Custom order pricing.

[headsup]

 

Good morning Forumsters.

Last night I got bored enough to play a little "what's my guitar worth if I ordered it as it is?" game.

Some of you might try this as well, purely for fun and educational purposes.

But lets just say, I want (from the webpage) a "traditional" OM 50 series, with a few "upgrades"

The MSLP on that guitar is                           $3298.00   (USD)

The upgrades (custom pricing) I want,

Ivoroid binding & heel cap                                 80
Flame  Maple Binding                                    $   60
pyramid bridge                                                200
slotted headstock (with tuners)                         600
cutaway                                                         700

and to top the whole thing off,
a nice full sunburst finish.                               1000
                                                                __________

so....
base price plus custom pricing upgrades        $5938.00  (USD)

add the current exchange rate                       1800  (it would cost me that much extra to buy that many USD)

and MY price would be (give or take).........    $7,738.00


OK now I KNOW this is NOT the way one puts a value on their guitar, (basically I have the guitar I was pricing, and of course we don't pay that kind of $ for them,

but I realized, it's a bit like the base price on a new car, then add in all the cool stuff you want, and  KACHING!!!!!!

Just another discussion topic for a dreary Mid march day.

and....go.

[Mikeymac]

Yeah... options can add up fast, and you never recoup even a fraction of them if/when you resell an instrument. For this reason I was very careful with add-ons when I did a custom order about 18 months ago... some of the other options I thought were desirable *for ME* were headed into the KACHING range...so I kept it as simple as possible.

[Walkerman]

I have never bought a guitar based upon resale.  I never plan on selling any of my guitars.  I buy what I like/want.

[edbruton]

Retail seems to be dreams.  Excellent Larrivees can be purchased for o :beerne third that price.
I have an excellent Brazilian 000-60 for  $2500, a Madagascar for $1700, etc.
Buy the values; they might go up!

[headsup]

I have never bought a guitar based upon resale.  I never plan on selling any of my guitars.  I buy what I like/want.

I don't recall mentioning anything about resale in my OP.
I have many Larrivee (and other) guitars.
They are all very special, I don't buy them on spec or for resale purposes.
I buy them to play.

My OP was was initiated by the fact that I don't see very many sunburst guitars around these days,
as both mine were made for NAMM shows, I'm guessing folks don't seem to be custom ordering things like a sunburst top.
Then I looked at all the other "upgrades" some of my guitars came with.

Again, I compared it to the "base" price of a car, then start adding the options the dealer/builder might have on offer.

[Mikeymac]

I have never bought a guitar based upon resale.  I never plan on selling any of my guitars.  I buy what I like/want.

Yeah - I did say IF/when you sell, because life happens, or GAS happens, or you may find you just don't play a guitar as much as you imagined you would when you first purchased it and loved it. That's all I meant.

When I purchased each of my Larrivees (I think I've owned a total of 9 or 10 different ones over the years) I never thought I would sell any of them. But I currently have four (with another incoming eventually!), and I know I will sell at least one of the currently owned ones.

[L07 Shooting Star]

MSRP is just a number from which to calculate a reasonable street price.  I agree it's like with automobiles and so many other consumer items.  Why this system of pricing items got started is beyond my comprehension,  Maybe it's because there are a certain number of suckers that will pay the MSRP?

[Walkerman]

I don't recall mentioning anything about resale in my OP.
I have many Larrivee (and other) guitars.
They are all very special, I don't buy them on spec or for resale purposes.
I buy them to play.

My OP was was initiated by the fact that I don't see very many sunburst guitars around these days,
as both mine were made for NAMM shows, I'm guessing folks don't seem to be custom ordering things like a sunburst top.
Then I looked at all the other "upgrades" some of my guitars came with.

Again, I compared it to the "base" price of a car, then start adding the options the dealer/builder might have on offer.

Sunburst seems more apropos to country players.  Rock/folk players seem to lean more towards unadulterated wood.  JMO
I have also been told by some reliable sources that lower grades of wood (cosmetics wise) are used foe burst guitars.

[Mikeymac]

MSRP is just a number from which to calculate a reasonable street price.  I agree it's like with automobiles and so many other consumer items.  Why this system of pricing items got started is beyond my comprehension,  Maybe it's because there are a certain number of suckers that will pay the MSRP?

I think that would be a very small number these days... with the big box stores and internet, most folks have gotten pretty savvy about MAP versus MSRP, not to mention other ways of getting discounts.

But I agree that MSRP is just another way to figure a reasonable price for something (guitars, cars or otherwise). MSRP helps retail sellers justify the price they sell for, and it does create somewhat of a "baseline" (the high end baseline) for customers when shopping various retailers. Street price will depend on how hungry the retailer is to move product and what their overhead is.

Wise customers also look at service after the sale when considering various sellers. In the guitar market, it makes sense to pay more to an established mom 'n' pop store with a good guitar tech/service department versus buying something sight unseen from someone on the internet... (unless it's another well reputed store you've done business with previously and trust).

[B0WIE]

Regarding MSRP, with some makers, actual street price is only about 10% off so I don't think the concept is bad.  But, it's become commonplace for many makers to inflate MSRP to give the street price the appearance of a bargain.  I remember when GC started playing that game big-time around 20 years ago, putting a $700 msrp on $99 items.

[headsup]

Sunburst seems more apropos to country players.  Rock/folk players seem to lean more towards unadulterated wood.  JMO
I have also been told by some reliable sources that lower grades of wood (cosmetics wise) are used foe burst guitars.

With respect, I must vehemently disagree with this kind of nonsense, I won't bother naming the people who don't play country music who play and love their sunburst guitars.
From my perspective, shooting (spraying) a terrific sunburst is an art that Jean himself has mastered.

Regarding your "reliable sources" ( Jean?), I would certainly be more than shocked if he would use an inferior material guitar (would he even build one?) to use as a candidate for a sunburst finish. I mentioned in another post, both my OM-60 TSB-SH and OMV-50 TSB--SH were NAMM show pieces well over a decade ago.
I really hope you're not hinting they would have been chosen with inferior woods.

I was recently up to visit my very good friend Oskar Graf, one of the better "old school" hand builders in North America, highly respected by all builders in the 5k and up range.

On his bench was one of two spectacular arch top guitars, they seem to fetch around $20k, as he spends hours and hours of meticulous carving of the top and the back from a slab of inch thick wood to making it a true hand carved arch top.

At one point, as I was admiring the stunning flame maple back and the perfect grain of the top, he mentioned maybe shooting some colour at that guitar, as a subtle sunburst, ( ice tea) I think he mentioned.

Feel free to go to his website and view  some of his work.
I really can't concur with the idea that a sunburst finish is used to cover up a lesser grade of wood. (perhaps on lesser quality made guitars?)

Perhaps, on one of your Friday afternoon single malt sessions with Jean ask him outright, on my behalf if you wish.
He also knows Oskar, and his work.

http://www.grafguitars.com/collection.html 
should see a nice sunburst, but feel free to look around while on his site.

[eded]

With respect, I must vehemently disagree with this kind of nonsense, I won't bother naming the people who don't play country music who play and love their sunburst guitars.
From my perspective, shooting (spraying) a terrific sunburst is an art that Jean himself has mastered.

Regarding your "reliable sources" ( Jean?), I would certainly be more than shocked if he would use an inferior material guitar (would he even build one?) to use as a candidate for a sunburst finish. I mentioned in another post, both my OM-60 TSB-SH and OMV-50 TSB--SH were NAMM show pieces well over a decade ago.
I really hope you're not hinting they would have been chosen with inferior woods.

I was recently up to visit my very good friend Oskar Graf, one of the better "old school" hand builders in North America, highly respected by all builders in the 5k and up range.

On his bench was one of two spectacular arch top guitars, they seem to fetch around $20k, as he spends hours and hours of meticulous carving of the top and the back from a slab of inch thick wood to making it a true hand carved arch top.

At one point, as I was admiring the stunning flame maple back and the perfect grain of the top, he mentioned maybe shooting some colour at that guitar, as a subtle sunburst, ( ice tea) I think he mentioned.

Feel free to go to his website and view  some of his work.
I really can't concur with the idea that a sunburst finish is used to cover up a lesser grade of wood. (perhaps on lesser quality made guitars?)

Perhaps, on one of your Friday afternoon single malt sessions with Jean ask him outright, on my behalf if you wish.
He also knows Oskar, and his work.

http://www.grafguitars.com/collection.html 
should see a nice sunburst, but feel free to look around while on his site.

I'm forgetting the source, but I seem to remember reading that bursts were come up with by Gibson and were used a lot to cover less than perfect tops.  There is mention of it here...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_J-45

Not saying that it is the current use, but that it was the origination of them.  I agree that Jean Larrivee is one of todays masters.

Ed

[Walkerman]

You will note I said inferior cosmetically .... not sonically.  It is just common sense.

[ducktrapper]

Sunburst Strats and J-45s and Bob Dylan. I guess he's dabbled in a little country but to me that just says rock'n'roll.

[Walkerman]

Sunburst Strats and J-45s and Bob Dylan. I guess he's dabbled in a little country but to me that just says rock'n'roll.

Says folk to me.