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If I make custom cases
- Thread starter gruda
- Start date
Musiclogic
Commercial User
- Aug 6, 2005
- 6,505
- 75
- 60
- Disclosures
- Owner/Builder: HJC Customs USA, The Cool Lute, C G O
I am sure you can find people to purchase cases if the price is good, and you market it correctly
Yeah, but don't put a price tag on your cases like Fender. They're up around $149.00 for a new molded hardshell. Ridiculous.
Unless you're set up for fairly high volumes, word-of-mouth should be enough to get you started. Once you've got the early bugs out of your process then you can look at websites and all that. Start small and grow. That way your mistakes are easier to fix.
Would they be better than what is now available cheaply from China?
Tough competition here unless you truly have something different and special.
Tough competition here unless you truly have something different and special.
For what you get, I think that is a fair price. The tooling alone cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Agreed, that's a good price.
Gruda, they'd need to be special. How could you compete with high volume?
Last case I made cost me well over $200 CDN for everything and that was over a dozen years ago. The only reason it was commissioned was because the guitar was such a strange shape no regular case would fit. I charged the guy $375 and he was happy to pay it...
Gruda, they'd need to be special. How could you compete with high volume?
Last case I made cost me well over $200 CDN for everything and that was over a dozen years ago. The only reason it was commissioned was because the guitar was such a strange shape no regular case would fit. I charged the guy $375 and he was happy to pay it...
I think case technology is wayyy out of the league of custom builders without significant tooling costs.
You'll want to set your product apart from stuff you can pick up at your regular store. You want something either stiffer (more protection), more durable (lasts longer) or lighter (easier to transport). You're not going to be able to achieve that without molded ABS, kevlar, carbonfiber, or all the other things which have significant tooling costs, such as molds.
Unless of course you're just building the same level of product for custom shapes? I'm sure there's a market for that, but i'm not in it.
You'll want to set your product apart from stuff you can pick up at your regular store. You want something either stiffer (more protection), more durable (lasts longer) or lighter (easier to transport). You're not going to be able to achieve that without molded ABS, kevlar, carbonfiber, or all the other things which have significant tooling costs, such as molds.
Unless of course you're just building the same level of product for custom shapes? I'm sure there's a market for that, but i'm not in it.
I'd say to succeed, you have to offer something no one else is doing. If that's the ability to make a custom form fitting case for any instrument, then that would be a service people might be interested for their rare/valuable custom instrument that doesn't fit in a standard case. (or the cases that are available that fit it, don't meet the requirements of the instrument owner) This would be a high end, 1 piece at a time business. High profit margins, but very time consuming, and people expect high quality work. You wouldn't get many customers, but the customer you would get hopefully would keep you busy and put nice money in your pocket.
(you could offer a large (endless?) variety of inside materials and even outside materials as well, etc.)
The way other case companies have tried is to offer a standard item that can be made in great quantities, and found the cheapest way to make it, so that they can be a low price leader in the market. There's a lot of people that want a case, but will spend the cheapest amount on it that is possible. Quality is less of a concern, as long as it functions. (this last part is important - a case that falls apart, breaks quickly, or damages the instrument in the end due to it's use is not a good product to sell, even at 1/2 the price of the nearest competitor.)
If your plan is to make a case that is on par with your typical mid-level Gater/Fender/SKB case, and sell it for about the same price, then that's a tough sell. Consumers in that price range are looking for reputation, and building one can be tough. Kinda a chicken & egg sorta thing. Your case is as good as a Gator, and $10 less, and made in the USA - but no one has seen one to compare the quality, so they choose something else. (also no one would likely know it's even available since the majority of people shop for their gear at major distributors - Musicians Friend for example)
One option to get you started would be to get a paid membership here (gold?), and advertise your business in the proper section of this site, and see what happens. I'd be prepared to "give" away cases to members here to get word out, or maybe offer them cases at your cost for materials - just to get them in the hands of people here. Then once people are familiar with them, and can post reviews of your stuff, then you can start charging "full price" and build your business more.
Look at business models of other successful small companies and see how they've done it too.
Just remember, if you're doing the more custom high end route, then remember the economy still kinda sucks, and people aren't spending like they used to.
(you could offer a large (endless?) variety of inside materials and even outside materials as well, etc.)
The way other case companies have tried is to offer a standard item that can be made in great quantities, and found the cheapest way to make it, so that they can be a low price leader in the market. There's a lot of people that want a case, but will spend the cheapest amount on it that is possible. Quality is less of a concern, as long as it functions. (this last part is important - a case that falls apart, breaks quickly, or damages the instrument in the end due to it's use is not a good product to sell, even at 1/2 the price of the nearest competitor.)
If your plan is to make a case that is on par with your typical mid-level Gater/Fender/SKB case, and sell it for about the same price, then that's a tough sell. Consumers in that price range are looking for reputation, and building one can be tough. Kinda a chicken & egg sorta thing. Your case is as good as a Gator, and $10 less, and made in the USA - but no one has seen one to compare the quality, so they choose something else. (also no one would likely know it's even available since the majority of people shop for their gear at major distributors - Musicians Friend for example)
One option to get you started would be to get a paid membership here (gold?), and advertise your business in the proper section of this site, and see what happens. I'd be prepared to "give" away cases to members here to get word out, or maybe offer them cases at your cost for materials - just to get them in the hands of people here. Then once people are familiar with them, and can post reviews of your stuff, then you can start charging "full price" and build your business more.
Look at business models of other successful small companies and see how they've done it too.
Just remember, if you're doing the more custom high end route, then remember the economy still kinda sucks, and people aren't spending like they used to.
- Jun 28, 2005
- 1,015
- 18
- 87
- Disclosures
- Builder,mcdcustomguitars
You can't compete with China and moulded plastic cases at $150.00 They have to be very special, custom made for a particular guitar or bass, for a particular client. Handmade, lightweigt but strong, perfect custom fit. Covered with nice Alligator hides. Prices starting a $3,000 which would be fitting for a $30,000 guitar/bass. Anything less and you will be overworked and underpaid. IMHO
Rocky
Rocky
What kind of materials are you wanting to use? Are you talking light and easy to haul, or heavy duty, tour type stuff?
You might want to check on getting ATA approval.
You might want to check on getting ATA approval.
IMHO, No offense intended, this statement alone means that you aren't ready. I realize that you may just be testing the waters, but not even having a rough idea makes the entire endeavor Impossible. You should ask people what they expect from cases, talk to advertising experts, investigate the costs of tools and space to set up shop, the fees to get a business license in your area, the cost and legal expectations of incorporating (or entering into any commercial entity, for that matter)
In short, Quit crowdsourcing and start pounding the pavement if it's something you really want to do, and not just a passing fancy.
jworrellbass
Commercial User
- May 17, 2009
- 1,271
- 11
- 62
- Disclosures
- Owner, builder: jworrellbass
scotch
It's not rocket science!
- Nov 12, 2006
- 6,944
- 2,083
- 51
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- Please see Profile for Endorsement disclosures
For what it's worth, to the op, I thought about building custom cases as well as a side venture. I'm very handy & enjoy building, so I thought that it would be fun!
First off, I live in Nashville and work as a full-time studio and performing player. As such, I have lots of contacts and hundreds of potential clients. I'm also a customer of some of the larger/established custom case builders in the area. Pedaltrain/PSG, for instance. Living in a "music industry town" also exponentially increases the potential customer base.
I researched sourcing materials like panels, laminates, extrusions, foam, hardware, etc... I found that it was going to be impossible for me to compete with the established companies from a price perspective. In order to get true wholesale pricing for modern Lexan laminates, for instance, you need to buy weight quantities starting at a ton! It turns out that the local case co's were buying 6 mos. to a year's worth of material in order to get viable discounts on materials.
Tooling is the other issue. To make truly top-quality cases, you need better than consumer grade table saws and band saws.
The initial investment was growing into the tens of thousands- not really what I wanted to get into!
Given the recent economic downturn & the amount of music work I would have had to give up, the venture could have seriously hurt me financially!
I still might make stuff for myself, more for fun though!
First off, I live in Nashville and work as a full-time studio and performing player. As such, I have lots of contacts and hundreds of potential clients. I'm also a customer of some of the larger/established custom case builders in the area. Pedaltrain/PSG, for instance. Living in a "music industry town" also exponentially increases the potential customer base.
I researched sourcing materials like panels, laminates, extrusions, foam, hardware, etc... I found that it was going to be impossible for me to compete with the established companies from a price perspective. In order to get true wholesale pricing for modern Lexan laminates, for instance, you need to buy weight quantities starting at a ton! It turns out that the local case co's were buying 6 mos. to a year's worth of material in order to get viable discounts on materials.
Tooling is the other issue. To make truly top-quality cases, you need better than consumer grade table saws and band saws.
The initial investment was growing into the tens of thousands- not really what I wanted to get into!
Given the recent economic downturn & the amount of music work I would have had to give up, the venture could have seriously hurt me financially!
I still might make stuff for myself, more for fun though!
Originally Posted by electracoyote
...$149.00 for a new molded hardshell. Ridiculous.
Yeah, it's such a deal that's why I wait for them to show up on Craigslist for $50.00.
...$149.00 for a new molded hardshell. Ridiculous.
Yeah, it's such a deal that's why I wait for them to show up on Craigslist for $50.00.
scotch
It's not rocket science!
- Nov 12, 2006
- 6,944
- 2,083
- 51
- Disclosures
- Please see Profile for Endorsement disclosures
I don't know... I think >$150 for a molded, quality, plastic case is reasonable. The SKB ATA cases are really pretty darned good! What should a molded hardshell cost in 2009 dollars?
Here's (what I consider) a great value for a case that will last for years:
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product?sku=620711
$129
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