Message for Tone?

[Big Poppa]

Hey Tone?

I think you deserve an answer to your question.

It would be neat to have one. It just doesnt fit our model. It is nearly impossible to find a niche....when you find that niche you must focus on it. We
do not believe that we could get the money for the custom guitars to make it profitable.

Our niche is making a bunch of different stuff at the same time...most factories run 50 or 500 black and then run a sunburst huge batch....we make them one at a time and each instrument that is ordered has already been sold to either a customer or a dealer.

2009 was the worst year in history for the musical products industry.....If I saw that as an option for success I would do it.

Now dont everybody pile on....also when someone fairly new brings up and old topic....show the links....... but dont embarrass them.....

 

[Tone?]

Much appreciated BP

(btw I erased my thread about a CS because I had a legitimate desire and the last thing I wanted was a pissing match about absolutely nothing)


Pardon me if it has been done to death.

I really love my Axis.
I just put it down and it was difficult cause I have to go to bed for work tomorrow.
It has been a REAL nice instrument in my hands and I am sure that is very satisfying to you as an instrument maker to hear that it is tough to put down.

i just really wish it had a bit of a wider neck on it. that plus ALL THE STUFF that I love about my ebmm that i listed before make it make me wish I had ebmm make me my dream axe.
there are lots of REAL good guitar makers out there and everyone knows it.
but everyone has their little points that make them special and loved more by some. well I just thought that the best option for me would be to have an Axis with a wider neck.

its all good and a totally respectable answer.

I especially appreciate that you took the time to answer something that has been beaten to death in the past. its just a few words after all and in the end if you should know......

EBMM won me with your response.


thanks so much!

 

[zombywoof]

I have to say that it was a classy gesture to take the time to explain the inside view point to tone?, specially after how some people were falling on him yesterday...
At some point it looked like the members of a sect were stoning an heretic that had committed some kind of a crime by bringing up some forbidden question!

 

[mojomkr]

Hey, I'm willing to take my own advice to get famous and get my own

"one off" made or my own Signature model. The "one off" though. What

would it be for though is my question. Bragging rights? Resale value?

Music Man guitars are already professional grade. Custom Shop Guitar's

are a marketing ploy. The only thing I see as a "one off" is a custom

paint job. Which BTW have been released in the past.

 

[Slowlicks]

I like them as they are... They are certainly easy to play or get use to playing rather quickly.
Best I've ever laid my hands on. A new Luke is in my very, very near future. Will sit nicely along side my JPX and Silhouette............
I spoke with Pete this week, He has a white Pearl.. I'm undecided.

 

[Big Poppa]

guys lets not start the bs again....

 

[Tone?]

BP, for the love of God please just erase the thread.
I got my answer from where it counts.

they just cant stop. lol

cheers,

NC

 

[Dante]

the failure of western society is the inability to disagree, respect and let it go.

 

[e.mate]

the failure of western society is the inability to disagree, respect and let it go.

+1

RESPECT, brothers...please!

 

[Big Poppa]

Dante...I think it is human nature and not limited to any particular society. Lets see if someone disagrees and then argues.....

We dont have to close it...Tone we get to respect their opinion also.

 

[paranoid70]

2009 was the worst year in history for the musical products industry.....

Ironic that you guys introduced three outstanding new guitars/basses that year. (25th & Big AL)

Hope things pick up soon.

 

[TNT]

Hey BP, just in case you wouldn't mind elaborating:

What did you mean by . . . . . " they'll run 50 or 500 black"? Why the "or"?

Does that mean, generally speaking, "black" is usually the first color out the door; then (for a reason unknown to me) they follow it up with Sunburst?

Are they the two "time tested" colors?

Anyway, I was just curious, if you feel like responding.

 

[B2D]

BP - I have a question for you.

Outside of this board (most/all of whom are EBMM diehards) how much demand do you personally see for an EBMM Custom Shop, based on feedback from customers, trade shows, phone calls, etc?

On a side note, I can't tell you how many people I've heard say "I'd love those EBMM's if they'd just offer an 1-11/16ths inch nut option - the current necks/nuts are too small for my hands".

The same thing that drew me into EBMMs - the neck profile and nut width - seems to keep some people away but they keep coming back around trying to make it work because they know the guitars are top notch. Would tooling up for a 1-11/16ths inch nut option be viable?

 

[straycat113]

Hey Tone I understood and totally respect where you are coming from. mojomkr yes some people do think like that but then again the majority would probably would probably just like an option to make there guitar as smooth playing as possible. I do not see having the option of changing something around a marketing ploy as usually the changes will only appeal to a small percentage of players.

I doubt there is anyone that given the choice would not like to change something on there guitar if offered the chance.Be it a tone, volume, toggles switch or whatever the case may be. Maybe Tone has SRV size hands and since he loves his Axis so much just wishes he could get a wider neck. I cant find his original post but I believe that is where he is coming from. If you check out the Harmony Central user reviews for both the EVH/Axis or Wolfgang you will find most guys who have a problem with the guitar are really tall guys with big hands.

Also kudos to you Sterling for really taking control of this thread and giving the guy a fair shake to speak. Though for some reason a bullet may wiz by my head.lol That is cool , as it wont be the first time.

 

[Big Poppa]

Stray if a bullet whizzes by your head it is usually in response to something you said. YOu have some very firm opinions....no problem you should expect the boomerang to come back.

Outside of this board or inside everybody would like to have a guitar just how they THINK that they would like. Would they pony up for the one offs? NO. Not enough.A one off would add 3 times the price. Please don't argue that point anyone. Look at what a truly custom guitar costs and there is your answer. We try to keep our prices as low as possible and we are still in rare air.

You know the one thing is that you cannot make a guitar for everyone. Any product for that matter. What you have to do is hopefully find your niche and your personality and pray for enough market support.. Some who think PRS chunky necks are cool don't like ours...and vice versa. Porsche and a BMW are high performance cars but arrive at that from a different design and characteristic standpoint. Some on the Porsche board state that they dont like BMW's because.....

Please understand that we are programmed to make over 150,000 options/models/combinations and barely make a profit. Once again thank dog for Slinky's.

TNT 50 or a medium sized companies run and 500 for a larger one. a run of 1 for us.

B2D Most companies in all industries cut two things first when a market slows down....1.Advertising...(we dont really do...if you see one it is usually something we got included in our Ernie Ball advertising negiotiations.) 2. Research and development. I believe that is the opposite....I pretty much put the pedal to the metal on the R and D side and added engineering staff and equipment .

THe other thing companies do is lay off employees. Neither my Father before me or I have ever had a lay off. Since 1962. We should have had a few over the last two years. It was VERY expensive for me personally to stay in the guitar business. Things are looking up this year do to the combined efforts of the team in SLO.

 

[Smellybum]

THe other thing companies do is lay off employees. Neither my Father before me or I have ever had a lay off. Since 1962. We should have had a few over the last two years. It was VERY expensive for me personally to stay in the guitar business. Things are looking up this year do to the combined efforts of the team in SLO.

Sorry for the minor hijack but credit where credit is due, the global IT giant I work for trimmed 10% worldwide last year, and is set to do the same again in 2010 and probably again in 2011 - for a company the size of EBMM to be able to keep people on through the storms right now - is pretty damn sensational - you know I'm a fanboi anyway but that's just plain committed - well done sir!

Back on track -it's an interesting point you make BP, it's almost like saying 'can consumers be trusted to make up their own mind' - There's a guy on the internet called the tone king, who does alot of you tube demos and 'shootout's - he had a guitar made - and I'll describe it - Silver Sparkle with a leopard print showing on a third of the body locking trem half maple, half ebony fingerboard - now I'm willing to bet - less than 2% of you would buy that based on how I've described it - but the cost and workmanship that went into it probably tops - 200 manhours? - even saying $20 an hour - that's a lot - and to make a profit on that ?? -it'd need to sell for $7-8k>>>?? - that's a lot - but Mr tone king seems happy - just wonder how many you'd sell......

Take something like and Axis - available in a choice of colours, options around fingerboard and trem, the shape is iconic and has 'roots' - 100+ possible combinations I bet more than 60% of us have owned,do own or considered owning an axis. Like I say it's almost like consumers should be shown what to buy rather than decide for themselves, otherwise where the point in being in business, you're not offering products you're offering a service which is too open to personal interpretation.

When I was 12 I always wanted a custom shop guitar, when I was 17 the luither in the music shop I worked in started his own guitar company (he now techs for major name bands) but... once I got over the "wow I've got a guitar with my initials in the back and the pickups I wanted" that was it - I get the same 'buzz' if not more from buying something here like a Dargie or BFR, you've got the 'it's RARE' element, you've got a bunch of people you can invoke 'bragging rights to ' and you've got the option to sell on as the shape design (and process of seeing released) is made public through here - there are some very 'rare' pieces here which I question if you could get better elsewhere.... especially on a 1 off basis. Just my 2 cents.

 

[paranoid70]

THe other thing companies do is lay off employees. Neither my Father before me or I have ever had a lay off. Since 1962. We should have had a few over the last two years. It was VERY expensive for me personally to stay in the guitar business. Things are looking up this year do to the combined efforts of the team in SLO.

Wait... what? No layoffs in 40 years? Amazing. It seems like we average one every other year including a small one and a huge one last year. In about 9 months when production is mostly closed up and moved to Massachusettes and Thailand, we will be down to about 20% of what were a few years ago. (That is of course if *I* am still part of *we*).

 

[tonelover]

So I guess that an AXIS Flying V is out of the question then.

Seriously, I am a new MM convert and am nothing but amazed at the quality of your guitars. Three AXI so far, and am on the hunt for a fourth in a burst finish when the right one shows up. Keep up the good work, I do what I can to spread the word about you when people ask me about my guitars.

 

[dmcguitar]

Well BP, I'm glad you did what you needed to to stay in business the past few years. I've been wanting a JP since they came out and finally did and its a rare one!

If you ever do allow a mix and match of the current products to make a "custom" guitar and maybe different paint, I'll be on board.