how long can you really wait?

A. J. Schobert · From: Cincinnati, Ohio,

What do you think is a fair wait time for a new steel guitar? I really don't think I could wait 2 years for a guitar, when I can go down to a dealler and pick a new one up, or wait a couple of months on a carter, playing my carter next to other guitars I am really pleased with it and also I cut out all that waitting, so is it really worth it? maybe it is...CARTER D10

Rick Garrett · From: Tyler, Texas

I guess how long I would wait for a new guitar would depend on how badly I wanted the guitar. True craftsmanship takes time so if I wanted a real quality instrument I would probably be willing to wait a year or so if need be.

Rick

[This message was edited by Rick Garrett on 06 July 2006 at 10:24 AM.]

A. J. Schobert · From: Cincinnati, Ohio,

If I had an extra guitar I could stand the wait, but I am not really the patient type, maybe now with an extra guitar my views may differ, but 2 years these companys have got to be swamped with work!

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

IF I ordered anything with a two year wait , chances are at some point during the two years I would completely forget I ordered it !

A. J. Schobert · From: Cincinnati, Ohio,

tony I can relate to this I would probably be in the same boat, you can build a new home quicker.

John McGann · From: Boston, Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.

I happily waited less than a year and a half for my Zum Hybrid. Had a great Carter to play meanwhile.

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A. B. Traynor · Posted 6 Jul 2006 5:33 pm

I waited 16 months for the Franklin, and it was well worth it. I suppose any fine, handcrafted instrument is going to take a fair amount of time to construct, be it an Oboe, a French Horn, or a Pedal Steel Guitar!

Doyle Mitchell · From: Loraine, Texas

I'm with you Tony, I get stuff in the mail I ordered a month ago ..... I'm like... what the heck is this and who sent it???? I had a 2 month wait on my last new guitar, but I bought the 4th one made, they were a new company, now I understand the wait is 6 months to a year. Six months is probably as long as I would wait. Patience is not one of my better qualities. Unless i was having something added special that required a special order, then I would wait as long as necessary I guess.

Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

15 years ago I did not order an Anapeg because it took 18 months to get. So I waited 8 years, got a guitar or two in the meantime, and then ordered one. It took almost 4 years and I would do it all over again. Noel Anstead builds roughly 2 guitars a year and each and every one is a masterpiece and totally worth the wait. It is my belief that in this world you get what you pay for and sometimes the payment is not in money but in this case was waiting time- and it was a bargain. On the other side of the fence- I spoke to Kyle Bennett of MSA about a wooden bodied Milennium at Scotties one September and it was delivered as the new Legend at the Dallas show the following March- and was absolutely perfect in every way- from concept to product in less than 6 months was an amazing feat- kudos to the folks at MSA!

[This message was edited by Jim Palenscar on 07 July 2006 at 08:54 AM.]

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

i too waited a bit less than 1 year & a half fer my Zum
to me it was worth it
of course i had a steel to play which made the wait tolerable
certain brands are quickly available
(which does'nt mean they are of lesser quality)
Now if you want one of them high steppin' or hero's brands that are manufactured at a slow rate
you jes' gonna have to wait now ain't cha ?
Patience is virtue

J D Sauser · From: Wellington, Florida

If a "hand crafted" guitar would take any longer than 2 months to be made it would cost more than $5000.oo.
Or the rest is just wait on both sides.

... J-D.

Danny Hullihen · From: Harrison, Michigan

Well spoken Crowbear, and all very good points. I think that pretty much "Zums" it up. Smile

Howard Tate · From: Leesville, Louisiana, USA, R.I.P.

If I had to wait two years, I'd have to take sedatives all that time. I get fidgety waiting for my Whopper at Burger King.

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Howard

Tim Bridges · From: Hoover, Alabama, USA

The other option is to look around at the "As New" market. I picked up a great Zum U12 and with a little work, it fits like a glove. The wait was minimal, the guitar is as good as new and I didn't have to pay for the initial depreciation. I love the guys who buy and sell frequently. They provide a great buying opportunity. Now if you want "Brand New", I still think it would be worth the wait. The more I play this Zum, the more I like it. Zum + TT's = Tone.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

"f a "hand crafted" guitar would take any longer than 2 months to be made it would cost more than $5000.oo.
Or the rest is just wait on both sides."

I feel pretty much the same way. A 2-year wait for a guitar indicastes to me that the maker doesn't have decent control over the process. I've ben around enough machine shops, cabinet shops, finishing places etc. to know that once a design concept is initiated, it takes almost no time to fabricate parts; even less to assemble them. SInishing of wood guitars can take two months for fine lacquer, but that's the longest part of the process.

So the "long wait" times either mean the builder isn't doing it full-time, or has serious flaws in their manufacturing system....because if it's simply "order backlog" then they are doing the customers a disservice by not expanding their capablites.

Two years for a guitar is ridiculous. Anything over 6 months and IMO there's either something flat wrong with the process or huge egos at play.

Joe Smith · From: Charlotte, NC, USA

It was in the early 60s. I was going to order a new Bigsby
PSG. The wait was two years. I called Shot Jackson. He said he was getting a used Sho-Bud in and would have it in a couple of weeks. I sent him a deposit and in about two weeks he called and said my guitar was there. I drove up to Nashville and picked it up. Man!! What a great guitar that was. Of all the guitars I've owned, I still miss that guitar. It was a D-8 perm with 6 pedals. No knee levers. Blonde with red necks.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I was looking at buying a new Fulawka guitar
from Ed. I understood that there was approx. a two year wait on a new one so I bought a "like new" Fulawka from Al Brisco. It is a beautiful instrument and Ed is furnishing me with the parts to get it up to my desires.

Mark Eaton · Posted 7 Jul 2006 8:00 am

Jim wrote:

"because if it's simply "order backlog" then they are doing the customers a disservice by not expanding their capabilities"

Let's look at another member of the steel guitar family, the dobro.

The most successful of the "boutique" dobro luthiers is Tim Scheerhorn. On March 1, he raised his base price for a guitar from $5,000 to $6,000. His waiting period for an instrument is ballpark four-and-a-half years.
He builds approximately 40 guitars a year as a one man operation. He has been known to say that he does not want to add any employees, he wants to be in on all aspects of building every guitar. Apparently his customers agree, because they ante up more money and don't complain about the wait.

Obviously they already have dobros they can be playing in the mean time, unless they are in the "investing in guitars for fun and profit" game. In the new wave of dobro luthiers that have been building beautiful instruments in the past 10 plus years, Scheerhorn is one of the few whose guitars when sold used on ebay fetch more money than the original retail price.

I think that his customers like the idea that he does everything from start to finish.

On the other hand, Paul Beard has a crew of several people, and there isn't that long of a wait for his top tier instruments. Jerry Douglas plays mostly Beard resonator guitars these days instead of the Scheerhorns he played for a long time. But people are still knocking down the door to get on the long Scheerhorn waiting list, even with price increases.

Perception is reality.

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Mark

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

My Franklins were well worth the wait. If you want a hand crafted instrument made by one particular guy because you like his work then you wait. When I first ordered a Franklin Mr. Franklin told me it might take a year or it might take 2 years and if I ever called him up to try to get him to go faster he would send my deposit back ! I got my first guitar within a few months and absolutely loved it. Franklins are a real work of musical instrument art. Nothing sings like them for me.

To me all that consumer business model stuff goes out the window when you are dealing one on one with a craftsman. None of these little builders are getting rich so you deal with them on there terms or not at all.

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Bob
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Jim Saunders · From: Houston, Texas, U.S.A.

Jim Sliff makes a good point about scheduling work. I've wondered too just how long it takes to make one guitar. If they wait 22 months to start on your guitar, then put it together in two months, that's what I would guess. But, guess is what it is. I don't know for sure.
I would never pay anyone all the money up front. A good faith deposit should do. Paying upfront takes away the incentive to finish.

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Mullen, Royal Precision, D10, Peavey Nashville 112, DD3, Peavey Session 2000, Goodrich L120 VP.

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

For whatever it's worth, when I ordered my Millennium, I was told to expect it on mid June, and then, later told that it would take an extra few days because designing the wrist lever was a little more complicated than they expected.

It was shipped June 19. Right on schedule. They gave me a realistic estimate of how long it would take, and I accepted that when I bought the guitar.

It was worth the wait. It was worth the money too.

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My web site

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Jim P. How does the Anapeg compare with your legend?

A. J. Schobert · From: Cincinnati, Ohio,

Jim you make a good point paying up front takes away incentive to finish. I don't think it takes a long time to build a steel probably just a couple of days if you had a standarded set up and mica, I think the biggest problem would be the 200 plus ahead of you in line.

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