In addition to the standard 20˝ radius tops on the Javelin and AMX, i’m now officially offering the “SS” variant, which has a less aggressive curve both front and back. It’s not actually any slimmer, but it may feel more comfortable for some. I didn’t want to go any thinner due to the difficulties with fitting controls and electronics.

There are now options for 1/4˝ bent tops and on the SS, a “slab top” option that splits the body in half, allowing for more extreme combinations of tone woods.

Here’s how they look:

Wow… it’s the end of March already. You guys are WELL overdue for a progress update! In my last email back in January, i outlined my plans for the first few months of this year.

Everything’s been going very well, but just a little behind schedule with banks, suppliers, learning curves, etc. Here’s what’s been occupying my time since January:

• Moved into my new space (Still a bit of unpacking and organizing to do…)
• Secured start-up financing to properly equip the shop (Buy nice, or buy twice!)
• Took delivery of, assembled and set up all the major machinery and equipment
• Worked to get the CNC machine up and running

That last part has been key to all Decibel activities going forward.

I saved a bunch of money by going the semi-DIY route on the CNC machine, but that’s meant getting set up has taken longer than anticipated. It took nearly a month just to get all the parts and components in hand, and there was a steep learning curve with integrating everything, but i’m in the last stage of configuring it now. I should be running test cuts in the next few days, and hopefully up and running with actual guitar parts in the next week or so! It’s a killer machine, and i can’t wait to start making expensive sawdust with it.

Here’s how i’m planning to manage the build queue: In the first week of April, i plan to fill up a three-month production queue, with an initial target of four guitars per month. Builds in progress will obviously come first, and any remaining slots will be filled from the wait list.

Going forward, i’ll do my best to keep things moving according to that schedule, with additional builds being added to the queue each month, along with regular delivery of completed instruments. Of course, if anything should change, i will be sure to let everyone know. This three-month queue should keep the cash flow positive, the rent paid and the lights on.

In other news, i also just picked up a cool turbine-driven HVLP spray finishing setup, which i’m looking forward to trying out in the coming weeks. It’s capable of spraying just about any kind of finish, so i’ll be working on improving my finishing processes and techniques to make that aspect of my builds even better.

That’s about all for now… i’ll be in touch soon!

darren.

Greetings, friends!

I thought i’d kick off the year with a note to everyone just to let you know where things are and where things are headed in the new year.

The past year has been one of great challenges and frustrations for Decibel Guitars. Rather than go into a lot of boring detail, i’ll sum things up by saying that i was unable to reach the ambitious goals and objectives i set out to achieve with Decibel in 2012. This was a huge disappointment, and i know i’ve let some of you down with delays and missed deadlines.

That said, i learned a lot from the process. Mainly, i learned that in trying to build guitars (and a company) on a part-time basis, i really wasn’t giving Decibel the time and resources it needed to properly grow and flourish.

After a lot of soul-searching, a lot of sleepless nights, and more time in front of spreadsheets and writing business plans than i would care to repeat any time soon, i’m excited to announce that in 2013, i am making Decibel my full-time commitment and my “day job”.

I have taken a lease on 1000 square feet of industrial space, and i’m in the process of securing start-up financing to fund the acquisition of all the equipment i’ll need to fulfill my vision for Decibel Guitars for the near future, and position it well for long-term sustainable growth.

To those with builds in progress, i do apologize that they have taken longer than anticipated, and that deadlines have come and passed. That will be changing for the better with the acquisition of new equipment in the coming weeks.

To those on the wait list, my hope is that once i’m up to speed, builds will proceed at a much more regular pace, reducing wait times for everyone. I also hope to squeeze in occasional one-off builds and potentially short runs that will be offered for sale to those on the wait list before sold to the general public.

In conclusion, i’d like to thank you all for your enthusiasm, your confidence and your belief in what i’m doing. The journey is about to get REALLY exciting.

All the best for a healthy and prosperous 2013!

darren wilson.
Owner, Decibel Guitars

I didn’t want people to have a ridiculously high number on the list and feel like they were waiting forever, but with the list closed, people were waiting to get in line.

Please proceed in an orderly manner, take a number and have a seat.

At the present time, my best guess at wait time for an instrument is approximately 2 years.

This guitar started as a proof-of-concept for Dan Spitz’s guitar, and was the first attempt at doing the 50/50 split bodies. The join between the top and back is cut on a curve prior to gluing up the body blank. This ensures that the radiused top carve won’t penetrate the top wood near the edges.

More to come…

As i move through the wait list, i’m making slight changes to the business workflow as i go, which will hopefully make things go a little more smoothly.

Previously, i had asked for an initial deposit of $500 to signal intention to proceed, then an instalment payment of 50% of the balance once specs were signed off.

If a customer has to back out of a build for whatever reason – i totally understand… times are tough, and a luxury item like a custom guitar is a reasonable thing to cut from one’s budget – i’m totally fine with refunding deposits and instalments (minus any PayPal feels, if applicable). But sometimes that does leave me on the hook for woods and hardware already purchased or ordered, and for the time spent in consulting on the design of the customer’s instrument.

As a result, i’m making a slight change that makes getting started a little easier, and helps compensate me slightly for the up-front time investment.

Effective immediately, the initial deposit will now be $100 instead of $500, but it will now be non-refundable.

In most cases, this won’t make any difference to the purchasing process, but it’ll help me in those cases where i have to take on the task of getting the next person in line to take over the build slot, or if the build is further along, absorb the cost of the instrument and sell it upon completion as a “stock” build.

If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to comment below.

Cheers,


darren.

More info to come…

More info soon…

More info soon…