Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

[Gearjoneser]

I've always pondered the idea of owning a cabinet shop that makes cabintry for amps, and specializing in boutiquey enclosures for modeling amps as well as all the common chassis. I'd make things that look like Divided by 13, Celtic, Matchless etc.....and have the dimensions and holes for amps like L6, Vox, Fender, Marshall etc.

I was always good at woodworking, and know several people that would work for cheap to get it off the ground. The best part is that my father has an entire woodshop sitting in a storage unit....basically ALL the big machines needed.
A location, ventilation system, licenses, computer software, and workers is mostly what would be needed.....not to mention a website and marketing plan.

I think companies like Mojo and Avatar are doing OK, so do you think something like this would fly? I know I'm always thinking of potential business ideas, but I'm at a point in life where I want to have a career I enjoy.

 

[CapoFirstFret]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

man I say go for it...it'd take some work to get it going and get your name out there, but I think you could do well...heck, if you could get hooked up with some up and coming amp designer *ahem*Scott*ahem* (or other ) and work together, who knows, could make a good living. Really I know Scott is keeping Celtic as a "for friends" kind of thing, but if you really got together and started doing it, there's always room for more boutique amps, especially well priced ones

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

I had another thought. My dad also owns an empty farm, complete with barns out in rural Nebraska. It's literally sitting there empty. It would be strange to move from LA to a small rural Nebraska farm, but if all my business was shipped, I could have workers living out there on a farm, building cabs everyday. That isn't really part of my plan, but it could be really interesting. It would mean NO rent, no city ordinances, no ventilation system, and pure profit while trying to get it going. That's just another option to think about.

All I'd have to do is drive into town to the post office and Fedex once a week.

 

[J Moose]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

Wouldn't your playing career go down the tubes if you moved to rural Nebraska?

Besides custom guitar cabinets I'd think that you'd have to or maybe want to offer other products as well...

Hi-fi studio racks for instance.

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

I think it's a cool idea Joe, and I also like your idea for high end electronic equipment. I don't remember it exactly, but I'm sure you do.

My businesses as a teenager all made money (albeit all under $1,000), but with no costs. Just time. Fun stuff! And now that I'm big into guitars, I think owning something like a guitar 'pimping' (although I wouldn't use that word) shop would be very fun. I've got a Bravo eye for fashion, and I really like working on guitars. Seems more rewarding than simply doing setups or pickup installs all day long.

We'll see in 50 years what I'm doing.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

Wouldn't your playing career go down the tubes if you moved to rural Nebraska?

Yeah, that'd be the hardest part.....moving to a place with no music scene.
The only reason I even brought it up is because it's a property with a house and 4 big buildings that are basically free to me. It would change my whole way of life, but I could also have horses, shoot guns in my yard (my other big passion), and do all the things I can't do in this expensive area. I wouldn't mind it if I were running a successful business.
If it worked out, it could always be moved back to an urban area.

Just food for thought at this point. I need to own a business because I can't work for people anymore....it's sucking my soul dry.

 

[James Rock]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

Something like this would become more needed so I think its a good idea. More and more people are buying amp kits and stuff but then struggling to make the cabs or doing it but not wanting to so a company making cabs (especially combo and head cabs) would be very good.

 

[d1dsj]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

Hey man, sounds like a really great idea and based on what I read and ref your character... eye for detail and quality I'm SURE you're products would be up there with the best. BUT, do you think there would be a big enough market for you to drop everything? Personally I don't. A part time business YES, full time NO. One of the main reasons for saying this is 'coz I think most of the cabs made would be effectively custom 1 offs or made to order... could you afford to stock handcrafted cabinets and wait for a buyer to come along? I'd have to be 99% sure with this one... it's not like opening a shop or something. The other alternative would be to take a sabbatical for 12 months and give it a go if your current situation would allow. Rest assured, IF you did do it... I'm SURE I would support you and have you build some nice cabinets for my amps. Quality.... you get what you pay for but I DON'T think there are enough people who really care about things like cabinets as long as they are happy with their sound.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

Yeah, I wonder how many units could even be sold, if all the buyers were players.
I'd imagine that you'd have to have deals with a bunch of small amp companies, and also sell other parts like Mojo and Avatar do.

Maybe a good way to get my feet wet is to do it part time, just to gauge the amount of interest and potential income.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

There's a problem with such a business; the b-schools types call it "low entry hurdle", meaning any boob with some tools and an empty chicken coop can get in. (As you are so aptly illustrating, not to imply that I think you're a boob.)

The problem then becomes one of differentiating yourself from the boobs - being the best, and making sure every one knows it. More importantly, making sure everyone is willing to pay for it. Low-priced competition from all the boobs in chicken coops is going to keep profit margins thin.

 

[Dave]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

You should call around to other small builders and ask them, if you know them as well as you know some folks here. They may be very frank with you. But there are a lot of builders out there already and it seems that mojo does a lot with some builders supplying the amp parts and cabs to be built up.

Check w/Bruce and Lew, too.

The one thing is minding the mint while you're 1000 miles away. It would take some trust and a good deal of luck to find someone you can rely upon to run the shop efficiently and maintain the quality you'd expect.

Maybe there would be more money in establishing the Nebraska music scene-hell it happened in MPLS, why not kearney!

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

I think it's a great idea... Part of the reason I was attracted to Splawn was because there were so many cab options available. If you had all the general amp chasis' available along with a few cab options, that would be sweet. The specifics of the business side will be difficult as several have pointed out, but as a general concept it sounds cool...

Go with a multitude of hardwoods, tolex options and other coverings (tweed, etc.). I love the Mesa options, but when I bought mine it was very impulsive, I didn't feel like waiting months to get basically the same amp that was right in front of me. Even amps like the ever modded Blues Jr. should be a market for further custimization.

If you do it, good luck.

 

[FAC]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

Speaking as someone who has been a small businessperson in the past:

A) How much will a cabinet cost you to produce? Be realistic and do some research. Good wood and materials are not cheap.
B) How many cabinets could you produce in a month?
C) How many cabinets could you sell in a month...as previously suggested, call some of the other cabinet makers, etc.
D) How will you advertise? How much does that cost?
E) How much does your competition sell theirs for? This will initially set your profit margins. Regardless of how much better your cabs may be, if there is something cheaper out there, most people will go for that...
F) How much will it cost to pack and ship your goods?
G) There will be some down time as you get things rolling...do you have some savings or investors that will float you during this time?

and most importantly:

H) How much does it cost you to eat (since rent will apparently be free)? How much are utilities? Do you have any debts that you need to keep paying...what are your living expenses? Be realistic.

Do the math before taking the plunge.

If the math works, great! If it does not, beware...this is your life we're talking about, so beware.

 

[Curly]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

I'll help you with the web site.

we can gauge interest by asking at the Amp Show

 

[claytonc]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

I think it is a great idea worthy of serious consideration since you have the facility and much of the equipment. There are lots of people throwing crazy money at boutique gear. Atleast you have an ear. Unlike a cabinet maker that decides he wants to build musical equipment.

I know that Jeff Swanson can hardly keep up, so the demand is there. It just becomes a matter of marketing.

Is there a UPS or Fed Ex hub in the area? That could be critical!

 

[jmh151]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

Is there a market? Yes. Enough of a market for you to make a living off of? Probably not. I would love to have custom cabinets made for my Marshall JCM800 and Carvin V3 to resemble the old Mesa Boogies with wood cabinets and cane grills.

I think your best bet would be to hook up with someone making boutique amplifiers, whereas they would make the amp and chassis, and you would make the cabinet. They you have that making money to offset the custom cabinet jobs.

If you're building them in a Nebraska farmhouse- factor in the cost of shipping them to the major markets- which is why Marshalls are expensive here but cheap in England.

The major competitors in this area would be Avatar and Earcandy. Avatar's cheap but does make some solid wood cabinets. Earcandy's are designed great but don't look that great. Maybe if you made a tuned and ported cabinet out of some nice woods.

The market for this? You could have the PRS/ Gibson Historic doctor/lawyer crowd that may want cabinets to match their favorite guitar. If you made a replacement Marshall Head cabinet and speaker cabinet out of figured maple with a faded cherry sunburst finish, you might snag that Les Paul Forum crowd. Or cabinets in vintage Fender laquer colors. Of course, these would be meant to sit in someone's living room or recording studio, and not taken on the road.

I once saw someone that had a beautiful custom made cabinet for their living room. It looked like a China cabinet, but housed inside were his amplifiers and speakers.

 

[Top Jimmy]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

Just like Fast Eddie Felson said in The Color of Money:

"If you got an area of excellence...you're the best at something, anything...then rich
can be arranged. Rich can come fairly easy."

If you have a passion you can make it work.

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

I've always pondered the idea of owning a cabinet shop that makes cabintry for amps, and specializing in boutiquey enclosures for modeling amps as well as all the common chassis. I'd make things that look like Divided by 13, Celtic, Matchless etc.....and have the dimensions and holes for amps like L6, Vox, Fender, Marshall etc.

I was always good at woodworking, and know several people that would work for cheap to get it off the ground. The best part is that my father has an entire woodshop sitting in a storage unit....basically ALL the big machines needed.
A location, ventilation system, licenses, computer software, and workers is mostly what would be needed.....not to mention a website and marketing plan.

I think companies like Mojo and Avatar are doing OK, so do you think something like this would fly? I know I'm always thinking of potential business ideas, but I'm at a point in life where I want to have a career I enjoy.

Do you have the equipment to dry the wood properly? I bought a cab from a fender bassman 2x12 cab from a place in the North West. Looked good when I got it. By winter the wood had dried out and the tolex was badly wrinkled. That's exactly the kind of issue you can't afford when trying to get a new business off the ground.

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

Lots of good insight so far. I think you need the OEM's to guarantee your baseline income. Musicians are unpredictable. You could be recognized worldwide as the best in the business and still have no orders for 30-60 days at a time, especially when you're getting started.

Your OEM's don't necessarily have to be amp cabinets either. They could be private label high end TV stands for a high end A/V store or something. Or you try to check in with a GC or Sam Ash to see if they're interested in a private label high end cabinet, or maybe see if Celestion or Eminence wants some display cabinets with built-in selectors for demoing different speakers. You could make a 6x12 loaded with all different Eminence models, with good isolation so someone could audition the speakers one at a time with the same rig. Anyway just trying to add.

 

[blueslegend8]

Re: Do you think an amp cabinetry business would do well?

I would contact J.D.Newell and talk to him. He's a retired man in The Atlanta area and he builds cabs out of his basement. He says he turns out about one a day by himself. He built a cabinet for me, he did one for The Guy Who Invented Fire and a couple for Lew I think. He does a great job but I don't think there's enough money in it to make a solid living but maybe a retirement.