Bootsy's Funk U prices are out

[bigfatbass]

Bootsy has finally released the pricing for his online Funk University program. Looking for $30 a month, and I think $150 for 6 months. Good luck with that. GREAT idea, but I think he is grossly overestimating the expendable income of his target market. At this price point, I don't see all that many takers, as intriguing as the program seems to be, and you have to jump through a lot of hoops just to find out what it will cost. ALWAYS a danger sign. And that's the "discount" price? Ouch!

[A.Diva]

But don't live teachers cost about that much for a half hour?

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by A.Diva

But don't live teachers cost about that much for a half hour?

My gf teaches piano. She makes $30 an hour.

[A.Diva]

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

My gf teaches piano. She makes $30 an hour.

Well, when I first became interested in learning to play bass, I checked around Houston. I found anywhere from $20 to $30 per half hour with a commitment to a particular time slot. I.e. no flakes allowed.

When I become serious about actually hiring a teacher, I'm going to budget at least $150-$200 per month. Not that I'm rich or anything, I'm just going to have to get rid of something else. Likely my beer and Barnes & Noble runs will have to decrease.

[Joe Nerve]

I must be missing something here. I'll wait and see...

[bigfatbass]

Sure, one on one personal lessons are worth $20-$30 a half hour and up, that's because with the right teacher, they are easily worth it. Bootsy may be a great teacher, but this price point seems a bit steep when you talk about even a few hundred people signing up. At just 100 enrollees, $3000 a month is a lot of web development money. How many can they expect at $30 a month? 500? 600? 800? Who knows. I DO know that 1000s more that might sign up if it was knocked down to $10 a month. Who wouldn't cough up $10 to see what it was all about? I bet there are a lot fewer, A LOT FEWER, folks willing to risk $30. People still expect stuff for free on the internets, you have to make things CHEAP to get the average surfer to reach for the wallet for content. Look at the chicken little fuss about facebook charging the CRAZY fee of like $3 a month. People are crapping their pants over it, but it sure seems like a nominal fee to me considering the features and content they provide. I'm not comparing video lessons with the grand master of bubbling bottom himself to nonsense like facebag, I'm just saying that price point is a VERY dangerous thing on the web, and I think they have priced themselves out of a much more sizable/lucrative market.

[A.Diva]

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

I must be missing something here. I'll wait and see...

So, what are your thoughts?

Is $30 per month:

1) OMG that's a steal!,
2) Yeah that's in the ballpark, or
3) Who the hell does he think he is ripping off folks like that?

Enquiring minds wanna know.

[A.Diva]

Originally Posted by bigfatbass

Sure, one on one personal lessons are worth $20-$30 a half hour and up, that's because with the right teacher, they are easily worth it. Bootsy may be a great teacher, but this price point seems a bit steep when you talk about even a few hundred people signing up. At just 100 enrollees, $3000 a month is a lot of web development money. How many can they expect at $30 a month? 500? 600? 800? Who knows. I DO know that 1000s more that might sign up if it was knocked down to $10 a month. Who wouldn't cough up $10 to see what it was all about? I bet there are a lot fewer, A LOT FEWER, folks willing to risk $30. People still expect stuff for free on the internets, you have to make things CHEAP to get the average surfer to reach for the wallet for content. Look at the chicken little fuss about facebook charging the CRAZY fee of like $3 a month. People are crapping their pants over it, but it sure seems like a nominal fee to me considering the features and content they provide. I'm not comparing video lessons with the grand master of bubbling bottom himself to nonsense like facebag, I'm just saying that price point is a VERY dangerous thing on the web, and I think they have priced themselves out of a much more sizable/lucrative market.

What you say is true. I wasn't thinking of it from that perspective. I was just thinking, OMG it's Bootsy!!!!

I don't qualify anyway since I'm only a beginner.

[Joe Nerve]

Originally Posted by A.Diva

So, what are your thoughts?

Is $30 per month:

1) OMG that's a steal!,
2) Yeah that's in the ballpark, or
3) Who the hell does he think he is ripping off folks like that?

Enquiring minds wanna know.

#1

[Munjibunga]

Friends, for just ONE DOLLAR A DAY, you will receive lessons from one of the ICONS of bassdom. Yes, that's just 4 cents an hour day and night, so you can benefit even in your sleep.

BUT WAIT! Sign up in the next 20 minutes, and we will throw in a bonus lesson at no extra cost from Mr. Willie Weeks, Bassist to the Stars, on the phrygian modal way of playing. Yes, you will start out on the third degree and play from there, just like the pros.

AND, if you sign up now, you will be eligible to have Fieldy come over to your house and demonstrate his renowned slapping technique, first on his bass, then on your face.

The first 50 callers will also receive a lifetime supply of genuine imitation tortoise shell picks (limit 3 picks per year) emblazoned with Michael Anthony's signature in simulated gold leaf.

CALL NOW!

[kesslari]

Bootsy as a learning environment - sounds cool.
The format seems intriguing.
The marketing method turns me off.
Then again, Bootzilla learned business and marketing from Dr. Funkenstein himself, which is probably why he's still solvent. Not a bad thing. I don't begrudge a good musician making some money.

At a lesson per day, for a buck per day - that's a bargain.

The downside for me - other good folks (Marlowe DK for example) post a lesson per day, for free. And I only take advantage of that maybe once every few weeks. So would I take more advantage of FunkU? Probably not, which then makes it a lesser value.

[abstractart06]

I think that we expect online teaching to be either cheap or virtually free because there is so much free info out there. Marlowe DK accepts $10.00 donations for bonus material, which is easy to swallow. On the other hand there are lesson packages you can order for a few hundred dollars from folks who who don't have Bootsy's credentials. Every time I see my teacher it costs me $60.00 because time flies when you're having fun. The instructional bass DVDs I own cost about $24.99, and the info I have gotten from them is marginal. When you think about it $30.00 is not a lot for a months worth of lessons. BY the way, I just checked out Adam Nitti's Music Dojo site. Most lessons are $24.99 to $49.99 for about 20 lessons.

[Freddels]

You mean I'm not the only one that received a "Golden Ticket"?

[N.F.A.]

He just announced one of his professors will be John B. Williams.

[Gintaras]

Depends if you get anything out of it. I would easily pay $30 a month if it actually were lessons that improved my playing. I take a lesson once a month for an hour and that is $50.00.

Now on the other end... Have you seen how much the Berklee online Slap course is? $995.00

http://www.berkleemusic.com/school/c...ffer_code=2285

[cnltb]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Friends, for just ONE DOLLAR A DAY, you will receive lessons from one of the ICONS of bassdom. Yes, that's just 4 cents an hour day and night, so you can benefit even in your sleep.

But... is he a decent teacher.
Just a name is absolutely not enough.-you may learn just as much or more from watching youtube clips if he isn't.
Does he have a teaching track record?
Or is he simply broke,trying to make some extra money on his name alone?
What exactly is that funk you programme?
Just a couple thoughts.
Sorry if these questions have been answered -I just stumbled upon this and haven't read all thread yet...

[lmfreeman9]

Originally Posted by Gintaras

Depends if you get anything out of it. I would easily pay $30 a month if it actually were lessons that improved my playing. I take a lesson once a month for an hour and that is $50.00.

Now on the other end... Have you seen how much the Berklee online Slap course is? $995.00

http://www.berkleemusic.com/school/c...ffer_code=2285

There is a catch on lessons from Bootsy or Marcus or Victor or anyone else:

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING IN THE WORK TO IMPROVE YOUR PLAYING.

It is the same as gadgets, books, videos,etc.

These are just tools, one on one instruction can provide structure and method but the rest is up to you.

Ain't that a bitch.

[zenrad]

29 bucks for a month's worth of materials seems fair. I think for the price of an instructional video you may get a lot more to work with, we'll see.

[Joe Nerve]

Seeing now where my initial befuddlement came from. I didn't check out the site (still haven't) so I didn't know about the sales pitch, and I don't know all that much about online lessons. Just seemed odd to me that anyone would think $30 a month was a ridiculously expensive price for anything.

[zenrad]

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

Seeing now where my initial befuddlement came from. I didn't check out the site (still haven't) so I didn't know about the sales pitch, and I don't know all that much about online lessons. Just seemed odd to me that anyone would think $30 a month was a ridiculously expensive price for anything.

The sales pitch is...well...Bootsy doin' his Bootsy thing.

If someone isn't that familiar with Bootsy or not fond of the whole P-Funk thing they may not react too well to him and the whole vibe of the site.