If you have an issue with the price of these guitars, and just can’t wrap your pea sized brain around the concept that most of these prices are actually FAIR, I suggest you go out and attempt to build your own guitar. On the same level of quality as say…Decibel. You’ll find out quickly why these price tags are so “high”. I’d wager the cost of the tools alone to actually build a guitar costs more than the instrument you’re trying to replace with a custom.

Very well written article, thank you for the knowledge.

Decibel Guitars :Thanks, Paul!
This particular piece of walnut was a gift from my friend Brian of Bowes Guitars. He and i do a lot of building together, and the wood was in exchange for some design services.
It came from A&M Wood Specialty in Cambridge, Ontario. http://forloversofwood.com

Thanks for getting back to Darren. Do you think you will be able to take many orders this year I am hoping to get the money together in the summer and the que has been at serving 4 for ages .

This particular piece of walnut was a gift from my friend Brian of Bowes Guitars. He and i do a lot of building together, and the wood was in exchange for some design services.

It came from A&M Wood Specialty in Cambridge, Ontario. http://forloversofwood.com

Well written assessment of the realities of custom ’boutique’ guitar manufacture.

I just wan’t to say that only ‘you’ the buyer can decide what something is worth to you. But, you have to remember that manufacturers tend price at a point that is sustainable but yields maximum profits. You cannot begrudge this of anyone really ( especially those of you who live in the USA whose whole society is based on capitalism ). A mans gotta eat, right? This applies to every company from Gibson through to Starbucks and on to Toyota, and everyone in between.
If prices are too high no one buys ( $10 for a cup of coffee? No thanks ) and the they go out of business.

Now, I personally don’t understand why some one would feel the need to attack Darren over this. Pretty much all that he wrote would fall into the category of common sense, if only people would take the time to think about it.

Take the example of a $2500 custom build, with the split 60% materials, tools, overheads and general business costs. Leaving 40% profit.
That’s $1000 profit on one guitar. Now it’s not unrealistic to expect a large amount of man hours to go into the production of the guitar. Even if it took only 50 hours from start to finish ( including any design process necessary, remember this is a custom instrument folks ).
Your talking about $20 an hour. Hold on, lets say that again. $20 an hour pay for a highly skilled, labour intensive job. If that were a plumber or electrician, mechanic, bricklayer they would say ‘No thanks, you can keep your guitar building’( I know I would). Any other job that demands that level of technical skill and quality control will pay much better, and no doubt have a nice welfare package attached to it with medical and dental and whatnot.

Think about it. Think about the numbers involved and what’s actually delivered as an end product and hopefully you will realise that most small luthiers aren’t overcharging or trying to ‘price at a premium’.

If you can’t afford to buy one of their guitars don’t blame it on exorbitant pricing and take a look at your own situation.