Rabs Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 So that guitar show is only a short time away now.. This is the two week notice for all members who may be interested in coming along... It should be a cool day. Theres acts and vintage guitars to look at... and usually you get better deals at these shows than online..... And of course me :) So anyone whos free it would be good to meet you if I haven't already... Check out the exhibitor list.. http://www.guitarshows.co.uk/ARPages/Exhibitors-SoE.html I am at the moment equally as excited as I am nervous... As much as I am sure the people I have shown my guitars to so far have been honest with me... This will be the first time im open to the general public as such so is a pretty big deal for me... Anyway... I will let you guys know how it goes after.... and hopefully will see some of you there... fingers crossed (and toes) :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retired Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 1476047510[/url]' post='1804906']So that guitar show is only a short time away now.. Truly hope you pick up some customers Rabs. How many guitars are you taking? If you weren't so far away, I'd come and look. My wife was gone all day the other day so I got a chance to go to Guitar Center and play a bunch of acoustic guitars. That was fun. I picked one up to try that had a wide neck. Haven't played a wide neck since I was a teen that I had a hollow red guitar. Now I remember why I hated wide necks. Short fingers and too hard to play, the frets on it were spaced out farther too. But they had a Gibson there I loved and a Taylor too. Actually I was shopping for a Guild but they didn't have any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 Best of luck, Rabs! What I would do, is mix into the crowd - incognito - and listen what they say. ;) Best wishes... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 Weren't you on to do one of these near Brighton Rabs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 10, 2016 Author Share Posted October 10, 2016 Weren't you on to do one of these near Brighton Rabs? Yeah there was a show in Brighton but it was tiny.. Like in a hotel hall so I decided to skip it... This one im going to is HUGE hopefully with more people... If it all goes well the next one is in Birmingham in February... And thanks for the support guys.. I will need all the luck I can get I think :) Also got this through today.. a nice banner AND a Paypal credit card reader so I don't loose customers with no cash... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 Super cool, Rabs. I'm stoked for you (errr... chuffed, I mean) You might consider giving away a guitar (or next year if it's too late). Those free giveaways bring in a lot of attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 11, 2016 Author Share Posted October 11, 2016 Super cool, Rabs. I'm stoked for you (errr... chuffed, I mean) You might consider giving away a guitar (or next year if it's too late). Those free giveaways bring in a lot of attention. Cheers man... And that's a good backup plan.. I think I will use this show to see how it goes and try and get a feel of what people think of them and then try and get the price right.. :) This time in less that two weeks we will all know :unsure: I will also have the option of emailing people who give their address out at the show after.. As the organisers will send out a marketing email for me to all the people they have on their list.. And they've been running shows for 19 years... So I have options.. I will just have to feel it out as I go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quapman Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Good luck Rabs. If I lived there I would go. I hope you do really well. Great banner. Kicks a$$. Hope you sell a few bro. You deserve it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Mate, if it was 3 weeks later I'd be there cheering you on. All the best, some of those guitars sound great - will the mighty JDGM be guesting as your pro player? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 12, 2016 Author Share Posted October 12, 2016 Thanks guys.. I really do appreciate the support.. I know its easy for me to just sit and type it, but I REALLY do.. I does help... And while hes under no obligation to play, JDGM did say he may be popping down so we will see :) This really could be the make or break time for me so im just gonna do my best and see where the chips fall... :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pesh Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Best of luck with the show, Rabs! Honestly hope it goes well for you, and that you get some contacts and sales and some orders! Take some photos of your stand to post later, if you can. Shame I can't make it as it's so close to home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 12, 2016 Author Share Posted October 12, 2016 Best of luck with the show, Rabs! Honestly hope it goes well for you, and that you get some contacts and sales and some orders! Take some photos of your stand to post later, if you can. Shame I can't make it as it's so close to home! Thanks man.. I really appreciate that... And yes.. Heres hoping... At this point I really have no idea how my guitars are going to be received.... Everyone that's tried them so far has liked them but that's only been people who know me somehow.. Getting someone to pay out their hard earned cash for one is the next level... So we will soon see... Yes I will come on here that evening and let you all know how it goes :unsure: :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Pics and report will be cool Rabs. I guess the little details will be to have all the guitars newly strung and set up just right, straps available (straplocks?) or a couple of armless chairs - whatever makes it easy for the players to feel 'just right' immediately. Maybe you could have picks with your logo and website printed on them to give to people who want to try the guitars or some other simple reminder. Not sure if you've priced the guitars yet but it would seem logical to at least have a ' from $XXX...' ( sorry, no GB Pounds symbol) for a basic build so punters get an idea of where you sit in the market - especially if you are looking to go for a 'value for money' type positioning. No doubt you know all that, but anyhow. Again, best of luck for the day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 12, 2016 Author Share Posted October 12, 2016 Not sure if you've priced the guitars yet but it would seem logical to at least have a ' from $XXX...' ( sorry, no GB Pounds symbol) for a basic build so punters get an idea of where you sit in the market - especially if you are looking to go for a 'value for money' type positioning. No doubt you know all that, but anyhow. Again, best of luck for the day! Thanks for that :) Yeah I have a good idea now.. But am still not sure.. People are telling me its too low and I should start higher cos people will try to haggle you down whatever price you start at. Im thinking for my more basic models (like without binding) of charging about £500 (about $610) and then for the ones with binding and posher woods and nicer pickups (I have two models with Gibsons in them) I will charge more like £750 (about $915)... Well that's what im thinking at the moment.. As I have said previously.. I think id rather sell them a bit cheaper and have some guitars out there in the real world than try to overprice them and not sell them. It really is a hard decision to make... What I may do is make several different priced tags for each guitar and check out the situation around me first and then decide.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 sounds fair Rabs, and you need some cashflow happening in any case early on to help fund spec builds. Maybe you can price it as a special deal for this show - say 'Show Special - price good until the end of 2016' or similar. That way you are not committed to a price long term and show-goers can feel they are getting a bargain (and then in turn maybe accept it and not try too hard talk you down from that). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 13, 2016 Author Share Posted October 13, 2016 Maybe you can price it as a special deal for this show - say 'Show Special - price good until the end of 2016' or similar. That way you are not committed to a price long term and show-goers can feel they are getting a bargain (and then in turn maybe accept it and not try too hard talk you down from that). Good idea Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 I would also take the opportunity to connect with Ben Crow. Valuable relationship there I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 "the mighty JDGM...." [blush] Blimey! Thanks very much.... Intend to come to the show but have a gig in Salisbury the night before and usually am anything but mighty on a Sunday morning! Will there be chairs or stools to sit on? A table? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 13, 2016 Author Share Posted October 13, 2016 [blush] Blimey! Thanks very much.... Intend to come to the show but have a gig in Salisbury the night before and usually am anything but mighty on a Sunday morning! Will there be chairs or stools to sit on? A table? Yep.. there will be chairs.. I will have my Slash amp out so people can try the guitars.. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 13, 2016 Author Share Posted October 13, 2016 I would also take the opportunity to connect with Ben Crow. Valuable relationship there I think. Yeah I did that at the last show when I wasn't exhibiting.... And well.. Mainly I just wanted to thank him for his work since I have watched A LOT of his vids and it really did help me and I wanted him to know.. I gave him my card an all that but nothing came from it... Hopefully he will come around and recognise me and check my guitars out (probably not though, id imagine he meets many many people all the time). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted October 16, 2016 Share Posted October 16, 2016 Rabs! I'm coming! So's my mate Jerry who put his head around the door at Rockbottom rehearsal rooms that night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 16, 2016 Author Share Posted October 16, 2016 Rabs! I'm coming! So's my mate Jerry who put his head around the door at Rockbottom rehearsal rooms that night. Cool.. Yes I remember him.. I look forward to it... I hope to get a chance to have a look around at some point.. Having a look at the exhibitor list there should be some really interesting stuff on display. Even though obviously that's secondary to my main point of being there... I do have a feeling its going to be pretty busy so we will see how it goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 Good to see you and your wares; and to meet you JDGM. The show was pretty cool. Nice display of late 50s bursts and a 56. They were played throughout the day too. Some interesting makers and lots of vintage and used. My mate picked up a 2001 MIK epi LP. Plays really nicely. Never really tried the electronics but it feels nice. Good fret job. Virtually stole it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quapman Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Damn! Wish I coulda been there! Hope you kicked a$$ RABS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 24, 2016 Author Share Posted October 24, 2016 Damn! Wish I coulda been there! Hope you kicked a$$ RABS. Yeah it was a cool day.. See my other thread for more detail... (the guitar show report one).... All I can say is that I always knew this was going to be a long shot... But to have actually had the opportunity to do it and see it through to this stage has been an amazing opportunity... Even if in the end I don't manage to make it work as a business, I can say I tried my best and learned a hell of a lot about guitar along the way... So we will see.. I guess over the next month or so if anything actually comes from it ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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