I wish guitar makers would be more in line with bass manufacturers!

[Robert Burns]

Here is the latest from GW bass headed to my friend Justin in Phx, Az
What do you figure this kind of workmanship would cost from Jackson?
He paid $1534.00 Shipped !!!!!!!!!!!! (And no...he wont build a 6
string guitar at this time... SHIT! ) Total custom for used Jackson soloist prices... Amazing

http://www.gwbasses.com/gallery/JustinD_DC-2_5string.shtml

[Flatpicker]

Smaller market keeps the prices competitive.

[VitaminG]

Some good looking instruments there. How's the quality? The pics look good (but they would on the guy's own site), but how is the workmanship? I wonder how much the luthier is actually making on each instrument? Plus, is he paying for warehousing (for finished instruments awaiting distribution as well as all the materials he needs to build however many hundreds or thousands of instruments he builds in a year), the overheads of a shopfront or showroom, distribution, logistics, is a middle man/dealer/distributor taking their cut, advertising/clinics/promotions, endorsements, the staff & support that all those functions require?

I know when some folks around here have built (not just assembled from parts, but actually built) amps & guitars, they've said that if they factored in their time & expertise, your money would be better spent buying from an established manufacturer's product line. That doesn't count all the overheads that a bulk manufacturing operation has to consider.

[Spivonious]

Beautiful thick top on that bass. I think for $1500 or so you could have Carvin build you a nice guitar of that quality, but a Jackson like that would easily be over $5k.

[Robert Burns]

Some good looking instruments there. How's the quality? The pics look good (but they would on the guy's own site), but how is the workmanship? I wonder how much the luthier is actually making on each instrument? Plus, is he paying for warehousing (for finished instruments awaiting distribution as well as all the materials he needs to build however many hundreds or thousands of instruments he builds in a year), the overheads of a shopfront or showroom, distribution, logistics, is a middle man/dealer/distributor taking their cut, advertising/clinics/promotions, endorsements, the staff & support that all those functions require?

I know when some folks around here have built (not just assembled from parts, but actually built) amps & guitars, they've said that if they factored in their time & expertise, your money would be better spent buying from an established manufacturer's product line. That doesn't count all the overheads that a bulk manufacturing operation has to consider.

*** He builds out of his house...so hardly any overhead... pics dont
do GW's Justice! Imagine it being about 75% Better looking in person.
Overall quality is Soloist quality imo. They are stunning in person!
I'll add his other 6 string pics on this thread...they seem like they are
about $8K when your holding them imo.

[necrotechno]

(And no...he wont build a 6 string guitar at this time... SHIT! )

Did he say why not? How about an 8-string 30" shortscale?

[Robert Burns]

Some good looking instruments there. How's the quality? The pics look good (but they would on the guy's own site), but how is the workmanship? I wonder how much the luthier is actually making on each instrument? Plus, is he paying for warehousing (for finished instruments awaiting distribution as well as all the materials he needs to build however many hundreds or thousands of instruments he builds in a year), the overheads of a shopfront or showroom, distribution, logistics, is a middle man/dealer/distributor taking their cut, advertising/clinics/promotions, endorsements, the staff & support that all those functions require?

I know when some folks around here have built (not just assembled from parts, but actually built) amps & guitars, they've said that if they factored in their time & expertise, your money would be better spent buying from an established manufacturer's product line. That doesn't count all the overheads that a bulk manufacturing operation has to consider.

*****
His total output of bass's from the first one he ever built about 8 years
ago is around 65 total! So this guy only builds about 8 or 9 a year.
Now that's exclusivity!

[VitaminG]

*** He builds out of his house...so hardly any overhead... pics dont
do GW's Justice! Imagine it being about 75% Better looking in person.
Overall quality is Soloist quality imo. They are stunning in person!
I'll add his other 6 string pics on this thread...they seem like they are
about $8K when your holding them imo.

*****
His total output of bass's from the first one he ever built about 8 years
ago is around 65 total! So this guy only builds about 8 or 9 a year.
Now that's exclusivity!

that's kind of what I figured. So the guy doesn't have massive overheads. He doesn't have to be too concerned with keeping a large stockpile of materials about because he's not pumping out a huge volume, and so doesn't have to store a lot of completed instruments either. Big saving on rent there. He's not paying wages, or superannuation, sick pay or leave loading, company xmas party or bonuses or overtime. Won't have to worry too much about security, public liability & associated insurances either. Doesn't have to concern himself too much with work conditions, since he's the only one affected. Won't have huge power bills from lighting & airconditioning a large work space (since he only has to light where he's at), running a bunch of machines continuously in a large shop (since he'll only have the machine he is working on turned on), administration, customer service, flood lighting in the staff carpark for people working back late.

So while I'm sure the cost of materials per instrument is higher, his overheads are significantly lower. That can translate to cheaper instruments.

[Endrik]

I don't understand why so many custom bass manufacturers use so much "exotic" woods and shit... it's not a guitar... bass sounds the best with simple "standard" wood like alder, ash or even poplar... all the expensive "unique" woods make the bass sound muddy, thin and weak.

[necrotechno]

I like solid Maple for a bass. Had a Kramer-era Spector NS2A and it was the absolute tits for tone. I had a shit amp, too. Amazing sound.

[Endrik]

yeah, maple is good too

[surfreak]

*****
His total output of bass's from the first one he ever built about 8 years
ago is around 65 total! So this guy only builds about 8 or 9 a year.
Now that's exclusivity!

Sorry, I disagree. That is not exclusivity, that is a hobby.

However cheaper than a production instrument, $ 1.5k is still a respectable sum for me and, without taking anything away from this beautiful bass, for that kind of money I expect to buy something which has at least some resale value.