Is it possible to make money selling partscasters? (Or at least break even)

[Chistopher]

So I was thinking about taking my love of modding guitars and seeing if I could make my bank account love it a bit more. I saw this video on youtube:

I was thinking that with my ability I could at least get a guitar that looks at least somewhat factory like the guy in the video. I also have a lot of experience with fiddling with magnets and and electrical to get pretty decent tones from budget pickups.
But my main question is, counting the original guitar (looking for something decent playing around the $200 mark), paint, pickups, and hardware; is it possible to sell a partscaster to either make a profit or at least minimalize lost cash?
Also if anyone has any has any good places to buy cheap gear (I've been using ebay, wilkinson, and gfs) I'd be happy to know. And again, I'm not trying to make a lot of money, I'm just wondering if it is possible to make my hobby cheaper.

[Liko]

Re: Is it possible to make money selling partscasters? (Or at least break even)

Possible? Sure, but not easy. Your average partscaster sells in the $200-300 range, and that's when it's built with provably good parts. For that price point to be worth pursuing, the parts would have to be free.

Your business would essentially revolve around finding Craigslist deals on parts or damaged guitars, combined with dumpster diving around apartment complexes, local dorms etc. Put this neck with that body and pickguard, put it on Reverb and hope you cover gas money.

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[Chistopher]

Re: Is it possible to make money selling partscasters? (Or at least break even)

That's what I was thinking. I might have to learn how to actually luther. Plenty of pine in my area. I'll build pinecasters or something. The only problem is I'll have to learn how to do it.

[stratguy23]

Re: Is it possible to make money selling partscasters? (Or at least break even)

I'm all for entrepreneurial ingenuity. You would have to offer something that people want, and that isn't widely available.

So, for example, you wouldn't make just another affordable guitar. The world is awash in affordable guitars.

The operation that immediately springs to mind is Sigler Music. Their 920D-branded arm customizes new Fender MIM Strats and Teles with new pickups, new wiring, locking tuners, and a setup. These are mods typically done with MIM Fenders, so it is interesting and cool to offer them upfront. Of course, you pay more than a new MIM guitar, but what you save is the time/money of shopping for parts and getting them installed. I imagine that Sigler can afford to do this through dealer pricing on pickups and parts.

I've always thought that somebody could do something similar with used guitars - fix them up, put Tusq nuts and locking tuners and aftermarket pickups on them, and give them a setup. I would totally buy guitars like that. People do that on an individual basis, but it would be cool to offer a wide selection.

As someone above pointed out, you'd likely expend some effort in finding guitar parts below market price. That can happen (we all try to do it every day), but requires effort on top of the actual luthier work.

[Mr. B]

Re: Is it possible to make money selling partscasters? (Or at least break even)

I have made money buying guitars off of eBay that are in good functional condition, but need to be cleaned, set up, and polished... possibly even a fret level, and then turning around and sold them. You can find guitars with simple electronics problems or a cracked pickguard that go for way under their value. You have to be really patient though. You don't find great deals every day. Sometimes you can catch online sellers dumping a certain color or model really cheap before the new line comes out for the next year. A few years ago, I picked up 2 highway one guitars in Daphne blue for 399 each new, and a couple of new Gibson SG Standards for 699 when they were blowing them out on sites like Musicians Friend and Music 123. I could have turned around and made a couple hundred on the strats a couple of months later. The SG's almost doubled in price a couple of months later. Its enough to mess with occasionally to fund another guitar purchase, but it is not reliable enough for income.

[AlexR]

Re: Is it possible to make money selling partscasters? (Or at least break even)

Buying parts as competed items always costs more than buying the whole. So that part of it is out.
Making a guitar from wood takes time, and probably say 10 goes (and approx 1-2k in tools) before you have the skill to do it speedily without error.
I have made close to 20 guitars from scratch.......a strat or tele body probably takes the best part of a day to go from wood blank to finished product sanded so its ready to paint. This is something Warmoth sells for $140.
Even as a hobby I toss up between buying a Warmoth body and making it myself, as its almost the same money to buy a wood blank as it is to buy the finished body.

So if you like working for free....go ahead.

[daenius]

Re: Is it possible to make money selling partscasters? (Or at least break even)

My friend Leo asked the same question back in 1950, and I said well if you could make something that people want to buy and convince them that they should buy your guitar than Gibson's, you might be able to make a few bucks?

Jokes aside, if you want to start making money from it, you'll need more than just being a good, fast, and efficient luthier. You need a streamlined process to get wood for cheap, turn it into high quality bodies and necks in a reasonable amount of time, and then get all the other parts for cheap, and assemble everything together fast with decent quality. After that you need to market it somehow and convince people that they'd rather spend $500 of their hard earned money on your guitar, which they are skeptical about, rather than a tried-and-true Fender Standard.

Not to discourage you, just stating the fact that the competition in guitar market is very fierce and the market itself is very saturated with plenty of good products at affordable price points. If you really want to look into this, it would be best if you could find a niche that you would cater to.

[chadd]

Re: Is it possible to make money selling partscasters? (Or at least break even)

Cheap stuff now is light years better than cheap stuff was years ago. Honestly, you probably have a better chance of success going into the mid to high priced market. You are going to be able to get more value out of your efforts and there is a lot more room to mark up the prices, assuming you can get the product at a good price.

[zionstrat]

In the early 2000s, my luthier and I identified two underserved markets.. Mid-range guitars of high quality and improved technology and low-end partcasters.

Although low-end parts costs were diving, it was pretty clear that margins would be incredibly small and they would keep shrinking and big brands had more than enough economy of scale two under price us.

However mid-range was encouraging... This was in the middle of Gibson throwing out expensive guitars with no thought to user needs and companies like PRS just starting to fill in the gaps.

We did a lot of research and with help some of the members of this forum, we put together a prototype that was aimed at a very specific guitarist...

It had a 25.5 Maple neck for snap, a humongous non capped mahogany body and the electronics provide us approximately 20 extremely different sounds.

We tested that guitar quite a bit and had narrowed down options that really supported a thick Gibson sound on one end of the spectrum and a Fenderish sound at the other... A nearly perfect balance for a 1 guitar gig or studio session... Oh yeah, I've got the sound you're looking for...

Unfortunately we were doing this part-time and by the time we were ready to go into production the market had filled up with many good mid-priced guitars and we realized the market opportunity add evaporated.

But I don't want to discourage you in any way. We learned so many things along the way that I believe the single project prepared me for the custom work I do now.

Someone else mentioned buying low and selling high and I totally agree. It happens regularly and gives me excuse to try out a lot of guitars along the way :-)

Here's a link if you're interested in learning more...

https://www.guitaryoudreamabout.com/single-post/buying-and-selling-guitars-for-profit-is-easier-than-you-think

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[Aceman]

I too have thought of doing this on eBay as a part time / side gig.

You know...you walk into a pawn shop, see a guitar that you know is a deal and in need of a little TLC, maybe a couple of parts or a pickup of decent tone....and bam - flipped guitar.

That said - eBay has made prices extremely homogenized these days. Any pawn shop owner can find out legit values.
Customized guitars to your liking may be only your liking
Cheap people go to pawn shops too.
Today, even low end guitars are pretty freaking good! My JS32 Jacksons kill!.

[Chistopher]

Crazy how much I've changed since this post. This post is from back before I went through all my different guitar phases. I hadn't played guitar for ~10 years when I joined. I had never really gotten into guitar gear until I joined this forum. Back when I wrote this I still thought a guitars quality roughly followed the price tag, I had never come up with my own wiring, never even would have dared drill into a guitar.



Also, it's worth noting that in post 3 I mention making guitars out of the local pine, that still hasn't come to pass, but I do have some blanks left out to cure for a CNC machine sometime in the future. I have a custom design put together that is essentially an slightly offset strat with a LP Jr. bridge, a master volume and 3-way toggle, and a middle and bridge P90. I'd upload the picture but images are still broken

[Mincer]

I don't know if these days it is a viable business. I know some people get clients who ship parts to them to finish and assemble. If you don't make the parts, I'd assume you can charge a few hundred for assembly. Dunno if that is really worth the effort though.
To satisfy the need to do this kind of thing, Id just build stuff as I can, of parts I acquire over time. In the end sell it- you won't make money this way 9might even lose it) but it will be a fun experience.

[ThreeChordWonder]

I too have thought of doing this on eBay as a part time / side gig.

You know...you walk into a pawn shop, see a guitar that you know is a deal and in need of a little TLC, maybe a couple of parts or a pickup of decent tone....and bam - flipped guitar.

That said - eBay has made prices extremely homogenized these days. Any pawn shop owner can find out legit values.
Customized guitars to your liking may be only your liking
Cheap people go to pawn shops too.
Today, even low end guitars are pretty freaking good! My JS32 Jacksons kill!.

Craigslist is still a good source for secondhand guitars to flip. Like people have said, maybe a new pot or pickup and they're ready to flip. But you won't make a living doing that.

In the middle, making guitars from parts, not a chance. You can't compete with the huge supply of Mexican, Indonesian or Chinese made guitars. Not when you can buy a brand new Squier for under $200, an Epiphone at around $500 or a MIM Fender for $700 to $800.

High end? Maybe, but it can take years to build up a reputation and unless you really get lucky, you'll only make a grand or so per guitar. Retirement "beer money" and don't expect to pay the mortgage that way.

[ThreeChordWonder]

Modest aftermarket body $120
Modest but decent brand pickup set (3) $150 and up
Modest neck $130
Half decent tuners $60
All the other parts $100
Total $560 and up.

[Aceman]

I think I could get a cheap guitar on CL or in a pawn shop for $200 and maybe sell it for 300 or 350, but a lot of work and little profit.

I'm naturally including custom pickup selection form the buyer...