What is the Parts Cost for pickups? Dead cost.

[cementwave]

Re: What is the Parts Cost for pickups? Dead cost.

yeah, that was awesome. im going to say at least $15 for the materials, at least $20 for the employees and stuff, and at least $40 for the company income. and not to mention i bet a lot of that money goes to marketing also

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: What is the Parts Cost for pickups? Dead cost.

Evan,

All those are super cool. I have told that here before (on the old forum), I am stealing the maple spacers from 59s in order to use them in my PGs! :laugh2:

Moreover, I think what matters the most is the knowledge and willingness to get those items. Care to detail must be rewarded one way or the other. Apart from the additional costs to raw material, what you guys do requires knowledge, and that is reflected in the product. I've always felt that.

Thus, there are two strategies as far as the company goes: (1) To charge more or (2) dominate the market by the quality of the product, and build a well-earned reputation. I am so glad SD chose the second. Long-run reputation is hard to build, but once it's there it cannot easily be destroyed.

B

PS. I know nobody is debating the charge made to the knowledge and experience to produce SD pickups. Just felt like sharing my point of view about this issue.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: What is the Parts Cost for pickups? Dead cost.

Cool info Evan. I wasn't figuring the costs for the vintage correct materials, more the "standard" if you will for the productions pups. It's great to know that what we are buying really is the best money can buy, dollar for dollar, on the market today (like we didn't know :smack: ).

Thanks for sharing as always.

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: What is the Parts Cost for pickups? Dead cost.

I'm glad you guys understand it. If you ever meet any of our accountants, just keep this between us guitar players (they don't understand). But as long as a guy named Seymour calls the shots around here, the accountants don't have a say...

 

[Kent S.]

Re: What is the Parts Cost for pickups? Dead cost.

Personally, other than the fact that the customers *want something a certain way* I can't see getting caught up in things like a certain plastic type, or maple spacers, or a certain covering of wire ... as I can't see that affecting the sound of the pup in the farthest reaches of the imagination.
Some matters of cosmetics sure, but that's all they are cosmetics ...
The covers, like any covers I can see as far as to think a plating or the wrong material can change the tone ... but the other stuff... unless there are solid electro-physics reasons for it, and as long as it's structurally and mechanically sound it just doesn't matter. But you know, some people gotta have their *mojo*... I'm just not into that end of it personally.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: What is the Parts Cost for pickups? Dead cost.

Thanks for that great summary of what REALLY goes into SD pickups, Evan! I guess I always had some idea of how difficult it might be to source certain items, but I can imagine explaining how small everything's got to be, to vendors.

And yes, you guys are lucky to live/work in a place as nice as Santa Barbara, Ca.

 

[Kevin@BlackRose]

Re: What is the Parts Cost for pickups? Dead cost.

Well Said

 

[Lee_M.]

Re: What is the Parts Cost for pickups? Dead cost.

If they did, I'd tell 'em this joke:

A guy spends his entire career working in a plant. He knows the place inside and out--better than anyone else in the place. One day he finally retires, takes his gold watch and goes home.

About a year later, something goes terribly wrong with one of the machines. Not even the machine's manufacturer knows what the problem is. The company is desparate and they beg the retiree to return as a consultant to diagnose the problem.

He walks in, looks around for about five minutes and draws an "X" on one of the parts of the malfunctioning machine. He then informs the plant manager that his fee is $50,000. The plant manager realizes that this is a lot more than they ever paid the guy when he was an employee so he asks for an itemized invoice. This is what he got:

Chalk Mark: $1
Knowing where to put it: $49,999

==========================

If you think that the expertise to design and wind pickups isn't worth a lot, try winding your own. If you place any value on your time, even Custom Shop pickups are a bargain.

FWIW, I'd bet that the raw materials' cost is more like 2-3 bucks (unless magnets are way more expensive than I'm guessing) in industrial-size quantities. Of course, having winding machines, employees, buildings, and all that stuff add to the cost as well.

That is very well said. I place great value on my time and there is no way on god's green earth that I am going to start spending 5-6 hours a day trying to wind the magical PAF.

That is why I am a very loyal and friendly customer for pickup manufacturers because the quality and time spent is well worth someone winding pups. Seriously, $240 for Antiquities is a steal. $60+ for a '59er is a steal. Anything from MJ's or Seymour's shop is a steal.

So, yes, knowing where to place the 'chalk mark' is worth every dollar of Seymour's fee. That is why I'm a banker and he is a winder - my time is worth the upcharge, too.

 

[Lee_M.]

Re: What is the Parts Cost for pickups? Dead cost.

Evan, thank you very much for the information. My guess is that the cost-per-unit (on a weighted average basis across all of the pickups) is most likely $18-$20 dollars. By the time you factor in SG&A, you can add an additional $8-$10 dollars (per pup), leaving you with a total cost of $26-$30 dollars.

Love the cream bobbins, btw.

 

[Artie]

Re: What is the Parts Cost for pickups? Dead cost.

Plus, the cost of manufacturing in Santa Barbara, California, where the median home price is over $1 million.

You know, if you moved the whole kit & kaboodle to Florida, you're employees would have the same relative climate, the cost of living would be lower, and me and John, et al., could come visit every day. :laugh2:

 

[Kent S.]

Re: What is the Parts Cost for pickups? Dead cost.

......... me and John, et al., could come visit every day. :laugh2:

P.P. ... Permanent personell ... :laugh2:

 

[Indie P Bass]

Re: What is the Parts Cost for pickups? Dead cost.

I heart Seymour Duncan.... I think we need to get together a big board wide field trip to drive/fly/swim/float/train ride our way to santa barbara and thank him personally for knowing where the "x" should go.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: What is the Parts Cost for pickups? Dead cost.

Hey, if ya don't like the price of Duncans, you can always buy Carvins! :laugh2: Afterall, they give you twice as many polepieces. :laugh2: