Premium Quality Kits

[adam]

We've been contacted by a manufacturer in South Korea who make finished guitars for some very well known guitar brands. They are very interested in the Kit market and want to do business with Pit Bull Guitars. Yes, I am a little chuffed they contacted us first (apparently).

Obviously, being a First World country, they're not going to make kits for US$80, they are going to be a premium price.

To give you some idea, their ST style kit would list here for AU$300-400 and a PRS style kit, with a 20cm flame maple cap (which looks beautiful), would be around $800. This is factoring in an even smaller profit margin than we aim for (but never achieve) on our Chinese kits.

So, I guess the question is... will anyone here seriously consider paying this much for a guitar kit? Or, is this the price point where you would shop for a finished guitar?

What do you think?

[Simon Barden]

Great idea, Adam, thanks for posting it.

Would these come with better quality hardware and pickups, a similar standard to what's supplied now, or would these be neck + body only prices?

I'd like to make a premium guitar kit, but for me in the UK, by the time I add on about 23% of import duty and VAT, I'd really be better off looking at more local suppliers. For me, the top quality PRS (and presumable LP) style (Aus $800+shipping) x charges would be around £645 (currently Aus$1045). I'm not saying I wouldn't ever buy one, but I'd certainly have to know first that they were pretty much flawless. Errors and flaws in a budget kit you can live with, but not in a premium priced product.

I'm spending around £200 on quality hardware and electronics for my current kits, but if the kits came with equivalent quality products, then that obviously makes them far more affordable for me.

(20cm is a very thick maple cap, Adam, so maybe it's 2cm? )

[CascadiaGuitarGeek]

That's a tough one. Part of the fun of guitar kits is being able to experiment a little with them, without necessarily risking a whole lot of money in the process. At the the $800 price range I would be looking for a very specific kit to justify the price and definitely have some higher expectations for the wood. You mention the thicker caps, would these also feature two piece bodies with more selectivity in matching grain? Would they still be able to do custom orders?

[Rossc0]

Morning Adam,

After buying the pickups I wanted and upgrading all the hardware and electronics, I'm pretty bloody close to that $800 mark on the LP anyway, and probably will be some serious $'s on the Strat and Tele as well. So with better quality everything from the off, don't see why not. I'd want to be able to have a decent selection of bits and pieces to choose from at purchase time. But the think top sounds awesome.

[OliSam]

Premium hardware as standard is a very interesting option.


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[Dedman]

as others have said , if the hardware and pick ups were top notch I'd probably think about it. $min $200 for pick ups, at least $50 for tuners, $100 for a bridge, min $50 on switches and pots plus the current kit price is getting pretty close. If the necks were better finished and the veneers thicker I think you'd win me.

As it is what I usually spend on a kit I could buy a lower end or second hand finished guitar but where is the fun in that?

[Fretworn]

While the $300-$400 for a top-quality kit sounds possible I can't imagine I would ever be in the position to pay $800 for a kit guitar.

[king casey]

Seems like most folk are happy to buy the cheap kit and then upgrade various items.
Maybe better to cater to this crowd by offering upgraded body/neck/parts options rather than the full kit.
Something like the Aussie version of Warmoth?

Cheers, Mark.

[adam]

Thanks for the comments, I'll give all of these consideration.

Sorry Simon, 20mm Top, not 20cm.

Yes, I'm assuming the hardware and pups will be much better quality

We will get a few samples in and check them out.

[wokkaboy]

sounds great Ads, keen to see pics of the quality of the timber, the shaping and the hardware. I'd pay that for a premium kit but I will be looking for quality timbers and cutting my own bodies on the CNC. Keen to see how good the necks are too !
When the sample kits arrive let me know Ads and I'll come to the warehouse and check them out and give you my opinion and maybe DB can meet as well