Re: Head/Cab or Combo
For the purests, there are some killer birch voidless ply traditional head and 1x12 combo enclosures I can get for a very reasonable price with a matchless look to them. Also, some very nice Tweed stuff being built out of solid pine out there. If that's what someone wants, it's easy enough to make it happen.
But, having something very unique appeals to me in a different way. I ask myself what *I* would want. I'd like the knobs on the front for one thing. I don't play out any at this point, so I'm usually sitting down. (lazy!)
Also, I've owned a 2x12 Badcat that weighed in at close to 100 lbs. No way I'm doing that to anyone. That was just nuts.
As far as competition and target audience, I'm not worried about competition. That's one of the reasons I'm not really going gangbusters after a classic tweed replica. You can get that at multiple places.
But, if I could give you a really nice tweed circuit and then engineer true reverb into the circuit board, not some funky add-on with B+ voltages within hand's reach, and really get the tone.... then put that tone into a unique package of some sort.... now I'm seperating myself a bit. No one will know what you are playing when you show up with one of mine.
As far as the age demographic goes, that's a tough one. Most folks with $1000 to spend on an amp are going to be near 30 or over if I'm guessing correctly, but there are several guys that are a lot younger that seem to have a lot of disposible income as well.
Since I'm not focusing on high gain mega watt stuff, that's going to help focus my demographics a bit.