With doing business in California, I can understand the companies struggles. What I don’t understand is why not then add the option to have any guitar or bass able to be ordered in any color that Music Man makes. For example, let’s say I wanted to order a Cutlass bass in the finish Trans Buttermilk that the Valentine Guitar comes in. Heck, even if it was an up charge option that way EBMM gets more money from a sale. The paint is a finish already kept in stock so I don’t see why it couldn’t be done. Or the ability to order a Bongo with an unfinished neck. I hate painted necks and that is the only reason why I never bought additional Bongo’s.
Both guitar companies I have worked for and 1 that I still do, is much smaller than EBMM but we are able to do custom shop stuff or on standard models, simply offer finishes across the board on any guitar or bass we make. Both companies have done that from day 1 and both have been profitable from doing so. And since Music Man raised their prices for instruments across the board to now approaching custom shop pricing anyway, for those people unhappy with the price increases and now saying for the new pricing they would just pay a little more or equal to Music Mans new pricing and go custom shop, it would possibly keep those customers and maybe even in turn, cause them to order something new. I guarantee if the option was available, and I could order a Bongo with a natural or roasted unfinished neck and in mystic dream, I would do so when my next bonus check comes in sometime in July or August.
I’m not trying to sound critical but simply offer options to hopefully help EBMM grow. And I’ve never understood if both of the guitar companies I have worked for and 1 that I still work for can do that and be profitable, why can’t EBMM, who is much larger?
I believe the claims BP has made about EBMM struggling in California but I can’t see how drastic price increases across the board will bring in more sales. If anything, you would think it would bring in less. Like the Cutlass bass for example. In 2017 and prior, it sold for $1,599.99 or $1,649.99. Now it sells for either $2,199.99 or 2,299.99 depending on the finish. The used market for the same bass is max, $1,200.00 or less. There were no changes made to this bass yet it saw a price increase of $600.00. Why would anyone buy a new one when used, they can get one for $1,000.00 less and in some cases, save even more than that. Or why wouldn’t they just buy some other Made in America P bass brand and pay at the most, no more than $1,800.00, still saving them at least $400.00 and then get better selection of finishes.
I’m not saying all of these things to beat up EBMM or be an ass but instead, I would love to see EBMM succeed and because with the new price increases I feel, making that success more difficult, I wanted to inquire about my suggestion and see why it couldn’t be done.
