what would u pay for replacement bodies and necks??

Duff Beer Man · #1 09-04-2006, 02:23 AM

Hey guys,

Welp as a few of you know im a amature luthier and take great pride in my work. Well i was looking around and thought that the prices of jem necks and replacement bodies are insane. I saw a guy on **** trying to sell a replacement jem alder body for 200 dollers. So my question to you is if i started producing jem necks and bodies, what would u pay for an exact duplicate of them? I just wanna do this to kinda get my name known and get better at the trade, not trying to sell these as jems or anything just replacement bodies and necks those who want multiple necks for you jem or what not. Gimme your opinons

**Ayrton** · #2 09-04-2006, 02:43 AM

Well I just ponied up for two alder replacement bodies from Chris Woods. I can only hope that everything fits like it is supposed to. I think if you can offer consistent quality (everything fits with exact specs) you will have more business than you can handle.

I have a RG 770 neck here that needs some fret board repair and the cost figures I have been getting are more than I paid for the entire guitar.

Duff Beer Man · #3 09-04-2006, 03:11 AM

Interesting, i was thinking of charging 100 bucks for bodies, and 400 for necks w/ no vine inlay and a little more for ones with vine inlay. Another thing i would like to do is people could send me there broken stuff and i could make an exact replacement for them for hopefully cheaper then what it cost to fix it, like u said, no one wants to pay for a repair that cost more then the whole guitar.

rastachild · #4 09-04-2006, 02:54 PM

you should go to projectguitar.com. there was a thread on there a few months ago from someone who asked the same question. i think it really depends on your notoriety and reputation. if you're just starting, it's hard to charge the same as someone who has been doing it for awhile and has a reputation for good quality. that being said, $100 for bodies is a very fair price for someone just starting out (ekg charges about $250 i believe, but he is well known and has a rep for quality work).

i will say that you probably won't get many takers on necks if you charge $400. you have to consider the e-bay parted out aftermarket. prestige necks regularly sell for about $225-$250 and those are necks from a company that we trust. i understand that it is much more involved and costly building a custom neck, but even chris woods is charging $250 with vine inlay. hell, i got a totally custom neck from warmoth (paduak with pau ferro fretboard_ for less than $400. you may want to hold off on selling necks until you can get a cnc router, which will speed up and cheapen the process.

velocity · #5 09-04-2006, 03:23 PM

i thought you had already given us a price?

Falcon Wing · #6 09-04-2006, 05:09 PM

I am wanting a double beck 7vwh style w/ 12 string upper, and 6 lower w/ sustainer. Would you do this kind of work?

sirbrandon101 · #7 09-04-2006, 05:26 PM

$100 for a body sounds good, but $400 for a neck seems a bit steep. I'd say $175-??? for a neck starting out. Because in all honesty, if someone could get a neck from you for $400(being new to the luthier scene) or from EKG or Christopher Woods for less, they'd probably go for the known builder.

Duff Beer Man · #8 09-05-2006, 03:25 AM

yeah i prolly will hold off on necks for a while. But i do want to sell bodies for 100 bucks. also i have a project guitar account. Its duff beer man, just like here lol.

Demiurge · #9 09-05-2006, 11:11 AM

$100 would be a killer price for a body. What would the wood options be for $100, and what less common woods would you consider working with- for an upcharge, of course? Would you develop templates for 7 and 8 strings w/extended ranges?

**GilkyBear** · #10 09-05-2006, 12:16 PM

I have to agree with everyone here, 100 bucks for a body would be great, 400 for a neck would be a bit steep. Of course with consistent quality you could raise your prices to the going rate.

rastachild · #11 09-05-2006, 01:30 PM

yeah, i'd totally buy a body from you for $100. i would assume we supply the wood and pay for the costs of shipping, right?

Duff Beer Man · #12 09-05-2006, 08:00 PM

^^^ Thats my intentions ^^^

Send me the wood you want the body made out of, of paypal some money and ill go get the wood from my local place. And i wanted to do something like, if you want a tele, or something that i dont have but you do, send me the guitar to get measurements off of and what not and ill do a dulpicate body of that guitar or any other i do have for free. Its a win win, you get a free duplicate body, and i get a new model to add to my line up. Oh and the 400 i was talking about earlier was for a jem 100% identical to the original as far as profile and everything go, i dont see to many jem necks around, i see a lot of people making there own necks, and attaching them to duplicate jem bodies, but like i said im always open to opinions. Send me links to the guys you are talking about so i can see pics of there work and stuff, i love checking out other peoples work.

satchboogeyman · #13 09-05-2006, 08:17 PM

Not to be a jerk or anything. But asking ppl who dont know you to send you there guitar bodies is a pretty big risk dont you think? I dont know you and I am not passing judgement but the world does not work that way anymore(if ever). Do you have any refrences?

rastachild · #14 09-06-2006, 06:30 PM

hey duff, what type of neck joints do you do? just aanj or can you do the old school square heel as well?

jemuniverse777 · #15 09-06-2006, 06:48 PM

$150 max on body
$150-$300 on neck depending on quality/reputation

I couldnt justify spending over $150 on a body unless it was a custom cut or exotic wood. The neck is the most important to me and I would spend up to $300+ depending on inlays,tops, quality of fretwork, etc.