As some of you may (or may not?) know, I've been collecting guitars for the last decade or so. The thing is that over time I've accumulated almost 50 instruments but I just use a handful of them, which is logical. In order for these great, custom shop guitars to be played (including Huber, Warmoth, Charvel, ESP!) I decided to lease guitars. Locally, still, only dutch. The idea is that guys can lease an instrument for 15-25 bucks a month, witch a lot of flexibility in terms of wiring and pickups (I've got so much in stock: you ask for it, I most likely have got it!). The lease is for 1 month till 12 months, with the option to renew the lease if so desired by the player and myself. The income is fully used to upgrade and update other instruments that are, at this moment, ineligible to enter this program due to faulty hardware, bad frets or whatever (but show promise!).
It would appear that Dutch players seem to like this idea because over the last 24 hours I've been leasing 6 guitars, and counting. I wonder, though, why isn't this being done more? I seriously have never ever seen a project like this. Even though I'm doing it on a very small scale and I'm lending out to guys I know for years and years.
A goal could be to load up this program with (predominantly) Orpheo Custom Guitars instruments, but ideally I'd have other dutch builders chime in. I only make Les Pauls, and I'd love to have some great guys have their tele, strat, jazzmaster, jag, hollowbodies, acoustics and amps in the program. So many players are so damn good but can't afford a good instrument. They're playing a 300$ epi or squier which is fine, but not for their chops. They can afford, though, 25 bucks a month for a customshop instrument.
Here you see the first batch of instruments, ready to be leased. Some have rather unique pickups, too! The Bonamassa sig, the first JB/Superdistortion hybrid, the jazz8 set, one of the earliest 59/custom hybrids and a few other pickups that are really unique. Oh, an sh6n/fullshred hybrid, too.
It would appear that Dutch players seem to like this idea because over the last 24 hours I've been leasing 6 guitars, and counting. I wonder, though, why isn't this being done more? I seriously have never ever seen a project like this. Even though I'm doing it on a very small scale and I'm lending out to guys I know for years and years.
A goal could be to load up this program with (predominantly) Orpheo Custom Guitars instruments, but ideally I'd have other dutch builders chime in. I only make Les Pauls, and I'd love to have some great guys have their tele, strat, jazzmaster, jag, hollowbodies, acoustics and amps in the program. So many players are so damn good but can't afford a good instrument. They're playing a 300$ epi or squier which is fine, but not for their chops. They can afford, though, 25 bucks a month for a customshop instrument.
Here you see the first batch of instruments, ready to be leased. Some have rather unique pickups, too! The Bonamassa sig, the first JB/Superdistortion hybrid, the jazz8 set, one of the earliest 59/custom hybrids and a few other pickups that are really unique. Oh, an sh6n/fullshred hybrid, too.
I know that I'm cheap but 100 bucks? No, couldnt ever ask that of friends. Maybe later when I've got many more guitars to lease. I know that damages can occur, but how is that different from them being in my own possession? They could get damaged in my hands, too. Besides, I build and repair guitars (more and more so for a living, it would seem!). Only extremely complicated things are out of my reach. Besides, the headstocks on the guitars I'm leasing all have a scarf joint at the headstock. Beer over a guitar is a non issue. Only some pot-damage i suppose. I've seen a pickup submerged in a pickle jar filled with water and after an odd 30 years it still works. I've got a clip to prove it 
