Customs replacing Big companies?

[FLGearnut]

im really surprised that more people dont look outside the box and look at smaller guitar builders.

I was at GC a couple of months ago, and just out of sheer curiosity I asked my salesguy to show me one of the whizz-bang 6,000 dollar gibson "custom shop" les pauls that are supposedly identical to a vintage guitar but new. I was not even remotely impressed by the way it looked, the quality of the components, or the way it handled. I asked what the hell made that guitar worth so damn much and the guy didnt even have a valid reason why.

When you see what you get for 6,000 bucks from a company like gibson, and then compare it with what you get for HALF that amount from companies like BRJ, Warrior, PRS, McNaught, etc, you are literally paying for the prestige of the name legacy.

 

[WickedSymphony]

im really surprised that more people dont look outside the box and look at smaller guitar builders.
...
companies like BRJ, Warrior, PRS, McNaught, etc,

I'm pretty sure that aside from PRS, most guitar players don't even know who these builders are on top of having the brand recognition of other companies, or just not needing/wanting a custom built guitar, or wanting to wait 10-12 months to receive said guitar.

 

[noob_pwn]

This is never going to happen.

One point I can make is, the average guitarist wouldn't know what specs to choose on a custom guitar, people get spooked by that sort of stuff, they want something cookie cutter because they are confident in what they'll be getting.

 

[Jack Secret]

Thank god. I was getting really sick of everyone saying "Get a custom! They're getting cheaper!"

They're definitely not.

They sure aren't. It's gonna cost me about $1500 plus for my new 'Natnick" or Natural Skolnick model (Ibanez 540PII body in Mahogany and cleared for natural finish and reverse headstock neck/ebony fretboard/sharttooth inlays). I'm not thinking from the money aspect, tho. I love 540PII's and the only way to get one is the used market and a lot of people selling them try to sell high ($2,000+) but also, Ibanez never made them in mahogany nor used ebony fretboards for them so this is more one of my favorite guitars shapes made they way I want it.

So I'm not getting custom parts and slapping them together to save money, I do it to have guitars the way I want them, which is usually how they were never offered by the company that originally made them.

 

[durangokid]

I'm sorry OP, I fear you may be mildly retarded.

you always amuses me stealth...

and yes, like everybody else is saying, is impossible to happen, and not everybody knows about tonewoods, hardware, different building techniques, so outside of the underground guitar geek population, you'll still have the guys that think that tradition and name wins, TBH i think sometimes the ppl around ss.org is somewhat like that you know...COUGHblackmachineCOUGH

 

[Andromalia]

What has changed with the internet is the possibility for those small scale luthiers to advertise and make themselves known.
Other than the ones whose guitars are played by rock stars (say, Ken Lawrence, KxK, etc), I would likely never have heard of, say, Bernie Rico Jr, Oni etc. Seeing them bought, ordered, designed and delivered can bring some serious GAS and make me contact them.
I think the market has changed, but it is so small it won't make any waves.

Oh and abot prices, most custom shops are less expensive than Gibson/Fender/Jackson. When I fished for a builder I naturally tried Jacksnon first as its a Rr Model. 5K$ without any options, all custom paint and inlays extra.

 

[budda]

I'm pretty sure that aside from PRS, most guitar players don't even know who these builders are on top of having the brand recognition of other companies, or just not needing/wanting a custom built guitar, or wanting to wait 10-12 months to receive said guitar.

One year isn't too bad, some people sign onto waitlists that are over 2 years long too.

Aside from that, I think the thread has been addressed.

 

[4Eyes]

or wanting to wait 10-12 months to receive said guitar.

it's not always that bad, I got my custom 2 months after I paid the first installment

 

[troyguitar]

Go to a local show and see how many people are playing high-end instruments (let alone customs) and how many are playing budget instruments.

Around here I occasionally see someone with Ibanez Prestige models or a Gibson, but most dudes seem to spend most of their money (if they spend a lot of money at all) on the amp and not guitars. I've seen guys with $3000+ Mesa setups and ridiculous amounts of pedals play $300 guitars with stock pickups.

This is true. Most people I see around here (me and my bandmates included) play mid-range guitars live. Lots of LTD's, Schecters, Jackson DK2's, Ibanez RG470's, MIM or Highway 1 Fenders, and Faded or Studio Gibsons at the high end. These guys generally have 6505+, Dual Rectifier, or Marshall DSL/TSL halfstacks and $500-$1000 pedal boards too which is kind of funny IMO.

I'm the oddball playing a Jackson RR1 through a cheapass DigiTech 2101 -> cheap Peavey poweramp with no pedals at all. But even I wouldn't want to play out on a custom guitar unless I could afford to have a bunch of them at home too for backups. With my RR1 I don't take it out of the car until everything else is set up if possible, then I don't ever let it out of my sight until it's put back in the car.

 

[Andromalia]

Well, expensive pedalboards have the advantage for people without a lot of money to allow for separated buys, one pedal now and then. Makes it easier for people having difficulties to save money and not spend what they have.

 

[BeyondAntares]

i'm unfortunately a brand whpre. I've exclusively sold myself to Ibanez for eternity. I tried Les pauls, gibsons, jacksons, fenders, ESP's, PRS's and ernie balls and can't seem to get over how much better an ibanez is.

But mind you I play super wizard necks and thus every other guitar neck on the planet feels like a baseball bat