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RE: Flamenco guitar pricing
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NorCalluthier
Posts: 136
Joined: Apr. 16 2016
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RE: Flamenco guitar pricing (in reply to flyeogh)
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Hello Ethan, When I took orders years ago I had people want to have me do all sorts of visual stuff, make the sides from solid stock---I laminate sides---and worst of all, feel free to call me once a week to see how their guitar was coming along---subtext, hurry up. I'm inherently a slow, meticulous worker, and don't work well under time pressure. So just making guitars and then finding customers has been the obvious way for me to go. My hero Jeff Elliot enjoys working with his clients to tailor make the instrument to their taste. I believe Bob Ruck told me something similar. I think that is most admirable, but it doesn't work for me. One of my classical guitar customers is a marketing consultant, and he told me to raise my price to $14,000, and that I wouldn't have any price complaints, and no difficulty selling. He might even be right, but I don't have the courage to find out (;->)... Cheers, Brian
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Apr. 7 2019 22:51:31
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flyeogh
Posts: 729
Joined: Oct. 13 2004
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RE: Flamenco guitar pricing (in reply to NorCalluthier)
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quote:
I'm an anglophile, but I don't know the word "punter". I assume that you mean buyer? No. The word punter (very common in 18th century, but then was less used until the current increase in usage in the last 50 years) infers a risk element, a bet. And if one chooses a luthier and asks for a guitar to be made one is gambling on the result to some degree. Gambling that the reputation and skills of the luthier will result in a product that meets desires (which may not be the product the buyer originally had in mind). So why does the punter take the risk? For the feeling of uniqueness, ownership and involvement. All very powerful drivers). On the potential customer asking for bizarre features that surely is just down to salesmanship. The buyer is always right but is steered by the seller. (i can think of using terms that work for me like "tradition, authentic, high sell-on value. I remember a buyer of a luthier's guitar insisting that he wanted clear varnish so that the guitar was the colour of the wood. The luthier advised against. The result disappointed both customer and seller. The buyer regretted it as the guitar looked unfinished. If it goes against your gut feeling as a supplier then turn it down. When I ordered my guitar from Anders I only had his reputation and his history on forums to go by. I had no issue with price for what would most likely be a life time one-off purchase of a handmade flamenco guitar (little did I know ) I had a colour in mind. Anders steered me to a more sensible option. I decided on upgraded purfling and upgraded tuners (added 10% to cost). The balance for me was right. I felt it was my unique guitar, I had some input, but for sure Anders was 99% in control. When I say being involved we had a 2 or 3 email interactions prior to paying a deposit. Anders sent me 2 emails with fotos throughout the process. We then spoke to arrange the hand-to-hand pick up (for me very treasured moment). It took 3 months but that was sold as a benefit. You're buying something handmade that you wouldn't want rushed. I can see that if you want to build your flamenco guitar, and then find a customer, not many are going to succeed (as seen by many posts here). The marketplace is full of options for the customer, is very competitive pricewise, and is location restrictive. Relating this to my life of IT consultancy and salesmanship we had one very clear understanding. A consultant should not sell themselves. There were several reasons. First if the consultant meets the prospect they are likely to pass on very valuable information free of charge. Secondly a salesman and a consultant are very different in terms of objectives and recompense. I appreciate that that is a difficult concept for a luthier working in isolation to take onboard but it might be worth a thought. In truth the salesman is often the website. Anyway this is all a customer/prospect view but hope it is food for thought.
_____________________________
nigel (el raton de Watford - now Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz)
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Date Apr. 8 2019 5:47:04
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Richard Jernigan
Posts: 3433
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
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RE: Flamenco guitar pricing (in reply to flyeogh)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: flyeogh Just a thought. Do some luthiers not make enough of the creation experience for the punter? I loved being involved when my guitar was made in 2005. I'd have paid at least 25% for that. I visited some luthiers in Spain where you ordered, and 3 months later a guitar would turn up. May as well buy off the top shelf Every guitar in my closet is luthier made, but I didn‘t have the “creation experience” with any of them. I have only ever bought one guitar without playing it, but it was vouched for by Richard Brune and Brian Cohen. As I expected, within a month of buying it I received offers from Japan for 20% more than I paid for it. It’s not for sale. When I took it out of the case, tuned it up and played an E-major chord, I fell in love. I’ve sold a few that I bought to play, and gave one to the guitar society (it now belongs to a deserving conservatory student), having decided after a while that there was another I liked better. There’s only one I have now that I might sell. It’s the first good classical I bought, so there is a vestige of sentimental attachment. Of the luthiers I have known, its very successful maker was one of my favorite people, sadly no longer with us. Every couple of months I get it out and play it. I think, ”This is a really good guitar—-but I just don’t love it.” However, one of my favorite classical pros concertized on an instrument by this maker for years. Different strokes for different folks. RNJ
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Date Apr. 12 2019 6:15:35
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