Ok, because I like to draw up designs for basses, and it seems that some people actually like my designs, I've come up with an idea, and would like to know what you guys think about it.

I'm thinking about selling designs to people, or rather making one up for them. They would tell me roughly what they wanted, and I would go at it until I drew up a design that they liked. It would all be done to a scale, and I can easily scan the drawing to give to them along with the dimensions and etc.

It wouldn't be that expensive either, maybe 5 or 10 bucks depending on what I decide.

So, good idea, or bad idea?

Help me out guys

Greg

It takes me at least a week of work to come up with a well studied and ready to be made famous design.

it takes me more than couple of months to design something out of my imagination and have it studied for feasability.

I doubt many people would be interested in just sketches because it will cost them a lot of time and money to bring it alive. it could be better to offer a complete service and obviously price it at a lot more than 10bucks.

well, if people do like this idea, and if I get enough money, I can invest in some CAD stuff (I could be way off here, I don't know too much about CAD) and then maybe bump up the price a little. However, I do spend alot of time on the drawings I do, and everything would be refundable if they don't like it or it isn't working out.

Greg

I'm not really sure that I understand. Are you trying to make a considerable sum of money at this (like more than $20 a month) or are you doing it for fun? If you're trying to make money then you'd be charging to little for the amount of work involved. I can't really see much of a market for this type of service.

well, mostly for fun, just cause I like to draw, but making a little bit of money off it wouldn't be bad, which is why it's so cheap. Plus, like I said, it's just a to scale drawing with dimensions, that was scanned onto the computer, nothing professional, just trying to help some people out.

Greg

i think it makes sense if the customer has no/little idea of what they want. you won't make a ton of money, but it'll be enough to treat yourself to a nice dinner once in a while :)

I honestly don't think that would work. I find that most people who want to build have some idea of what they want in their head, and many are somewhat creative to begin with (if not, what are they doing playing bass?). It's worth a shot, I suppose, but I wouldn't get your hopes up, or get too disappointed if it doesn't work out.

NOT to discourage you but, im studying industrial and product design at university and people are ten-a-penny who can study, draw, draft, and computer aided design guitars, cars, and anything else you care to mention to an extremely professional level. Whats more, competition for work in this sort of field is fierce and Designers will work for practically nothing to get their name established.
On the positive side, If you are really interested in designing, then learn some Computer skills, broaden your horizons and investigate the subject as a whole.
Why not work up and build your own guitars till you've found a collection of designs your happy with, then patent them and produce them! ok thats a lot of work to be getting on with but you know, if its worth doing its worth doing right!
What im trying to say is if you like doing it, pursue it, but you are unlikely to make money in such a specialist way.
good luck

You'll probably get the same amount of work as someone that will design a custom suit of clothes - but not stitch it together. :hmm:

Right now, you are enamored with the shapes of basses and that's fine but the instrument is more than it's shape and appearance. There are many ergonomic factors that should be considered and those have to meld with the rest of the design. It is such a personal thing, these designs, that unless you are capable of building it also, you can't advise and counsel a client on what's possible and how it can be accomplished. I deal with "designers" all the time in my business. They make great looking stuff - but not a whit of it can be built like they've drawn because they haven't the experience and depth of knowledge to interpret what is essentially a pretty picture into a real 3D object. For instance, how easy is it to carve walnut burl? Knowing that would be important if your client wanted an intricate design in his walnut burl top. The answer is that it isn't easy to carve but you couldn't have let the client know that because you didn't know it in the first place.

It pains me to say so but you really should consider slowing your ambitions down to the point that...
1. You get a real foundation in design and fabrication
2. You have taken the time to perhaps build at least one instrument for yourself
3. You learn to have patience with your own abilities, talents, and learning curve.
4. You learn the patience to do things right rather than expediantly.

You really want to build - I know that from our discussions - but you've gone in many directions that deviate from the path towards actually doing it. That's the patience part. Focus on that one thing (building) and every single day, make sure you've done something decidedly positive towards that goal. I think you will find that, before you realize it, you'll be in a position to make that first instrument (and make it well) and you'll have laid a solid foundation for further builds.

Listen to Hammy. He speaks volumes.

but actually building is where I run into my problem. My parents won't let me build unless I take woodworking classes, and my school doesn't offer them, nor can I find any in my area. If there was anyway I could be building now, I would be doing it, but I can't. This is pretty much the only way as of now that I can put my mark out there, and I may even do it for free just to help people out. I'm not trying to make a business or anything, I'm just a bored 16 year old who likes to draw basses.

Greg

How accurate do you draw you basses?
Are they full size or to a scale?

how accurate? Well, I use a template that has the correct markings for the 12th fret, nut, 24th fret, and bridge, so for a 34" scale, it's accurate. They are too scale though, because no matter how I scan it, it'll end up the same size anyway, unless I were to mail it to you or something.

Greg

but actually building is where I run into my problem. My parents won't let me build unless I take woodworking classes, and my school doesn't offer them, nor can I find any in my area. If there was anyway I could be building now, I would be doing it, but I can't. This is pretty much the only way as of now that I can put my mark out there, and I may even do it for free just to help people out. I'm not trying to make a business or anything, I'm just a bored 16 year old who likes to draw basses.

Greg

Greg, I'm not coming down on you - please don't take what I'm saying that way but your post is very telling.

First, get that word "can't" out of your lexicon. It's a negative that doesn't leave room for even "maybe". Once you've got yourself convinced that you can't do something, you might as well hang it up. Instead replace it with creative thinking and figure out a way - this way, that way, any way - to do what you really want to do. For instance, I can think of at least 2 ways to get woodworking classes in your area - the local community colleges or at the local WoodCraft store in Roswell. Both have many opportunities for classes. OK, you're 16 and aren't quite up to the junior college level but that's a good excuse to get in all of those AP courses early so you can get your counselor to let you take classes at the college. But that only gets the woodworking out of the way. Second, there are tons of things you could be doing outside of classes that will help you with your goals like reading EVERY single guitar book out there. Study the classic designs and builders like Lloyd Loar, George Beauchamp, Adolph Rickenbacker, Walter Fuller, Robert Benedetto, D'Agostino and D'Aquisto, Elmer Stromberg, Ted McCarty and Epaminondas Stathopoulo. From them you'll learn why guitars today are built the way they are. And third, you could get some cheap bass or guitar and take it apart - only to put it back together the way YOU want it. Learning by doing is easy if you've got some parts in front of you. Be creative and adventurous while you are learning the guts of these things.

Just remember it's all in the way you approach your passion.

Ok, because I like to draw up designs for basses, and it seems that some people actually like my designs, I've come up with an idea, and would like to know what you guys think about it.

I'm thinking about selling designs to people, or rather making one up for them. They would tell me roughly what they wanted, and I would go at it until I drew up a design that they liked. It would all be done to a scale, and I can easily scan the drawing to give to them along with the dimensions and etc.

It wouldn't be that expensive either, maybe 5 or 10 bucks depending on what I decide.

So, good idea, or bad idea?

Help me out guys

Greg

first mistake is people either grossly overcharge, or grossly undercharge for a service...

start with $20 and then $5-10 for each modification from there...it really depends upon how much time and effort is required for the work...

the idea is sound, however...some people just can't get from their heads to paper...for others it happens naturally...

if you've got a gift you can sell, then go for it...

how accurate? Well, I use a template that has the correct markings for the 12th fret, nut, 24th fret, and bridge, so for a 34" scale, it's accurate. They are too scale though, because no matter how I scan it, it'll end up the same size anyway, unless I were to mail it to you or something.

Greg
that could never be accurate enough.

the problem with your approach that if you draw to scale on A4 paper and just sketching around, its virtually impossible to have it accurate and manufacturable.

also, what i know as well as many others is that designs are not just a plan of a guitar body and thats it. if you really want to come into this, you need to draw everything to the tiniest detail. headstock, neck heel, pockets, contours, cavity, fretboard joints yada yada yada. to do this, you have to be able to imagine things in elevations, isometric views and cross sections.

one last point, designing is a b*tch! i designed guitars, i have modified the guitar at least 50 times (not minor modifications) on paper, then i built other guitars then came back to the drawing board and changed more because i learnt more about construction and found things that are unfeasable in my original design. then i made them and i went back to the drawing board and did a major overhaul.

which is why i dont expect much people to buy from you a sketch for a sum of money then go back to their workshop and go through all the problems underlined above.

positive note:
start building basses and keep the designs to yourself. you can make a lot more money than selling them for 10-20bucks that way :)