Design-wise, what do you think?

luke · Post by **luke** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 9:53 pm

Yeah, custom options ftw. That way, when you start getting mass produced in the far east, we can all brag about our Vintage NoHo guitars with the all original custom factory finishes.

I for one would love a maple fretboard on one if I got one, and I don't know how much I'd like the lipsticks, so yeah I'd love to have the option to have a custom made one. You can whack out three stock colours for a lowest possible price, then allow custom orders, just to keep it more personal and more inviting for potential buyers.

I think this could really take off!

euan · Post by **euan** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 9:59 pm

I'd be totally up for a fiesta red, shell pink or surf green. I'd like an all maple neck over a rosewood, but I like both and have an equal ammount of each. I'm just happy you are open for a dialogue about it all Aug, this way there is not way they aren't going to be great guys.

Aug · Post by **Aug** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:02 pm

Mike wrote:Fair enough.

I think $700 sounds a fair price - That's Â£351 by today's exchange rate. Perhaps if you let people choose their custom pickguard or have a non standard colour or something like that you could up your margin a little to compensate?

$700 could be your standard hardtail, red, white pickguard version

whereas $770-$800 could maybe get you your own choice of colour/pickguard and/or pickup combination? That lines up at around Â£400, these prices line up with what it costs to get one of those Japanese Jaguars or Mustangs from an ebay store shipped to your door.

I'd like to, but neither dave nor I are interested in working for free. The upside is, you would be helping a small guitar company get on it's feet.

Agreed on the colors. $700 with shipping within the US leaves only $80 profit, and that doesn't include any extras, such a gigbag and whatnot.

Once, we get going, and get our tax ID#, we'll spend less money, so the prices will drop a bit.

I really DO NOT want to hit anyone up for a straight $1000, and a price between $800-850 sounds really do-able.

bassintom · Post by **bassintom** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:04 pm

800-850 sounds like a very fair price.

euan · Post by **euan** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:11 pm

Dude I'm happy to pay a wee bit extra for the cross Atlantic shipping. As long as you don't charge extra for the southpaws I'm cool. You get a lot of qudos for that.

Aug · Post by **Aug** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:17 pm

no...I won't charge more for a lefty, but you'll need to help with shipping. Cool thing is, we've sorted out how to smartly send a guitar, bad thing is, it's still costs around $100 USD.

Again...we needz some help here guys...and you 4 people will be getting the very first 4 Mercurys. I think I'm going to stick to $800, you pay shipping costs. And remember...they'll come with gigbags and other stuff.

luke · Post by **luke** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:28 pm

What about hand made hardcases? That'd be pretty neat. Get some leather in there somewhere too of course.

Obviously that'd be less cheap, but a nice touch. You gotta make the first line memorable, just like Fender's firsts.

euan · Post by **euan** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:34 pm

Jesus Malik. Stop making my guitar more expensive.

inscho · Post by **inscho** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:34 pm

just a random thought....

If the guitar is going to be called the Mercury...then I think could be cool to have the headstock look like a 'M'

the truss rod cover could be white to match the pickguard and the headstock could be painted to match the body....

a crude MS Paint mockup:

Aug · Post by **Aug** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:34 pm

that would be nice...but, as I figure it, these first 4 guitars will just pay 2 months rent...and that's how long it will take to make them. I really don't mind not getting rich...especially since we're just now getting started, but eventually I'd like to see some payback...and once we start getting heavy into the black, you can bet your ass we're gonna do shit that hasn't been done in decades.

Nice hardshell cases, real leather guitar straps, extra strings, free t-shirts, (maybe even jackets!) etc...

I'm so excited right now, I can barely hold it in.

Aug · Post by **Aug** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:36 pm

inscho wrote:just a random thought....

If the guitar is going to be called the Mercury...then I think could be cool to have the headstock look like a 'M'

the truss rod cover could be white to match the pickguard and the headstock could be painted to match the body....

a crude MS Paint mockup:

I've never been a fan of huge, bulky headstocks, but I am not opposed to the idea. I do fully intend to do something extra regarding the word "Mercury", though

bassintom · Post by **bassintom** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:38 pm

How much more memorable can it be than getting a guitar with ser# M00001?

inscho · Post by **inscho** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:41 pm

Aug wrote:
I've never been a fan of huge, bulky headstocks, but I am not opposed to the idea. I do fully intend to do something extra regarding the word "Mercury", though

yeah i hear ya....i was picturing a modified mosrite headstock.

either way its looking good. i'd be in if only i could spare the change.

euan · Post by **euan** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:44 pm

i've laid down my deposit already while I still have the cash

Aug · Post by **Aug** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:47 pm

OH
HELL
YES!

Confirmed orders:

bassintom
euan
lamp

euan · Post by **euan** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:52 pm

M00002L here I come. Shell pink, then surf green then fiesta red. Maple neck preferably, hard tail.

All just preferences at thd moment.

I love how quickly this has all come togehter. It's kinda like the Doogcaster, but not really.

luke · Post by **luke** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:55 pm

euan wrote:M00002L here I come. Shell pink, then surf green then fiesta red. Maple neck preferably, hard tail.

All just preferences at thd moment.

I love how quickly this has all come togehter. It's kinda like the Doogcaster, but not really.

Yeah, Doog called the shots for free.

roachello · Post by **roachello** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:59 pm

Can u hire me to work for ur company? ;P

I like the idea of an "M" inspired headstock, but it should be more organic. Otherwise it's unrelated to the body shape and becomes the focal point of the piece. So curve it out, i'm sketching right now to see what I can come up with

euan · Post by **euan** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 11:03 pm

Malik wrote:
euan wrote:M00002L here I come. Shell pink, then surf green then fiesta red. Maple neck preferably, hard tail.

All just preferences at thd moment.

I love how quickly this has all come togehter. It's kinda like the Doogcaster, but not really.
Yeah, Doog called the shots for free.

Well gotta see what Aug can do before I start asking for thing that ain't possible. I'm aware that this isn't a custom guitar so I'm not going to treat it like that.

Aug · Post by **Aug** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 11:10 pm

No, not custom...it's a line of guitars that we'll offer in RH, LH, RR and a 12-string model.

I'm completely open to custom jobs, but youse guys need to hold your horses for a bit...since I'm the poor bastard in the shop doing most of the actual work. (Dave is still full-timing at his reg. job)

I'm thinking that once I'm ready to do a second line, the first line will be prime for custom work, and believe me, I'm already cooking up ideas for a 2nd, 3rd and 4th line.