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I was already aware of this, though didn't realise it was to this extent - technically it doesn't really matter, but I think part of the hype is how rare/new something is.
So this may be self defeating - lots of previously"boutique" (eurg) kit is now common. And sure enough, when enough (for example) fulltone or bognor kit hits the used market, the hype dies a bit.
That aside, interesting indeed, thanks for sharing
Fauxtique.....I like that word.
They made a conscious decision to go at it on a large(ish) scale, and it's certainly paying off.
It comes down to what your definition of Boutique is, but the fact is that if you want to sell on a large scale with high end gear you need a factory of a decent size. Suhr, Anderson, PRS (15 years ago) all have setups like this.
I think it's great that local California businesses are pooling resources and sourcing local materials - you still get a fully hand wound amp, tested by Dave Friedman himself. Their customer service is really good too.
Imagine if Thorpy, Martin W, Feline, Oil City all shared a warehouse and pooled costs and resources, emplying lots of UK folk, we'd love it!
My biggest takeaway was that Synergy amps and modules are likely to go on my shopping list..
Manufacturing has been heading this way for ages. How many factories make hard drives?
It seems a good way of keeping jobs in the US whilst maintaining an economy of scale.
Ultimately if you buy an amp from a "one man band" operation you will be paying extra for the inefficiency of manufacture.
Do you really want to pay for someone to hand drill holes in a pedal effects box?
At what point does it stop being "boutique" and start to be come "mass produced". When you out source the metalwork (should you be making your own enclosures)? Or PCB manufacture? Or PCB stuffing? Or assembly?
There are also a load of fixed costs associated with manufacturing electrical goods, eg approvals etc.
Furthermore buying parts in bulk further reduces costs.
I think the phrase "boutique" is a bit like applying "professional" to gear. It usually isn't.
I've repaired tons of "boutique" pedals and the build quality ranges from the excellent to the truly shocking, with price no indicator of quality. In fact almost the reverse, a hand built rat's nest on vero board is the most inefficient and least consistent method of construction.
Two recent examples are a a boutique Univibe copy that was oscillating due to poor lead dress (shielded cable would have cured this problem) and a pedal where a component lead on the back of the PCB had pierced the hot melt glue holding the PCB in place and shorted the signal to the back of a pot. The former pedal retailed at £900 and the later at £170.
I can't stand the term, "boutique" used as it is in this industry as,to me, it implies something bespoke for the customer and very few companies offer this.
In the UK we are lucky in that quite a few actually do! Sadly, people want resale value, which is largely dictated by magazines and the gear page.
Something a bit weird about it, what's to entice you into getting one particular manufactuers product as apposed to its competitor? Particularly as they are made in the same production facility.
But I do understand it's probably beneficial to keep manufacturing costs down.
Couldn't we do something like this in the UK though? It's always seemed bizarre to me that arguably one of the biggest new amplifier manufacturers is selling high end Marshall inspired models. Surely that's our bread and butter?
It's also quite funny when you see this, given how much snobbery there is against "mass produced" equipment. All this gear is mass produced, even if the standard of workmanship and care is a bit higher than you'd find in the similar factories in China.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
To me the design, the QC and the sound are the most important parts, not who's hands constructed it.
I have a Pink Taco and it's fantastic. I'm also very interested in the Morgan AC20. My Bogner Shiva may have been made by Reinhold's bare ball sack but it's still of similar quality.....
Feedback
This has already happened in USA with a couple of guitar makers . Baker guitars, Fano etc were all part of Premier Builders Guild , but it didn't last.
I wish I had access to a Laser cutter, a CNC and milling centre , spraybooth of my own etc etc.
Maybe by combining with other luthiers and pooling resources it may be doable, but maybe it's harder with guitarmakers rather than amp makers as evidenced by PBG in the US.
It's hard to survive as a small boutique maker if surviving on fresh builds alone - I have mused on this before and seeing MJW decide to cal it a day (even if that that proves temporary) must show that . Being able to make it work with some economy of scale and keep the unique brand going has to be better than the brand disappearing altogether.
Many guitars have a re-sale value. Some you'll never want to sell.
Stockist of: Earvana & Graphtech nuts, Faber Tonepros & Gotoh hardware, Fatcat bridges. Highwood Saddles.
Pickups from BKP, Oil City & Monty's pickups.
Expert guitar repairs and upgrades - fretwork our speciality! www.felineguitars.com. Facebook too!
Dave Friedman used to work for Bruce Egnater I believe , so there is a strong bond between the two.
Many guitars have a re-sale value. Some you'll never want to sell.
Stockist of: Earvana & Graphtech nuts, Faber Tonepros & Gotoh hardware, Fatcat bridges. Highwood Saddles.
Pickups from BKP, Oil City & Monty's pickups.
Expert guitar repairs and upgrades - fretwork our speciality! www.felineguitars.com. Facebook too!