How do YOU decide the relative value of a custom built bass?

cervusflies · #1 11-28-2007, 05:19 PM

I've been working on my first build for a while now and it's just about done (painting this weekend). I was pondering how much I could get for it, how much I would ask for it, and how much it's really worth.

Obviously it's worth more to me than anyone else, as it is built to my specs. But I was kind of stumped when trying to calculate all of the factors. Of course the cost of the stuff that's on it and the time I put into it. After that it seems to rest on the percieved value of the instrument. Does that make sense?

Is there one of you builders out there who can say there is a demand for your instrument, or is there a particular builder that you consider to be a favorite/must have. Maybe this is a good question for the players of the instruments, too.

-P

luzceloffan · #2 11-28-2007, 05:55 PM

I think. . .Materials . . . Difficulty . . . time invested . . .wisdom *? applied

would be the top values to consider.

waseok · #3 11-28-2007, 06:18 PM

a friend of my, builder, devides his work in to categories, 1, 2, 3 etc
for example
a jazz bass style bass, will cost 250 euros only work type 1..., a set neck jb style bass will cost 300 type 2, and a neckthrough with laminated top will be like 400+ euro type 3..its only the work...
then he asks u what type of wood u want, and tells u the price..like it? take it..dont like it? use cheaper wood..he could care less as long as he is busy working.
dunno if that helped.. all the other stuff he can buy from dealers, or u can buy them separately and he will just assemble.

DavidRavenMoon · #4 11-28-2007, 06:26 PM

That's really low! I charge $300 to refret a bass!

For me the wood is the cheapest part, since I resaw my own tops and stuff, and we have a huge stock pile of maple and stuff like that.

Hardware is the expensive part, if you want good quality.

Labor is the largest factor... if it takes me 40 hours to build a bass, how much am I charging per hour?

A good way to start is look at similar instruments, and if your build quality is the same, charge the same price. But it has to be a good instrument.

I start at $1,400USD and work up from there depending on features and materials. These are all hand made basses... no kit parts.

For kit part basses or guitars, I charge $250-300USD to assemble the instrument, as long as all the parts fit, plus the price of the parts. That doesn't count applying a finish if they need it.

treebranch13 · #5 11-28-2007, 08:09 PM

1) materials
2) time

then... how much would a actual bass company charge.

i would average it between those 2 different prices and avg it between the two and then put it up or down depending on specialness, quality, and how experienced you are

Phil Mailloux · #6 11-29-2007, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cervusflies

I've been working on my first build for a while now and it's just about done (painting this weekend). I was pondering how much I could get for it, how much I would ask for it, and how much it's really worth.

Obviously it's worth more to me than anyone else, as it is built to my specs. But I was kind of stumped when trying to calculate all of the factors. Of course the cost of the stuff that's on it and the time I put into it. After that it seems to rest on the percieved value of the instrument. Does that make sense?

Is there one of you builders out there who can say there is a demand for your instrument, or is there a particular builder that you consider to be a favorite/must have. Maybe this is a good question for the players of the instruments, too.

-P

If you're looking for a price to sell your first instrument I'd say simply, don't sell it. There's usually too many mistakes or things "not right" with the first build or two as you're learning a craft.

To sell an instrument after that, what I do is give myself a price of what I think I should make for building an instrument, like post #3 but higher than that as I don't want to work for $3 an hour

then I add up the price of all components and perishables involved in the building process and there you go!

ehque · #7 11-29-2007, 01:31 AM

What you should sell it for is simply what someone would pay for it. Take it to a few bass shops, try and sell it to them.

Then technically your bass is new, so it should sell for about twice the price that the shops offer you.

cervusflies · #8 11-29-2007, 09:02 AM

I like the idea of charging the same price as comparable instruments. At this point you probably want to have a production system down pat and pretty consistant, so your labor time is lower and you have a chance to come out on top.

I don't think I would sell this one, unless I hated it. Being that it's my first build, I know if I continue I'm a couple of years away from having to worry about all this.

Ultimately, I would like to be able to have a couple in a few local music stores to sell or take orders for, rather than just building one-offs.

theshadow2001 · #9 11-29-2007, 05:29 PM

Do you guys charge profit margin on materials as well. Or do you only receive payment for labour?

Yellow · #10 11-30-2007, 12:08 AM

I do woodwork in general, I am not a luthier, since I have not even quite finished building my first couple of basses yet, neither I can say anything about pricing particular instrument, but just as the amount of work , materials , and hardware, if I was to get good at it I would not touch it for less then 2000.