labor cost for a custom guitar
- Thread starter Greg M
- Start date
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jdacamper
TDPRI Member
I personally couldn't tell you what it would cost for labor, I think it would depend on body style and complexity of the build. from what I have seen on the web custom built guitars run from 2000$ up to as much as 15000,$ I build guitars but I don't even have a clue how long it takes me to do one since I only get to work on them when I can find a spare few hrs. Got one on the bench now that I have been working on since Feb, might get it done by Oct. Starting to plan the next one for next spring.
Sorry I can't give you any more help then that.
I would say just try and build it yourself. You might find a new addiction.
Sorry I can't give you any more help then that.
I would say just try and build it yourself. You might find a new addiction.
I'm sure that would be a very difficult question to answer without many more specifics. If you were a contractor and I supplied the lumber, the concrete and all other hard goods what would you charge me to build my house? How would anyone know the answer to that without seeing the plans?
I think the best answer you'd ever get off the top of their head is "it depends" but we'll see what the builders have to say.
I think the best answer you'd ever get off the top of their head is "it depends" but we'll see what the builders have to say.
Due to forum rules only a participating vendor can answer that I think .
twick
Tele-Meister
Provably somewhere between $1000.-$15,000. Maybe more, maybe less.
Ricardo Moraes
Tele-Meister
Let's zero down on a simple project: suppose that someone buys all the necessary parts from Warmoth (including finished body, finished neck, all hardware, pick ups, etc.) for building a tele. How much a luthier would normally charge for putting all parts together and setting up the instrument?
Carved top Les Paul style guitar. I've built three and can't really think how many hours I put into one. I enjoy the building part so I guess any money I make would be gravy.
Let me rephrase: suppose you made a guitar with those supplied parts and wood, and it sold for $1000. What percentage of that would you ask for?
Let me rephrase: suppose you made a guitar with those supplied parts and wood, and it sold for $1000. What percentage of that would you ask for?
If the builder chose the wood and parts it would take less time and may turn out better - as well as cheaper in the end. I would try to get about $40-50/hour for "non-buddy" work and it takes me 50-100 hours to make a fenderish guitar... With a clear/tinted finish.
At $2000-5000 for labor, the $200-500 or so for parts/wood is way smaller.
At $2000-5000 for labor, the $200-500 or so for parts/wood is way smaller.
Ronsonic
Tele-Afflicted
Either that or someone completely unqualified.
Jack FFR1846
Tele-Afflicted
I've built a bunch of guitars. But I build for me. Typically, I repaint, level, crown, replace half of the hardware and play it for 6 months. Then I sell it for between $100 and $150 more than the original unmodified guitar cost me. Clearly, I don't do this for money.
anyone
Tele-Holic
I'd charge a shark with a freaking laser beam attached to its head, too!
(But I'd probably settle for an ill-tempered sea bass....)
EricIndecisive
Tele-Meister
IMO the best way to think of it is how much is your time worth per hour, and how many hours will it take you? What about the wear & tear on your tools and equipment?
Gibson charges $4,000 for a les paul custom and they churn them out of a factory. Obviously the prestige and name are behind a LOT of that cost (imo) compared to what it actually costs to make it. Building a nice kit would probably cost about $1,500 after everything if you were to do it yourself (kit as in body & neck are pre-made)
How much do you make at your current job? Say you spent 20 hours building the guitar from scratch, setting it up, etc. At $50 an hour that would be $1,000 in labor. Is your time and effort worth more or less than that?
Gibson charges $4,000 for a les paul custom and they churn them out of a factory. Obviously the prestige and name are behind a LOT of that cost (imo) compared to what it actually costs to make it. Building a nice kit would probably cost about $1,500 after everything if you were to do it yourself (kit as in body & neck are pre-made)
How much do you make at your current job? Say you spent 20 hours building the guitar from scratch, setting it up, etc. At $50 an hour that would be $1,000 in labor. Is your time and effort worth more or less than that?
yDcwpdNlaz
Friend of Leo's
Realistically, if Greg M brings in all the parts and all that the guitar tech needs to do is assembly and setup, it probably wouldn't be more than 3-4 hours of labor, would it?
I'm just basing it on when my guitar guy had to basically re-build my Strat for me, because I used entirely the wrong wire when soldering the pickguard together.
I'm just basing it on when my guitar guy had to basically re-build my Strat for me, because I used entirely the wrong wire when soldering the pickguard together.
Ricardo Moraes
Tele-Meister
That's a good answer!
RogerC
Poster Extraordinaire
I guess you're assuming a "perfect world" scenario-- meaning all the frets are dead level and crowned, all the holes and pockets match up, etc.
dazzaman
Tele-Afflicted
I read it to assume that the wood was lumber that had to be sized, jointed, glued, carved etc.
Obviously a totally different ball game.
Also the original question did not reference all finished parts (body/neck - finished, compatible, unaltered) - just "custom" and starting from wood.... Assembly is something most should do for themselves since going down that road leads most to lots of changes down the road... You will want to know how to do all that yourself to get it right.
All I can really say is that you have to really trust someone to build you a "custom" guitar and cost is relative to their experience/abilities - you get what you pay for. The average guy working at a music store can do a great job assembling a guitar - taking a few hours - but fret work will need trust and you will pay 2x to get basic level/crown work.
There is no Guitar Builder's Union as far as I know, and probably as wide of variability in pay scale as the Mississippi. Guitar builders mostly get paid for their reputation and their completed product. There is no hourly scale to apply to building a guitar, as far as I can see. You get to charge as much as the market will pay for your complete guitar, which will likely range from $200 to $25,000 depending on your skill and reputation.
Now, the professional techs in my neck of the woods charge about $120 for a complete setup. What's that, maybe 1-2 hours, so maybe gross anywhere from $60 to $120 an hour. But I'll guarantee you, if they started building complete guitars by hand, they would not get anywhere near that wage.
I really wouldn't try to apply a "wage" model to pricing guitar builds. It's a totally different beast.
Now, the professional techs in my neck of the woods charge about $120 for a complete setup. What's that, maybe 1-2 hours, so maybe gross anywhere from $60 to $120 an hour. But I'll guarantee you, if they started building complete guitars by hand, they would not get anywhere near that wage.
I really wouldn't try to apply a "wage" model to pricing guitar builds. It's a totally different beast.
I think there is a perception that making a guitar - even from parts - is in the same ballpark as the cost of a used guitar - but really the costs are very different. Labor costs will likely be the biggest - whether they be payed to a neck/body company or a luthier.
Some of the guitars that cost me less than $100 to make from wood (making everything except for tuners, frets and strings) turned out to be some of my best guitars, but I put a lot of time into them - twice the time in most cases. I think if someone is cost sensitive - building a guitar is not a good option unless the person does most of the work themselves. Generally building leads to more building, so if someone is interested in building - it's best to start out with inexpensive parts and do a few learning builds... Some of the first assembly jobs I did a long time ago using super cheap parts ended up being guitars I stuck with the longest, but I was always disappointed in the work I had others do - the work was never done right until I learned to do it and did it myself and also learned first hand the limitations that time based work has.
Some of the guitars that cost me less than $100 to make from wood (making everything except for tuners, frets and strings) turned out to be some of my best guitars, but I put a lot of time into them - twice the time in most cases. I think if someone is cost sensitive - building a guitar is not a good option unless the person does most of the work themselves. Generally building leads to more building, so if someone is interested in building - it's best to start out with inexpensive parts and do a few learning builds... Some of the first assembly jobs I did a long time ago using super cheap parts ended up being guitars I stuck with the longest, but I was always disappointed in the work I had others do - the work was never done right until I learned to do it and did it myself and also learned first hand the limitations that time based work has.
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