here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SharkMinusBear Posted September 12, 2009 Members Share Posted September 12, 2009 how do you know if its going to play well if you dont assemble it? I think the point is.... if I'm going to buy a guitar without playing it first, I want to know that it has a great setup and will play very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FearTheVoices Posted September 12, 2009 Members Share Posted September 12, 2009 bottom line...no, cause it would just seem like im buying a cheap POS no matter what the parts were Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cobalt-60 Posted September 12, 2009 Author Members Share Posted September 12, 2009 how do you know if its going to play well if you dont assemble it? I think the point is.... if I'm going to buy a guitar without playing it first, I want to know that it has a great setup and will play very well. You'd be taking the same chance as any other guitar you buy on the internet. I'd be doing it all through a website. I'd have clips, and send them out to be reviewed and all that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gambit Posted September 12, 2009 Members Share Posted September 12, 2009 surely you'd have to assemble the guitar to test it? before you sell it? electrics, neck profile etc. i personally wouldn't buy a guitar to put together myself. i'd end up taking taking it to a guitar tech to check and correct the setup.. so the cost saved goes out of my pocket right there. also, i would imagine the construction and perfect set up are the kind of things that can build you a reputation. otherwise you're just warmoth right? best of luck with the idea though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cobalt-60 Posted September 12, 2009 Author Members Share Posted September 12, 2009 surely you'd have to assemble the guitar to test it? before you sell it? electrics, neck profile etc.i personally wouldn't buy a guitar to put together myself. i'd end up taking taking it to a guitar tech to check and correct the setup.. so the cost saved goes out of my pocket right there.also, i would imagine the construction and perfect set up are the kind of things that can build you a reputation. otherwise you're just warmoth right?best of luck with the idea though. Well, it would be like Warmoth a bit, yeah. You'd be able to choose scale, color, PUs, and tuners. That would be the idea, except with original designs. I'd build my reputation on offering options and a unique look at a low cost. The only thing structurally people would be doing, and an idea I could axe, is bolt the neck on, and I was hoping to find a way to engineer it that would make it easy. But yes, you would have to intonate the guitar. How many sub-$500 guitars come with a good setup anyway? And who here can't bolt a strap peg on? Or a pickguard? I figure with people here hot rodding Squiers all the time, why not offer people the option from the beginning? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Naterel Posted September 12, 2009 Members Share Posted September 12, 2009 I always thought world domination came first on your list of things to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cobalt-60 Posted September 12, 2009 Author Members Share Posted September 12, 2009 I always thought world domination came first on your list of things to do Hey, you crawl before you walk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltaire Posted September 12, 2009 Members Share Posted September 12, 2009 Well, it would be like Warmoth a bit, yeah. You'd be able to choose scale, color, PUs, and tuners. The only thing structurally people would be doing, and an idea I could axe, is bolt the neck on, and I was hoping to find a way to engineer it that would make it easy. But yes, you would have to intonate the guitar. How many sub-$500 guitars come with a good setup anyway? And who here can't bolt a strap peg on? Or a pickguard?I figure with people here hot rodding Squiers all the time, why not offer people the option from the beginning? a lot. it sounds like a good idea, but most guitar hobbyist/newbs are going to take it to a guitar tech to get it properly intonated and have the neck set up for best action, that would cost an additional 50-200 dollars depending on where you are. is it really that much more expensive a day to hire people to put things together? i like the vintage guitar idea, definitely, i'd be first to order from you [because i don't mind putting {censored} together] and it sounds like a guitar i've been looking for for the past few years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SharkMinusBear Posted September 12, 2009 Members Share Posted September 12, 2009 and if unless you are only doing strats and teles, some guitars need neck shims for the best setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RUExp? Posted September 12, 2009 Members Share Posted September 12, 2009 I think most people just want to buy a guitar, take it out of the box and start playing it. I'm sure you'd sell some but I don't think there would be a very big market for what you're suggesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Naterel Posted September 12, 2009 Members Share Posted September 12, 2009 no Cobalt is right, as gear nerds we here know what a good set up is but the other 80% of people in the world buy {censored} thats made with {censored} and sold for a {censored} price because they dont know {censored} about {censored} just go to GC and see how many of those starter packs units move Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cobalt-60 Posted September 12, 2009 Author Members Share Posted September 12, 2009 and if unless you are only doing strats and teles, some guitars need neck shims for the best setup. They'd be bolt ons, so essentially, yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cobalt-60 Posted September 13, 2009 Author Members Share Posted September 13, 2009 Bump for Sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JaredVR Posted September 13, 2009 Members Share Posted September 13, 2009 It sounds like a cool idea, but I really think having the guitars assembled would make a world of difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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