Custom built amps - testing the waters

[saucygitaristak2]

I've been tinkering with amp building for a little while and I was wondering if I went headfirst into this and made a very attractive custom-to-order tube amp (even as far as custom power configurations, channels, head materials and finish) for as low as $700-$800 a pop, given I have pictures and dry sound samples available on a website, do you guys think that I might have a decent market? Would anybody on this forum consider buying one? Just let me know what you guys think...

 

[Turumbar82]

If the amp sounded good and had reliability then for that price a lot of people would be very interested!

 

[212Mavguy]

That is an interesting question. Right now the market is as tough as it has been for the last five years.

As a garage shop venture, I'd say yes. You are already doing the right thing by doing your craft hands on. Think about the Randall Smith story about how he started Mesa Engineering. The players playing his amps as well as the builder's skills lifted his amps to prominence and subsequent demand.

To start up mass production, from an entrepreneurial viewpoint it would be hard to find a worse time.

 

[flieger67]

You'll never know unless you try, so put up a website, some clips and see what happens. A friend of mine is starting an amp venture, so I know that you'll have to be patient as you work to get customers.

I wish you the best of luck.

 

[droptrd]

If the amp sounded good and had reliability then for that price a lot of people would be very interested!

+1

 

[kiff]

If the amp sounded good and had reliability then for that price a lot of people would be very interested!

+1

+2

 

[saucygitaristak2]

Thanks for the thoughts guys, I'll definitely have a good website with base models, configurations, and sound clips by July at the latest...I was thinking about a Warmoth/Carvin style website interface where you choose options and anything finer than the base model will cost extra...

I was thinking I'll develop a few good circuits for different sounds (like an aggressive Recto/a Marshall crunch/a Legacy lead/power section bluesy-breakup) and sound clips of each one...it'll work similar to Randall's module heads except they will be hardwired in and come at no extra charge upon the base model. Options will be on things like different grilles and covers, spring reverb, different knobs, more channels, that sort of thing. The amps will start at around $800 and if you deck it out with tons of custom options it would never get above $1,100. I'm confident in my build quality and I use the best parts so sound quality will most definitely not be an issue.

Also I know there aren't many places out there that build 2x12 vertical cabinets long enough for a standard-sized head so I'm thinking about making that my thing. It's hard to find good speaker cabinets that are tall and under $300 new so I figure a 2x12 vertical slant cab would accomplish both... I don't really see much of the need for 4 speakers much of the time anyway.

 

[Turumbar82]

If you could build a cheap stereo tube power amp I would be all over it. I'm saving up for a 2:90 and am slowly working my way there but even used they are still over $600.

 

[DaveBorn2Rock]

Clips please...

 

[clutch71]

This board is a good marketing tool. Might want to post your locale in your sig, invite some board members to come check it out the custom builds. Clips are one thing, but hands on testimonials can't be beat. I've met and hung out with many members on the board.

Some things that would interest me in a custom build...

1) What the circuit is based on ie, JCM800, JMP, SLP, Dual Rectifier, Soldona ETC...
2) Lower wattage for us guys stuck at home or in the garage. Nice to get into the power section without shaking the whole house.
3) Bare enclosures. I love the idea of being able to pick and choose the coverings, piping, logos, and cloth. No time to build my own headshells though.

Best of luck and let us know when the site is up.

 

[Mr_You]

IMO, I don't think you could make it.... the consumer guitar amp market is already flooded and competing is even more difficult with cheap toneful amps like the Blackstar HT-5 being built in Korea.

You'll have to come out with something different sounding to stand out and even then look at companies like Mesa or others that come out with new amps every few years in order to boost new amp sales.

 

[CoG]

IMO, I don't think you could make it.... the consumer guitar amp market is already flooded and competing is even more difficult with cheap toneful amps like the Blackstar HT-5 being built in Korea.

You'll have to come out with something different sounding to stand out and even then look at companies like Mesa or others that come out with new amps every few years in order to boost new amp sales.

I'm not sure I agree, I don't think it's a license to print money or anything but I think guys are going to be more careful and thoughtful about spending their coin so a custom builder who can make a good pitch and offer a good price probably has as good a chance as ever.

The good thing about being a custom builder is that it's not hugely capital-intensive compared to a lot of one-man businesses. You don't need a new truck, don't need space, don't need 10,000 flyers or a website that will compete with firms 500 times your size, don't need a Blackberry, don't need to take cut-rate subcontracts just to get your truck in front of somebody's house, you probably won't need to hire day workers or anything. You don't need to take a big time and money hit building a pile of stock, besides a few finished demos, that may or may not sell right off the bat.

You may not MAKE much money but it's not gonna break you if it doesn't take off.

 

[DaveBorn2Rock]

This board is a good marketing tool. Might want to post your locale in your sig, invite some board members to come check it out the custom builds. Clips are one thing, but hands on testimonials can't be beat. I've met and hung out with many members on the board.

Some things that would interest me in a custom build...

1) What the circuit is based on ie, JCM800, JMP, SLP, Dual Rectifier, Soldona ETC...
2) Lower wattage for us guys stuck at home or in the garage. Nice to get into the power section without shaking the whole house.
3) Bare enclosures. I love the idea of being able to pick and choose the coverings, piping, logos, and cloth. No time to build my own headshells though.

Best of luck and let us know when the site is up.

This is %100 true. I know a guy at the Harmony Central Amp Forum got into the custom amp game recently and he started by having forumites who were interested in trying the amp sign up on a list. He sent the amp out it's been going from person to person, most of the guys have been recording clips and writing reviews for him to put on his myspace. I think about six of the people who tried it so far have already bought one.

 

[CoG]

For the OP, one thing you should do is if you and your buddies don't have a little collection of popular boosts and ODs, start one and test all your designs with them.

Guys who would buy a custom mid-gain amp are also generally guys who love OD pedals, and having an amp that loves pedals too is a big bonus.

I think case/chassis options are probably a big deal for a lot of people. I know a big selling point for me would be if I could get a design in a 19" "short head" a la Mesa Marks or the simpler Engls, even if I had to wait longer for it or pay a bit more. Actually, if I could get basically a JCM800 in a short head for the kinds of prices you're talking about, I'd be thinking very hard, and if it had a loop, even just an in-out serial like a Mark, I'd be opening my Paypal as we speak (call that a hint.) I can buy long head 800 clones from like seven different guys in that price range, but a short head?