What Do You Want to See More of in the ERG Market?

[Bearitone]

What do you think the ERG market is missing? Or what does it need more of? Not enough baritone 6 options? Not enough headless options? Not enough pickup configurations?
Sick of all black paint jobs on affordable models? What sort of guitar do you wish was out there but, isn’t?

And i don’t just mean listing specs of your ideal custom guitar lol. I mean what would you want to see companies bring more of to the table in general? Or what gap is there that you think should/could be filled?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

More trems on 8+ strings.

More (any) 8s from from established, reputable, boutique shops and the legacy brands. I'd love a Suhr, EBMM, or Fender 8.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

more headless and multiscale, also more exotic shapes like stars/warriors/xiphos, etc.

 

[lurè]

more headless and multiscale around the price tag of a prestige ibanez

 

[lurè]

But I'll retire everything I said if an 8 string xiphos comes out tomorrow

 

[Demiurge]

More baritone 6s. I have big, clumsy hands better for stretching across frets than over a wide FB. Also, it kind of blows when you have all pickups for 6s, then a smaller selection for 7s, and then an even smaller selection for 8s and so on.

 

[MerlinTKD]

A fuller range of 8's: entry, low-mid, hi-mid, pro.
A finish that's not gloss black.
Better quality instruments at the lower price levels (though that's an issue for all guitars, not just ERG's)
Would love to see FF 8's that don't have 25.5 as the high side scale, but I'm probably a minority there

 

[Bearitone]

More baritone 6s. I have big, clumsy hands better for stretching across frets than over a wide FB. Also, it kind of blows when you have all pickups for 6s, then a smaller selection for 7s, and then an even smaller selection for 8s and so on.

I completely agree. I’m a baritone 6 guy myself. I wish there more 28” and above options. Evertuned baritones would be great to see too.

 

[Winspear]

The baritone 7 range is severely neglected imo. Baritone 6s are ok, at least they were a thing way back in the day so we have a selection of Bass VIs and a few modern takes on them. Plus some other true baritone 6s around the 28" area.
7 strings though, it's hard to find anything as long as either of those. At least there is Ormsby.
Agreed on ERGs with treble sides longer than 25.5. I know it makes the bend distance slightly more but I'm surprised there is so much opposition from lead players unhappy to use 009s on 27 vs 010s on 25.5 for example.
I'd like to see more single coil focused ERGs and vintage designs - again why I love Bass VIs so much.
Also more extreme shapes!

 

[Acaciastrain360]

I’d love to see more composite guitars...carbon fibre, Kevlar etc
A bit like that thing Lucas Mann has?

Just like the idea of some innovative things like that

 

[Obsidian Soul]

More S-S-H and/or H-S-H configurations on ERGs.

More single coils for ERGs.

 

[Joan Maal]

This Strato ...

 

[SurelyTheEnd]

I would buy a TAM10-a-like in a heartbeat if it had a flametop with a burst finish.

 

[BananaDemocracy]

Great question...IMHO the ERG market is flooded....No one REALLY knew what they wanted out of the instrument coming out of the gate so luthiers were scrambling to be the innovator that hits the nail on the head. The thing is, and chime in to correct me if I’m wrong, its really a poor approach to the development of this “new” instrument.

What’s happening is they are using sales and marketing to gauge what to sell(and this forum lol), rather than sitting down with professional or professional level artists to have a real focus group discussion on where to take this. IIRC it started like “wow there’s an 8 string ibanez?!!!” For 2 years or so. Then when it was common knowledge that an 8 string surely existed, suddenly there was entry level models, mid range and high priced 8,9 and 10 strings, fanned frets, this and that ba ba ba ba! Whew! Looking back it was extremely quick, that huge jump from 7 to 10... I mean 7 strings was considered strange until the late 2000s even, so its really something...

What would I like in an ERG? Honestly, something like that Dino model in the for sale forum. I think its a great idea to have the drone, but I play open stringed a lot so maybe thats just me...

IDK man, there were SO many ideas and models and configurations that its hard to say now at all what I would want to put in ONE instrument.....I guess thats why us guitarists have such ridiculous GAS!!! Lol

 

[ixlramp]

Obvious coming from me but: more headless, more extreme and ergonomic shapes (less focus on boring superstrats).
Simple, low cost 9s and 10s from major manufacturers, it's difficult for me to get an Agile here in the UK.
Longer scales, less fear of making the high E unusable, less focus on standard tuning.
Bass scales combined with headless so guitar strings can be used for the higher strings.
More trem-equipped 8s.

 

[Bearitone]

This Strato ...
View attachment 67635

Lmao! That headstock is gigantic!

 

[BigViolin]

More rejection of the Les Paul/Strat dogma. Not wholesale of course but where's our Steve Klein or Ned Steinberger. And I'm not dismissing Ola Strandberg, just don't like the neck shape and think the body needs a tweak to encourage better wrist angle.

 

[BigViolin]

Shorter multiscales for 6s (not really ERG) and more extreme fans for 8s. I'd love to try 26.5-29" on an 8.

 

[Bearitone]

Great question...IMHO the ERG market is flooded....No one REALLY knew what they wanted out of the instrument coming out of the gate so luthiers were scrambling to be the innovator that hits the nail on the head. The thing is, and chime in to correct me if I’m wrong, its really a poor approach to the development of this “new” instrument.

What’s happening is they are using sales and marketing to gauge what to sell(and this forum lol), rather than sitting down with professional or professional level artists to have a real focus group discussion on where to take this. IIRC it started like “wow there’s an 8 string ibanez?!!!” For 2 years or so. Then when it was common knowledge that an 8 string surely existed, suddenly there was entry level models, mid range and high priced 8,9 and 10 strings, fanned frets, this and that ba ba ba ba! Whew! Looking back it was extremely quick, that huge jump from 7 to 10... I mean 7 strings was considered strange until the late 2000s even, so its really something...

What would I like in an ERG? Honestly, something like that Dino model in the for sale forum. I think its a great idea to have the drone, but I play open stringed a lot so maybe thats just me...

IDK man, there were SO many ideas and models and configurations that its hard to say now at all what I would want to put in ONE instrument.....I guess thats why us guitarists have such ridiculous GAS!!! Lol

What Dino model?

 

[mlp187]

I really like the bridge pickup being closer to the saddles. It might be a false perception but I like the "boinginess" it gives to the sound. Again, this is an empirical discovery on my end and could be nothing.

Outside of that, I would like to see a blue metallic flake, gloss m80m variant with an ebony fretboard and hipshot bridge.