RAN guitars offline. Did they close? Update: Trouble Relocating

[Velokki]

That's kind of how it already works, and it's not really industry specific to guitars.

Small shops innovate, as they're much more agile (typically) and due to market factors they need to innovate to stay above water.

When they hit on a great idea the larger manufacturers come in and use their supply chain muscle to make said innovation cheaper and faster to implement, which makes it more available to more buyers.

So the little guy is better at new ideas and the big guy is better at making them happen.

Yeah. This is going off topic, but look at companies like Thermo Fischer. That company is basically only a sum of its acquisitions! There's like 200 companies they own, and really have no R&D of their own these days. They are very proficient in scouting new companies and regularly buy new startups and younger companies' innovations to their product portfolio. It's really effective and probably the wisest way to operate such a company.

Guitars work differently, but it only makes sense that exactly what you described is happening

Talking about innovation, I wonder if some bigger company comes up with a mass-produced, cheaper version of a resin-guitar like Aristides, and in more traditional shapes (than Aristides). That could be something. Imagine a Jackson Soloist or an ESP Horizon that resonates like hell and sustains forever!

 

[BlacKat Guitars]

We had a fairly big company (US Music Corp) acquire Parker guitars, this didn't work too well. Gibson owning Steinberger is another garbage fire.

 

[StevenC]

We had a fairly big company (US Music Corp) acquire Parker guitars, this didn't work too well. Gibson owning Steinberger is another garbage fire.

Were either of those companies ever profitable? Parkers were incredibly expensive to build and no one would pay that price, and Steinberger was 3 decades before headless guitars caught on in any meaningful way.

It's not mismanagement if there's no market for this stuff.

 

[jephjacques]

And Gibson is run by idiots, which doesn't help.

 

[diagrammatiks]

Were either of those companies ever profitable? Parkers were incredibly expensive to build and no one would pay that price, and Steinberger was 3 decades before headless guitars caught on in any meaningful way.

It's not mismanagement if there's no market for this stuff.

I mean if you acquire a company that has no market that’s mismanagement.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Were either of those companies ever profitable? Parkers were incredibly expensive to build and no one would pay that price, and Steinberger was 3 decades before headless guitars caught on in any meaningful way.

It's not mismanagement if there's no market for this stuff.

The rest of their brands aren't in such a pretty state. Randall and Washburn don't have a lot going on at all.

 

[soldierkahn]

It is worth mentioning that one of the main goals of whole action is to get rid of fears about ordering guitars from Polish manufactures. We never treated Tomek from Blackat Guitars or Darek from Ran Guitars as our competition. We could always count on the help of both of them. We have built a network of local interests between which there is a certain unwritten mutual assistance agreement. These are manufacturers of guitar cases, hardware parts, timber/wood warehouses, etc. This initiative is the result of various situations related to this whole guitar-building related business. Of course, customers are in the first place in all of this. @Wolfhorsky and @BlacKat Guitars were faster than me to pay attention to it. Thanks Wojtek, thanks Tomek.



I was not going into details, but this is one of the solutions we use. Also there is no split so if you paid for example 900 EUR deposit then this entire deposit goes to your Skervesen Guitars build.

I think you guys and gals are all doing a fantastic job in removing that fear, or at least reducing it significantly. Knowing that putting in a RAN order or a Skerv order, that it will come to fruition in some manner, is definitely a sigh of relief for a lot!

 

[soldierkahn]

All I know is the Ibby copy someone got her years ago is what got me interested in custom guitars in the first place.

this was the exact reason i even started researching into Ran, and then Daemoness. I wanted to find someone who could make pretty much what you posted, with ebony and trem lol. Ive always dreamed of "certain specs" and Ran was delivering all of those when they were making the aboves.... too bad i missed the train years and years ago. I want to give Daemoness a LOT of credit, because when I was talking with him and his reps, he was willing to nail EVERYTHING i asked for, minus the reverse Ibanez headstock. He was even willing to go as far as to have a Skype session with me so we could design one that was super close, but i ended up letting him know that waiting 5 years for the build, i could only endure that if i could get everything i was asking for. But .... ill never stop searching.

not only was he super supportive, he said he was actually excited with my build and dug my specs. i was in awe

 

[soldierkahn]

View attachment 68476


Let us know if you find someone willing to actually do it. I'm looking for someone to make a duplicate of my main axe. I was talking with Ran guitars about doing a copy of my custom and they would no longer do an Ibby headstock so I was going to ask them to do something close which I could later modify into the shape. I was saving up for it when all this went down, so bitter sweet that I luckily didn't lose any money. Let us know if you find someone willing to actuallyy do it. I went to my original builder, Ron Blake, but he since retired from full builds. I was definately the first person I know of to have an Rga like these built. At least 5-6 years before any LACS or Rga models were released. I'm not not bragging, just saying, It was the only one on the internet or that I ever heard of for years, then they started popping up once Ibby released them. If anything Ibby copied me The closest thing at the time was an ESP. It's an Ed Roman (I know, let's not start on an Ed Roman rant please) built by Alan Dreher and Ron Blake. Ron did many customs for all the big names, they even did ghost builds for the LACS and never got credit because they are ghost builds. The man is a master and it was really sad to hear he doesn't do full builds any more. I think he's in his mid 70's now. Here's some pron. It's a black Limba Body, 3pc hard maple neck, full double edge system and hardware from an rg2027xvv made in 1999 a year before they were released, with EMG's , ebony fretboard and custom inlay. The neck profile is even nicer than the rg2027xvv was. 20 years later, It is still solid, though it has some battle scars, every one of which I kicked myself in the ass for, but this is a player guitar. I refuse to put it in a glass box and stare at it, that would be guitar abuse, but I do need a backup for it, so anyone who knows of a godd luthier that will do this, please tell! Also has a french polished ebony vaneer headstock, it's a 3/4" maple flame top with a thick ebony vanneer on the headstock to. View attachment 68474

following lol

 

[c7spheres]

I meant making one myself.

Wow, Wish I had those skills and tools. Do you build for others? I may be interested in the future of having a body clone built of my main guitar I posted above.

 

[Albake21]

Wow, Wish I had those skills and tools. Do you build for others? I may be interested in the future of having a body clone built of my main guitar I posted above.

Maybe when I get a bit better at the craft I'll start building stuff for others. As of right now, I'm still new and I'm just trying to better my craft.

 

[c7spheres]

Maybe when I get a bit better at the craft I'll start building stuff for others. As of right now, I'm still new and I'm just trying to better my craft.

Thanks!

 

[soldierkahn]

Maybe when I get a bit better at the craft I'll start building stuff for others. As of right now, I'm still new and I'm just trying to better my craft.

definitely cant hate on that. im still working out the bugs in making just a simple replacement body for my XL. Was gong to have someone else do it for a while, but with as rare as they are, i dont feel comfortable shipping them to someone and praying i get them back lol. about the only change im making spec wise is the bodywood, and im not routing for a trem.

 

[Ziricote]

Wow I read this thread and very happy I never jump on custom run last year. Its funny how some guys tell other guys its ok give ran the break because they have hard time with luthiers and rent. I'm advise people to not give a shit about their reasons. The only thing you should give shit about is your money. Does your teacher care why you didnt do homework? If you are always late or dont go in to work, do your bosses care your reason? If I was customer here then I dont care reason, i only care my personal money. Skervesen try to make offers is just them try to capitalize on situations here. Nobody wants to be forced to buy Skervesen. Thats like buying something you dont want only because its on sale. That is how you waste money. For sure there is more than you know here going on. The Ran company took money and that is all that matters. Why it happen really doesnt matter. They not your friends, they took money. Go with large companies now. These small company luthiers arent worth hassles. It happens so often. For Poland I go with Mayones, or I go with the ESP, Schecter or maybe the Jackson shop! There are small luthiers who produce good stuff, but pick wisely and never accept excuses. Its always the smaller luthiers who have excuses. I advise luthiers to stop w the excuses. People want guitars or money back. If you cant produce either then you are a crook. There is only this way to look at it. Its business

 

[Wolfhorsky]

Skervesen try to make offers is just them try to capitalize on situations here. Nobody wants to be forced to buy Skervesen. Thats like buying something you dont want only because its on sale. That is how you waste money. For sure there is more than you know here going on...

Easy, cowboy ;-)
You have freedom of speech, but Your opinions are just Your opinions - not facts.
Or should I say: You know shit and keep talkin’

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Easy, cowboy ;-)
You have freedom of speech, but Your opinions are just Your opinions - not facts.
Or should I say: You know shit and keep talkin’

I know there's a feeling of national pride for you guys, but if you, and anyone in here, continues to attack anyone who even so much as mentions another Polish builder you're all getting banned. Got it? Good.

 

[LeviathanKiller]

Wow I read this thread and very happy I never jump on custom run last year. Its funny how some guys tell other guys its ok give ran the break because they have hard time with luthiers and rent. I'm advise people to not give a shit about their reasons. The only thing you should give shit about is your money. Does your teacher care why you didnt do homework? If you are always late or dont go in to work, do your bosses care your reason? If I was customer here then I dont care reason, i only care my personal money. Skervesen try to make offers is just them try to capitalize on situations here. Nobody wants to be forced to buy Skervesen. Thats like buying something you dont want only because its on sale. That is how you waste money. For sure there is more than you know here going on. The Ran company took money and that is all that matters. Why it happen really doesnt matter. They not your friends, they took money. Go with large companies now. These small company luthiers arent worth hassles. It happens so often. For Poland I go with Mayones, or I go with the ESP, Schecter or maybe the Jackson shop! There are small luthiers who produce good stuff, but pick wisely and never accept excuses. Its always the smaller luthiers who have excuses. I advise luthiers to stop w the excuses. People want guitars or money back. If you cant produce either then you are a crook. There is only this way to look at it. Its business

When you deal with small luthiers you are dealing with people quite personally. Those people are subject to circumstances of life like sickness, and so on that tie them up where large companies just simply use another person or backup person. This is a huge con for dealing with small shops/luthiers BUT having such a personal relationship with them is also why many people choose them. You often talk directly to the person who's going to be hand-making your instrument and they are personally invested in seeing that you are happy with what they made you. For some people that's all worth it, for some people it's not. That is the advice I would give anyone considering this choice. Big shops did not simply exist spontaneously, they grew from small shops with customer interest. Some make it, some don't.

Also, no one is being forced to transfer their deposit to Skervesen or any other builder. It's just an easy-out option for those interested in such a thing.

 

[cip 123]

Skervesen try to make offers is just them try to capitalize on situations here. Nobody wants to be forced to buy Skervesen. Thats like buying something you dont want only because its on sale. That is how you waste money.

No one is being forced to buy a Skerv. Plus they have a good reputation so even if you went that option you can always flip it.

 

[canuck brian]

Talking about innovation, I wonder if some bigger company comes up with a mass-produced, cheaper version of a resin-guitar like Aristides, and in more traditional shapes (than Aristides). That could be something. Imagine a Jackson Soloist or an ESP Horizon that resonates like hell and sustains forever!

They would get sued instantly Aristides, and rightfully so. Patents exist for a reason. They're expensive because of what goes into building them and the research it took to get there.

Also no other company would put their balls on your guitar and post it online. It really is amazing how far they go for you.

Zirocote - relax dude.

 

[Velokki]

They would get sued instantly Aristides, and rightfully so. Patents exist for a reason. They're expensive because of what goes into building them and the research it took to get there.

Also no other company would put their balls on your guitar and post it online. It really is amazing how far they go for you.

Zirocote - relax dude.

Yeah, get what you mean, but I didn't mean copying Aristides. I meant producing another kind of resin-guitar, or maybe whatever-the-heck-new-material guitar!
Something radically different. Kinda like what Fishman did to pickups with their Fluences.

There's been very little innovation regarding guitar materials, that could be something big within the next decade.