Speedy McFeely Posted May 24, 2003 Report Share Posted May 24, 2003 i was just wondering if it is illegal, or unethical to buy prefab guitar parts, build a guitar out of them and put my decal on them, and sell them... like SPEEDY'S CUSTOM GEETARS. i think it's ok to sell them if my name isn't on them, but i want to make a cutom logo and do custom work, but i'm not skilled enough to make necks. i'm not a guy who wants to lose his integrity, it's very important to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 24, 2003 Report Share Posted May 24, 2003 i think the only way it would be unethical is if your customers didn't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveK Posted May 25, 2003 Report Share Posted May 25, 2003 I think you would be AMAZED at how many "Custom Builders" use Warmoth necks for their guitars! I know of a certain VERY high end guitar maker who makes absolutely NONE of his own necks...his guitars are in the $3000 range! So I think it would be O.K. for you to do the same! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedy McFeely Posted May 25, 2003 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2003 i really like refinishing, and electronics and setting up guitars, but i really have no talent when it comes to wood work. i have done a body, it came out ok, but i would rather use a quality one. i guess if it's no problem for people, and yes i will tell them, then i will see how it goes. i have done a guitar this way and the people that have seen it, really dig it. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 25, 2003 Report Share Posted May 25, 2003 there is alot of business in just customizing already existing guitars.fret jobs,setups,refinishing,etc.you would be surprised how many musicians don't know dick about their instruments.i am the only guitarist i know who knows how to properly adjust a truss rod believe it or not.i played in a band once with a really great guitarist who knew so little that he actually would dive bomb on his prized gibson explorer by holding the body and pushing on the headstock so hard it would bow the neck and slack the strings.it was SO painful to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulNeeds Posted May 25, 2003 Report Share Posted May 25, 2003 i played in a band once with a really great guitarist who knew so little that he actually would dive bomb on his prized gibson explorer by holding the body and pushing on the headstock so hard it would bow the neck and slack the strings.it was SO painful to watch. great sound though! They make a good noise when you shake them to do that sort of thing too... ahem... You're right - I recently worked on setting up a Warwick bass for a guy who owns a few of them, and his guitar player is also looking to have some pickups replaced. I mean... duh? EVERYTHING about the instruments is interesting to me, and tweaking them oneself to get the best playability for ones style, tone, etc, is all part of 'being one with your instrument' to me. Must get some lessons to play the things though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted May 25, 2003 Report Share Posted May 25, 2003 Walk into your neigborhood ma & pa shop and I would almost be willing to bet you there is a SAGA Strat or Tele with somebodys label on it just so beginning young guitar players have something they could purchase without spending a fortune. Course they soon learn it is either upgrade time (on some of the parts) or they just get discurraged and pawn it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEdwardJones Posted May 25, 2003 Report Share Posted May 25, 2003 I think you would be AMAZED at how many "Custom Builders" use Warmoth necks for their guitars! I don't know if this is still the case, but Yamaha actually advertised using Warmoth necks on their higher end Pacificas a couple of years back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Headen Posted June 1, 2003 Report Share Posted June 1, 2003 That's really interesting, I might check into Warmoth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted June 2, 2003 Report Share Posted June 2, 2003 Speedy, you'll do yourself out of work if you tell your customers how, where, and what to buy from other sources... which is exactly what you'll be doing if you admit to buying in all the parts. We all buy in pickups, frets, tuners, bridges, wire, pots, etc etc etc. You are simply buying two more components out of 50 or so, that make up a guitar. I'd rather see you make your own bodies and necks though, it isnt hard to do. Westheman, the bent neck dive bomb was one of Randy Rhoads favorite techniques. I would not hesitate to do it to any guitar i own, as i know what force is neccessary to snap a neck... a lot more than you think. Cut out a rough neck blank and give it a go, you might surprise yourself (i know you will, actually). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vh-guitarstore.com Posted June 2, 2003 Report Share Posted June 2, 2003 its not unethical, wrong or illegal....actually, most manufacturers source out to other companies.....i think there are only 3 or 4 companies in the usa that actually make their necks....most necks are made by a comapny in northern california......warmoth used to make guitars for yamaha and some others....kramer NEVER made a neck and only a handfull of bodies..... when i got my duncan deal and was talking with one of their vp....he asked who was making my necks.....i said me, and he thought that was pretty cool.....hell, i just dont know any better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted June 2, 2003 Report Share Posted June 2, 2003 when you bend a neck that way(especially on a regular basis)you run the risk of unseating your frets,compromising the integrity of your glued in neck(which is what my friend had)and generally never having the neck be properly set up(neck twisting etc....) randy rhoads and other musicians have always done things that were not good for their guitars.jimi hendrix burned his,kirk hammett drags his across the stage and throws it in the air to watch it fall,and i'm sure you can think of others. many of them get free guitars from their endorsers.i don't.i would never do that.my guitars are for playing not stepping on.just remember that just because someone is a guitar hero doesn't mean everything they do is perfectly fine. i also don't believe informing a customer as to what they are buying is "doing yourself out of work".most people don't have the tools or ability to create a quality instrument.that's what they pay others for.a consumer ALWAYS deserves to know what they are buying.it's one thing to keep trade secrets,totally different to lead a customer to believe something that isn't true.i believe a sign that says "i use warmoth necks on my guitars" would not hurt business any more than a sign that says "i use seymour duncan pickups" do you disagree?feel free to. that's your right.i will always go to the bussiness that is upfront with what they use.warmoth is a fine product.why be ashamed? you know speedy since you like finishing,electronics,and setting up guitars you COULD start a business doing just those things.then you wouldn't have to worry about your ethics.but bodies are relatively easy to make you just need the proper tools for your patience level.for example a belt sander works really fast and does a great job on flat surfaces if you are careful,and a spindle sander smooths out the sides very well,which keeps the hand labor to a minimum.a proper router also makes things easier(as opposed to a dremel with a router base which is what i use) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryeisnotcool2 Posted June 17, 2003 Report Share Posted June 17, 2003 excatcly wes! it pisses me off when i see guitar player or bass player throw thier instrument! i guess when you dont pay for them you dont really care, but i take as best of care to any instrument be it a prs or a harmony it doesnt matter i like hendrix's music but when he used to burn them thats when i lost all respect for him. as all the others out there that do that stuff! hey speedy do like wes said just finishing and electronics i do a lot of refinishing on necks and a lot of electronic work! now ive gone to building my own guitars, even the necks wich i think are pretty easy to do ! and i can do one in about two hours! and they feel great! but i hate finishing intsruments so if you lived near me id probably "sub" out that part of the process to you(if your stuff is quality) but hey there is nothing wrong with buying the parts, and the only way you compromise your integrity is if you are telling the customer that you are building everything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchool Posted June 19, 2003 Report Share Posted June 19, 2003 excatcly wes! it pisses me off when i see guitar player or bass player throw thier instrument! i guess when you dont pay for them you dont really care, but i take as best of care to any instrument be it a prs or a harmony it doesnt matter i like hendrix's music but when he used to burn them thats when i lost all respect for him. as all the others out there that do that stuff! I would NEVER smash or burn my guitar. I have I Yamaha Pacifica 112, one of their cheapest model, but I would not destroy her even if someone will give me a Jackson Kelly handmade from the custom shop. I may seem stupid saying this, but only a person that REALLY loves guitars, even if they're cheap plywood ****, can really understand me. Consider that it's since four years that me and my guitar are thrashing the **** out of all that people that buy high end guitars and can't even play a MegadetH riff... I also saved a $15 guitar that (even if it has a solid body) plays like **** and was going to be smashed by some punk... of course I buyed it, but even stealing it would not have been a crime... Sorry for the long O.T., but I agree with westhemann and ryesnotcool2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the third eye Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 I don't really have a problem with it throwing a guitar around makes for a great stage performance and if your getting free guitars why not? sure you're not gonna damage your favourites but why not a backup if it's your thing alchool, are you saying Vai and Hendrix don't REALLY love guitars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchool Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 alchool, are you saying Vai and Hendrix don't REALLY love guitars? Surely they love playing guitars, but... if you love someone, you don't set her on fire.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the third eye Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 i see what your saying, that a guitar takes on personality and becomes like a person and i agree in a way but to me it's more like i'm pouring my soul into the guitar each time i play it and it becomes a part of me if i want it to it feels more like an extension of myself rather than another separate entity so to me i don't mind throwing around a guitar that isn't a 'part of myself' because it's just wood and metal(yes i think wood has a certain energy too but let's not get too deep) and if i want to throw a guitar that i feel is a part of myself that's ok cos there will always be other guitars that become a part of me we are constantly losing and gaining energy, it's a part of our lives however if i did something bad to a guitar i really really love, i'd definitely regret it i'm not saying anyone should or shouldn't do it this is just how i feel at this point in time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 why would you even play a guitar you didn't love?but my biggest gripe is that when i was a kid i couldn't afford a decent guitar and i wanted one soooo bad,and here were a bunch of spoiled rockstars smashing really good ones just to make a scene.a musical instrument is made to be played and if it's not good enough for the person who owns it he should give it to someone who would cherish it.just my opinion.besides how long is it really going to be before we run out of suitable whole pieces of wood for guitars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the third eye Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 the 'stars' do give away a lot of guitars but it can be fun to watch someone get 'crazy' in a song Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchool Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 why would you even play a guitar you didn't love?but my biggest gripe is that when i was a kid i couldn't afford a decent guitar and i wanted one soooo bad,and here were a bunch of spoiled rockstars smashing really good ones just to make a scene.a musical instrument is made to be played and if it's not good enough for the person who owns it he should give it to someone who would cherish it.just my opinion.besides how long is it really going to be before we run out of suitable whole pieces of wood for guitars? That's the point! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the third eye Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 it's not that it's not good enough for the person though it's like smashing up a cool car to make an awesome scene in a movie :ph34r: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchool Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 the 'stars' do give away a lot of guitars but it can be fun to watch someone get 'crazy' in a song If you see me playing, you'll think that I'm insane... I mean, I always went crazy when I played live, even when I'm rehearsing with my groups... You know, it's like I'm raping my guitar, I play it on my shoulders, or make a lead licking the strings (tasty),lol we often play slayer songs and my guitar is mounting a vintage trem so you can figure out how bad it seems I'm threating a $200 guitar... but she's still ok ... it's not necessary to throw it in the air to entertain people Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the third eye Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 yeah, not necessary but some people like to do it and some people like to see it that's what i'm saying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchool Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 yeah, not necessary but some people like to do it and some people like to see it that's what i'm saying Well, I get an infarct every time I see someone smashing a guitar No one thinks about my poor, little hearth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the third eye Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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