Custom Guitars

[lit31686]

My dad and I have recently thought about making and selling custom guitars. Before we venture into this though, I have a question. Does anyone think we could actually make some money from this if we bought already finished bodies and necks? Thanks!!!

 

[rspst14]

Re: Custom Guitars

I doubt it...basically, all you'd be doing is buying parts from someplace like Warmoth and slapping them together. While some people will pay a tech to build a parts guitar for them, the type of person who goes the custom route is usually the type of person who is competent enough to assemble and set it up themselves. I really don't think there's any money in it. Even if someone did need the services of a tech to put a parts guitar together, they'd likely seek out a professional instead of a hobbyist.

Ryan

 

[Kac]

Re: Custom Guitars

I doubt it...basically, all you'd be doing is buying parts from someplace like Warmoth and slapping them together. While some people will pay a tech to build a parts guitar for them, the type of person who goes the custom route is usually the type of person who is competent enough to assemble and set it up themselves. I really don't think there's any money in it. Even if someone did need the services of a tech to put a parts guitar together, they'd likely seek out a professional instead of a hobbyist.

+1
And since we have this great forum to come to all of us can learn how to assemble parts ourselves, you could probaby make some money doing some Luthier type work on the side, but as a "builder" I don't see a large market...

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Custom Guitars

You'd lose your @$$ with money. Unless you can build from scratch, and do something unique, don't even think about it. It's expensive enough building a "parts" guitar, most of the time more expensive then buying a guitar off the shelf, and no one is going to pay even more than that for a guitar that is simply assembled for them. Anyone wanting to build a custom or parts guitar is competent enough to go to warmoth or usa custom guitars and buy them there and take it upon themselves or a tech to assist them with it. Custom guitar builders have a lot to offer, they can customize ANYTHING, right down to doing the paint themselves, however you want it, but there's a hefty price tag to match. There really is no market for it unless you can stand out and have something to offer.

I'm saying this because I thought about it myself and then realized what a financial disaster it would be.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Custom Guitars

You'd lose your @$$ with money. Unless you can build from scratch, and do something unique, don't even think about it....

Probaby the most important sentence in the whole thread. And after over 10 years of luthierie, definitely very true. You must also accept that more than 50% of your work will NOT be building guitars but "menial" repairs

 

[Rich_T]

Re: Custom Guitars

Yeah, this is why im getting a degree in the area, so i can gain some expertise, and make it more than a hobby thing. If you try and get an education i this area, you would stand a much better chance of maybe making a living at it.

 

[Artie]

Re: Custom Guitars

You could always start "lightly" by building a guitar, then trying to sell it on eBay. There are quite a few business's that seem to operate almost exclusively on eBay. Once you establish a reputation, you can expand as demand warrants.

 

[rinse_master]

Re: Custom Guitars

Not to be rude but as a builder I would call that assembly not custom.

Again, not being rude but I would agree with that.

If someone bought a guitar from you thinking that you made it from the ground up, then found out you only actually bolted it together and wired/set it up I'm pretty sure they'd be very pi$$ed.