Lutherie - The Business

[NotYou]

Very good idea. That's perfect for this forum. I know quite a few builders who reference this site all the time and a lot of guys just starting who are trying to figure the business out.

This place has been priceless to me when I was learning and I still learn a lot from it. I would have loved to have had that section a few years ago.

I get contacted by a lot of guys wanting to get into the business with questions about how to do it right. There really isn't a right way and my way only works if you do everything else just like I do. A section with a lot of opinions and experiences should be a great thing.

I also wrote a long post directly related to this topic, but accidentally erased it. I might write again later.

[Prostheta]

I do the same thing but usually delete it because it is overly long rather than by accident ;-)

The private business section is purely for established traders to talk shop whereas a new public section has been opened for those learning about business. This was done out of respect for the privacy of traders who separate their public face from the business face whilst not alienating people finding their feet. There is a massive difference between the builder whose income does not rely on selling instruments/trades out of the garage/builds as-and-when and those whose livelihood/house/income depends on that business and guaranteed cashflow.

It would be hoped that we could foster communication between businesses and also introduce the potential for mentoring, etc. All new stuff so we'll see how it develops and change things up in response to people's needs.

[Dean]

I read over some of the replies ,so here is my story

I started building as a hobby.....I have been doing this five plus years ,in the last three years I picked the archtop style as my guitar of choose.I spent a little over a year learning on my first build.....I sold it for $ 2600.00 ,my second build was started right after the first one ,it is solded for around $1500.00 ,but it is also in the process of tring to get a guitar legend to look at it.The price is less due to woods and not amplified .The one I am now building will go for at least $3000.00 or more.I get better each time I build one and the wood used gets better ,too.The one I am now building is Black walnut , cocobolo, mahogany ,ebony,zebra wood, and triple a spruse top.It will be acoustic electric with high end hardware .

I plan to build the same style guitar till I get $20,000.00 and up per guitar.Part of the equation of guitar building is to believe in yourself and knowing what your work is worth.My location is good for this ,too....I live in Thousand Oaks ,Ca.....I let any and everybody watch and look at my work and word of mouth has got a lot of people looking at and talking about my guitars and wanting to buy one .So far I have someone wanting to buy the one I am working on before it is finished.....this is my advertising so far.Right now ,I build at my own pace and pick everything that goes into the guitar .Soon I hope to let the buyer be evolved to a point .

Well this is my experience so far,hope it helps.I am not good with words, but will try to help WTH this thread.

All the best to you ,Roads