To BP: Product Segmentation Question.

[Sub1 Zero]

There are some guitars that just look funny without a carved top, but all of EBMM's offerings were designed as flat tops, and to my eye look best as that. I find flat top Les Pauls to be hideous, however...

 

[paranoid70]

I feel stupid for asking this... but what's a carved top?

 

[roburado]

C. WE havent really felt the need to do a carved top. We prototyped a few for JP in the original 'f-1' era. (By the way we are always prototyping for JP.)

Oh yeah. I forgot about that. I love that EBMM and JP are always trying to push things forward. That's one of the things I love most about the company. That's one of the things I love most about JP.

 

[whitestrat]

B. Suhr is not a competitor...they are much more boutique

That's interesting... I would have thought that Suhr is actually becoming less and less boutique. he personally no longer builds any of the guitars nor checks them as they leave the factory. he's turned it into a business rather that a boutique operation.

C. WE havent really felt the need to do a carved top. We prototyped a few for JP in the original 'f-1' era. (By the way we are always prototyping for JP.)

D. Carved tops can alter the top only in relation to the thickness of the maple top.

There was a carved top JP? I remember a set necked version, but didn't see the carved top version. That's cool.

So you mean that if you add a carved top to the axis, it'll cost more? since the top needs to be thicker?

 

[Sub1 Zero]

he's turned it into a business rather that a boutique operation.

That's precisely what it always has been; he wasn't building guitars out of benevolence.

 

[Ripper]

So you mean that if you add a carved top to the axis, it'll cost more? since the top needs to be thicker?

Yo bro, not that I'm in the guitar building biz, but my tech knowledge tells me that you cant steam-treat the maple plank and press it into a carve top like a inverted bowl/plate. You need a thick plank and labour to CNC out the entire capping. Either way, addition cost will be incurred and borne by the end user.

Who knows - in another world there might have been another heavy hitter boutique line called "Gimpel".

I like this statement.

 

[whitestrat]

You need a thick plank and labour to CNC out the entire capping. Either way, addition cost will be incurred and borne by the end user.

Of course I know that. What I meant was, would there be an upcharge just because it's a carve top, which is done by CNC anyways. Remember, the 3 ply "binding" for the 20th Silo alone was probably more painful a process than having to carve out a top by machine.

I still think a carved-top Axis would rule!

 

[whitestrat]

I just read a comments on another forum from someone who owns EBMM and some of the boutiques and they say the quality of the EBMMs is right up there with the boutiques. I've played some Suhrs and Tylers and I would have to agree.

No doubt about that. Check one of my older posts from last year. Where i actually did contemplate buying a Suhr in Japan, but could never find what I really liked. I ended up buying yet another Silo Spec.

Everyone who has tried any of my Silo Specs all swear it's one of the nicest guitars they've ever played. And some of those guys do own quite a few boutique stuff.

I myself have something very custom coming my way, mainly ordered because it's something I can't get from any EBMM standard offering. One thing though, the neck profile and dimensions are based exactly on my Silo Spec.