Vik Duality 8 string run *CLOSED RUN*

[Yul Brynner]

Now you're a bit worried? I figured everyone knew two years ago to chalk this one up as a loss. Just like Darren and BRJ, I'm pretty sure Vik just pocketed your money with zero consequences.

 

[thrsher]

was the 8ff redwood that vik just finished for anyone in this run by chance?

 

[narad]

was the 8ff redwood that vik just finished for anyone in this run by chance?

Would be nice if it were true. I guess you mean this one?

Great piece of wood, to me killed by the reverse orientation neck pickup + the soapbar routes. He just did another FF8 with soapbar routes and fanned open-bobbin pickups too...I don't understand.

 

[thrsher]

I didn't even notice those details I wasnt really looking, I was just hoping maybe he would make good on these runs

 

[Sermo Lupi]

Great piece of wood, to me killed by the reverse orientation neck pickup + the soapbar routes. He just did another FF8 with soapbar routes and fanned open-bobbin pickups too...I don't understand.

I don't like it either, but to be fair, putting the screw in the corners of the baseplate is probably the most efficient way of saving space on an offset pickup like that, plus it's easier to route. The only argument for not doing it is aesthetics, which is subjective, and while I hate pickup rings, soapbars, and so on, some people dig them and hate direct mount pickups in turn.

Hell of a top on that thing, though. One piece, too.

 

[Knarbens]

I chatted with Vik about the soapbar routes and he told me it is intentional.

 

[teqnick]

You'd think he would only orient his pickups "straight".

sorry

 

[KnightBrolaire]

You'd think he would only orient his pickups "straight".

sorry

 

[narad]

I chatted with Vik about the soapbar routes and he told me it is intentional.

Vik has been doing a lot of specs lately that are both intentional and aesthetically subpar. Honestly don't understand it because the specs of guitars that got him going in 2010 or so were all really nice... weird stains, block inlays on everything, now these routes. I would have loved this guitar, for example:

 

[mphsc]

I know the guy that owns both and he loves em. Not a fan of the routs either but the stain was a request of the owner on the Savior.

 

[Yul Brynner]

So did Vik prices go down due to the hate and extreme wait times or did they go up due to the rarity?

 

[KnightBrolaire]

So did Vik prices go down due to the hate and extreme wait times or did they go up due to the rarity?

I've never seen a used one for under 3k unless they're beat up. i'd say the prices have gone up

 

[narad]

I know the guy that owns both and he loves em. Not a fan of the routs either but the stain was a request of the owner on the Savior.

That's an awesome stain, just the routes are wonky. For when you want that 2006 blackmachine 8-string-originally-with-EMGs-now-with-blackmachines look.

I've never seen a used one for under 3k unless they're beat up. i'd say the prices have gone up

Definitely down. Just on Reverb now there's the FF burl savior that inspired me to place my first order -- that was in the high $3k, and was being pushed around used $4-5k during the hypiest. Now asking $3.1. All the dualities need to be in the $4k range to move, and a bunch of nicer ones are there now not moving. I mean, just look at Reverb. The whole history's there and that's just asking price, and not including the guys that just pulled their ads.

It's a weird situation though -- like 3 guys must own 50% of all Viks.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

That's an awesome stain, just the routes are wonky. For when you want that 2006 blackmachine 8-string-originally-with-EMGs-now-with-blackmachines look.



Definitely down. Just on Reverb now there's the FF burl savior that inspired me to place my first order -- that was in the high $3k, and was being pushed around used $4-5k during the hypiest. Now asking $3.1. All the dualities need to be in the $4k range to move, and a bunch of nicer ones are there now not moving. I mean, just look at Reverb. The whole history's there and that's just asking price, and not including the guys that just pulled their ads.

It's a weird situation though -- like 3 guys must own 50% of all Viks.

yeah marquette studios owns almost all of the 8 strings on reverb
I only see 2 Viks for under 4k and it's the beat up 8 string duality, and that burl savior you mentioned. All the other ones are over 4.5k, including cloudy's 6 string duality.
I don't know, at the prices these are still going for I'd rather put the money towards a custom build with someone like carillion or oni.

 

[narad]

yeah marquette studios owns almost all of the 8 strings on reverb
I only see 2 Viks for under 4k and it's the beat up 8 string duality, and that burl savior you mentioned. All the other ones are over 4.5k, including cloudy's 6 string duality.
I don't know, at the prices these are still going for I'd rather put the money towards a custom build with someone like carillion or oni.

But lots of these guys had to pay $5.5-7k to skip the queue, now unloading for $4.5k asking. I paid roughly the same for my new vik as I did my used vik, and the used vik specs were just way, way pricier options.

I do think Oni and Carillion will likely build a far better guitar, but Vik designs are just really visually appealing to me. When they're specced out well that is! But the Oni and Carillion guys are great people, so that sways it for me.

 

[Lorcan Ward]

I hope you guys get your guitars. I know first hand how tough it can be dealing with Vik. He does make an incredible instrument though.

Edit: Just saw my old Vik is up on Reverb too.
Double Edit: And my Daemoness

If you wanted a hi-end custom you'd probably find whatever you want on reverb with the amount of guitars listed.

Vik has been doing a lot of specs lately that are both intentional and aesthetically subpar.

The recent pink one is the oddest yet. Suppose he's trying to do something different than the typical hi-grade figured wood orders.

So did Vik prices go down due to the hate and extreme wait times or did they go up due to the rarity?

Vik is more in demand now than he's even been judging by the amount of guitars and the prices people are willing to pay for show builds/in-stocks.

 

[narad]

Vik is more in demand now than he's even been judging by the amount of guitars and the prices people are willing to pay for show builds/in-stocks.

How can you say that when there's more than 10 for sale right now and most have been sitting for months? Used to be an absolute rarity to see nice duality for sale, while that nice koa one (not the one currently on reverb) sat for months before selling for at most something like $4.5k.

Yea, glad reverb saves this stuff:
https://reverb.com/item/4343244-vik-guitars-koa-duality-7-rosewood-macassar-ebony-b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l

 

[KnightBrolaire]

But lots of these guys had to pay $5.5-7k to skip the queue, now unloading for $4.5k asking. I paid roughly the same for my new vik as I did my used vik, and the used vik specs were just way, way pricier options.

I do think Oni and Carillion will likely build a far better guitar, but Vik designs are just really visually appealing to me. When they're specced out well that is! But the Oni and Carillion guys are great people, so that sways it for me.

From an aesthetic/visual standpoint I think a lot of the dualitys I've seen are awesome, but I can't justify that price for a used guitar from a builder with the rep that vik has accrued in the last couple of years.
I love the wood choices on some of the Viks I've seen on reverb, particularly ones where they have the black middle layer on the body, or the ebony binding on a maple fretboard. That GT Duality 7 is also super aesthetically pleasing imo. Hell, I'd copy those wood choices and just get carillion or oni to make it.

 

[Lorcan Ward]

How can you say that when there's more than 10 for sale right now and most have been sitting for months? Used to be an absolute rarity to see nice duality for sale, while that nice koa one (not the one currently on reverb) sat for months before selling for at most something like $4.5k.

I meant to write in direct from Vik since you covered second hand builds. Vik's actual business is probably better than ever before but the second hand ones are falling in value. A few years ago there was barely any second hand ones, now there's so many.

 

[narad]

I meant to write in direct from Vik since you covered second hand builds. Vik's actual business is probably better than ever before but the second hand ones are falling in value. A few years ago there was barely any second hand ones, now there's so many.

Ah, gotcha. Yea, he's building more consistently. I don't know what to think about that when it's the same small set of guys buying them though.

It's like Aristides -- I mean, how can one assess value when Jackel Pun has literally given them like $35k in builds and another $15k in his students' orders? Aristides is of course much different because their volume is way bigger than Vik, but you have this same sort of thing with essentially a couple patrons driving an enormous amount of business.