Why introduce new models?

[phatduckk]

So last night i was wondering ... "what prompts a guitar company to make a new bass or guitar?" ... so i thought id post this up and see if someone at EB could comment.

Some instruments like the HH and HS Ray's and Sterling's seem like an evolutionary thing, some guitars are a sig model or an updated Sig etc but a few are a "new thing" and I was wondering what prompts these "new things" to pop into the production line ... im guessing there's a lot of "gut instinct" involved.

I was also wondering is there's any kind of "got to cover all the bases" pressure. ex:
- P-bass sound, check
- better strart than a start sound, check
- metal guitar, check
- "affordable" bass, check

have a good weekend all

BTW: im definately not bagging on the new models (ya'll know how excited i am for those) ... just wondering what the "introduce a new instrument" process is like

 

[Morrow]

I think you start out trying to keep things simple and concentrating on doing what you do best.

after that the inevitable is inevitable

 

[willhaven]

Customer requests maybe. When you do something like make guitars, there's bound to be experimentation as well.

Frankenstein experiments sometimes end up as great ideas.

 

[Beth]

its called passion...

...I'll let Big Poppa elaborate...

 

[bovinehost]

I love talking to him about the Bongo. I get excited all over again.

Errr, you know, about the Bongo, I mean.

 

[Steve Dude Barr]

Slow the heck down there will ya...it'll take me weeks just to learn the product line!!

BP is all about the passion and not the money...took me about 5 seconds the other night to spot it over the phone and ya can't fake that!

 

[Big Poppa]

There are several ways in which a new model sees the light of day. The first is to accomodate an artist. The second falls under the No Brainer category, i.e. two pickup basses. 3. Changing consumer demand. 4. Pressure from retailers and distributors. 5 curious staff given the freedom to experiment and grow. 6. I may have ADD and have to keep movin to keep it interesting.


The Axis and the axis super sport was a desire to use the fabulous trem system dudley designed and get away from the Floyd....it gave us a chance to use different woods and pickups too. It made the Axis a better rounded machine. The SUb was in response to pricing pressure at retail. We needed to have a presense in the Koreean price point and I wanted to prove thqat it didn have to be made overseas to achieve Succes.
Sometimes new models are a result of chewing the fat and BINGO and idea.

If you subscribe to the theory that the last good guitar or bass was designed in 1953,
then continue to repackage and re introduce colors. If you are dumb enough like me and figure that these instruments can evolve and if you do your job right and have enough conviction to see it though...... even if you encounter resistance like we did with the Silhouette and most recently the Bongo, then you can take a little pride in the fact that you helped bring some new tools to the musical tooolbox, another spice in the spice rack.

You know that when Dudley and I joined forces we were both in our late twenties. We had a pretty blank canvas back then and just kind of went for it.

 

[basspastor]

You are still going for it and it is appreciated. KEEP IT UP!

 

[JB1]

I think it's called 'Pushing the envelope'

Keep innovatin' baby.

 

[bongo man]

its called passion...


Beth-you are right on the mark-
passion is the key ingredient-
mixed with imagination and ethics---- it's a winning combination-
the artistic souls that abound in the EBMM camp are reflected in the instruments.
I'd better stop before I start preaching;-)))))
cliff

 

[phatduckk]

sweet .... thanks for the input BP. personally I dont wanna play the P bass part 9 and love the "lets do something new" thing you guys have going on

thanks again for the info.

 

[scottbass71]

thanks for the insight