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I'm not actually selling it though. :P
From a glance, could be anything from a few hundred quid to a grand to my eyes - seems to be a pretty no-frills bolt-on but it's got a nice shape to it and if those are actual FilterTrons (or similar decent-spec Gretsch-type) I'd suspect asking price would be around the £7-800 mark.
I did not notice Jayden did a 900 quid series two so the argument becomes almost mute if you were to gear up you could probably hit the magic 699.00.
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
Music: https://www.euclideancircuits.com
Me: https://www.jamesrichmond.com
What if I then told you it was made and assembled in the UK, using a mix of British and USA hardware?
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
Music: https://www.euclideancircuits.com
Me: https://www.jamesrichmond.com
I'd want to see *some* built first.
But cross that bridge, and you know you'd sell some. I can't remember anyone who's tried that demonstrator (albeit wrongly sized) who didn't like it.
It's cruel to say, but the best guitar in the world will be laughed out the door until someone successful says it's okay to like it. And when that person likes it, more people do, then because they like it, more people do...
Which is a shame, I love the looks of that. It's got a gretsch look (even if you changed the pickups) but is easily different enough to justify it's own existence.
I have a friend in a different (less creative) manufacturing MI business.... he cant see why I dont scale up like crazy, after all, I have a CNC with another 1 or 2 on the way, I have had 2 laser machines and I buy all the best tools for every job..
lets just say I could make 400 guitars every year instead of 200, who will buy the extra 200 I made ?
above weve seen that Martyn Booth is struggling, this is true of every maker...
you have made a lot of good points about running a business but really, most luthiers are crap businessmen and money isnt their driving ambition, more often its passing the test of handing over an instrument to a customer and seeing them lift.
I would consider myself, not a bad businessman but money still isnt my driving force, neither is quantity.
personally im more driven purely by the creative process coupled with the enjoyable game of continuous improvement.
I have had many opportunities to manufacture offshore copies of my guitars and could still pull the trigger on that one anytime, but why ? for the same reason, why would I make more guitars for less money, so I could be more busy, again. Why?
so, money for most makers is nothing more than an inconvenient but still considerable factor.
make every guitar like it will be judged as your last.
as far as this relates to the OP, well..... Gordon Smith's business model is obviously not set around these values. Enough said.
The young do not know enough to be prudent, therefore they attempt the impossible - and achieve it, generation after generation.
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But to be honest, if I were a guitar builder (lol) I'd do the same. Keep it hobby-like. Same for pedals - I don't think booteek pedals are a realistic, long term business plan, whereas spending a couple of hours a few times a week as a hobby building them to make just a bit of pocket money...
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And I agree about not building to a price point. Also, was it you that converted a headless into a v recently? That sort of thing probably wouldn't go to a 'normal' company.
That was the goal when I started making the site 3 (4?) years ago.
I stopped developing it after a few weeks though, as the project was not moving forward.
Now, if the project ever takes off, there will be much less options and the site will change quite drastically.