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How much should a custom luthier make per hour?

Munjibunga

Munjibunga

Total Hyper-Elite Member
May 6, 2000
37,499
14,776
San Diego (when not at Groom Lake)
#1
OK, let's look at another angle of the price of bass guitars. After all the bills have been paid - rent, insurance, materials, etc., how much should be left for the luthier's labor, per hour? Consider small high-end shops of maybe one to five people. For larger shops of 5 to 20 people, consider only the master luthiers - the ones whose names are on the bass. These are shops with the reputation of building basses of the very highest quality. You can consider "completely hand-made" instruments or highest-quality "parts basses" (luthiers, please don't be offended - I know there's more to it than that - I own a slew of your instruments).

I'm going to say $100 an hour. I'm pretty sure thare aren't too many who make that but, for crying out loud, I make almost that standing in front of a classroom teaching people about orogenic belts. It seems to me that an artisan who produces a musical instrument of the highest quality should make at least that much.
 
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#3
I don't think about it in terms of hourly wage. I own a business and my eventual short term goal (and I've been at this short term goal over 6 years now) is $100,000 per year after expenses and before taxes.
I'm pretty much always working unless I'm sleeping. If I figured out my hourly wage in this pool of workaholism I think I might cry lmao!

So my actual point is I think a skilled craftsman also deserves a 6 figure income.
 
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#7
Are we considering this comparison in a world where doctors make $500000/yr and nurses make $100000/yr, or one where professional baseball players make $10 million/yr and college football coaches make $1 million/yr?

Oh, wait, those both happen in the same world... :/

Its very difficult to say when it comes to artists and entertainers, as we value their work a unique manner that is different for each person. A painter could work for a year on a painting and no one would take it for free, but some artists - usually once "famous" - could scribble on a piece of paper and sell it for thousands of dollars.

Given that I tend to think of luthiers as artists, of high quality instruments as works of art, and I have huge respect of artists, I can live with the OP's idea of $100/hr. Most will probably make less, and that's reasonable, and some will make more, and that too is alright.
 
#9
nukes_da_bass said:
I don't think about it in terms of hourly wage. I own a business and my eventual short term goal (and I've been at this short term goal over 6 years now) is $100,000 per year after expenses and
after taxes.
I'm pretty much always working unless I'm sleeping. If I figured out my hourly wage in this pool of workaholism I think I might cry lmao!

So my actual point is I think a skilled craftsman also deserves a 6 figure income.
Click to expand...


Fixed it for ya

Craftsmen do not get paid what they are worth anymore. It is hard to compete with the big guys and hit a "price point" and still make a good living.
 
#11
I care about labor and environmental standards, and for that reason I prefer to purchase goods made without the intention of skirting laws that uphold them.

That said, I think it's an odd thing to think about, how much a luthier's work/hr is worth as it relates to purchasing finished instruments (as opposed to repairs and mods, etc.) IMO, the standard way of looking at the product and comparing it to its comparables (all things considered) is a more appreciable way of determining value because, personally, I don't think it's my place to say what they should or shouldn't make on and hourly basis. I just decide whether what they're selling is worth, to me, what they're asking. I hope a given luthier has figured out a way to make a comfortable living (to their standards) with their business model, and so long as their dealings are legit I wish them luck.
 
#12
landau roof said:
I care about labor and environmental standards, and for that reason I prefer to purchase goods made without the intention of skirting laws that uphold them.

That said, I think it's an odd thing to think about, how much a luthier's work/hr is worth as it relates to purchasing finished instruments (as opposed to repairs and mods, etc.) IMO, the standard way of looking at the product and comparing it to its comparables (all things considered) is a more appreciable way of determining value because, personally, I don't think it's my place to say what they should or shouldn't make on and hourly basis. I just decide whether what they're selling is worth, to me, what they're asking. I hope a given luthier has figured out a way to make a comfortable living (to their standards) with their business model, and so long as their dealings are legit I wish them luck.
Click to expand...

Let's see, environmental standards, skirting the law, comparables ... where was that in the OP? Guys - how about a little less philosophy and a little more estimation?
 
#13
jg42 said:
The other aspect that is worth thinking of is realistically how many hours a week they work. I mean you can make 500 an hour but only have 2 paid hours a week or you can make 50/hr and consistently work 40 hr weeks.
Click to expand...

Not really. If they work two hours a week, they will not get any basses finished and they will have no business. Get realistic. We have to assume here that they're going to work a sufficient number of hours to complete the work necessary to maintain a customer base. For the sake of discussion, you can use a 40-hour work week, but I'm sure there are those who work more than that and some who work less.
 
#14
$50 - $100 hr I think is fair for a skilled craftsman with a respectable reputation. I think that more than puts in perspective the cost for a Fodera.

What I would like to hear from some builders is the approximate cost of goods to make a high end bass and the approximate amount of hours to build from lumber to final product. Using high end to medium woods and electronics and maybe the cost of some of the bigger machines used. That would be cool to know.
 
#15
Munjibunga said:
OK, let's look at another angle of the price of bass guitars. After all the bills have been paid - rent, insurance, materials, etc., how much should be left for the luthier's labor, per hour? Consider small high-end shops of maybe one to five people. For larger shops of 5 to 20 people, consider only the master luthiers - the ones whose names are on the bass. These are shops with the reputation of building basses of the very highest quality. You can consider "completely hand-made" instruments or highest-quality "parts basses" (luthiers, please don't be offended - I know there's more to it than that - I own a slew of your instruments).

I'm going to say $100 an hour. I'm pretty sure thare aren't too many who make that but, for crying out loud, I make almost that standing in front of a classroom teaching people about orogenic belts. It seems to me that an artisan who produces a musical instrument of the highest quality should make at least that much.
Click to expand...
I think artisans make their money per piece, not an hourly wage or monthly salary. So, in the beginning, getting by is tough. As the business sells more and pays off start-up costs, the luthier's ability to get into the black and make more profit per piece gets better.
 
#17
placedesjardins said:
I think artisans make their money per piece, not an hourly wage or monthly salary. So, in the beginning, getting by is tough. As the business sells more and pays off start-up costs, the luthier's ability to get into the black and make more profit per piece gets better.
Click to expand...

See? That's part of the problem with many small business owners, some luthiers included. If you don't have a handle on your labor costs (including your own) you don't have a handle on your business. How can you figure out what the correct price is for your instrument if you don't know how much labor you have in it?
 
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