YOU WANT A PLASTIC GUITAR? HELL YEAH YOU DO.

[skullservant]

Your dad sounds like he rules

[IEatCats]

My dad's the reason I got into playing guitar. He's also a production engineer that built the competitor's production line to the molding company I worked at. He taught classes about plastics engineering at a local college for a while, too.

Since I was a kid he's always told me that if I had a solid business idea, he'd want to pursue it with me. And I just happened to come up with an idea that involves plastic guitars

[skullservant]

That's awesome man!

[WeHuntKings]

Now, here's the shit I've got to ask you guys:

• Would you even be interested in this?
• If you are, about how much would you happily spend, knowing that the guitars are hand/boutique built?
• What types of pickups and designs would you like to see?
• Are there any oddities that you'd like to see in smaller runs? (Baritone, extended strings, small scale, etc)

Oh, OK, fine, I'll answer your questions and appease your market researchin' self.

• Yes.
• Difficult to say, but I'm broke. So, less than I'd like.
• Probably something that not many others would be interested in, like Charlie Christians or lap steel pickups or something.
• I think a short scale guitar would be pretty neat.

-fuck yeah I would
-if it's plastic, sub 800?
-cool single coils like p90s, jazzy coils, toasters, weird 60s shit
-definitely short scales, hollow and semi hollow designs, maybe some with built in fx a ala Vox?

[DarkAxel]

Here's an idea: built-in opto theremin

i'd go for that in a custom

AND pretty colours... fuck sunbursts, i want pretty green and blue and red guitars...

[WeHuntKings]

I WANT SILVER SPARKLE. And gold. And matte black. And GLITTERY black.

Do you think you could do basses like this? Would that sound totally wack?

[IEatCats]

I'm pretty sure bases would be doable. I'm excited for all the color options that could be possible in the end with this.

[Greenfuz]

heck yeah I'm interested

shortscale, completely symmetrical for easy leftyness, harmony/silvertone-esque neck singlecoil





I want guitars that look like these

[greyscales]

Everything about this thread is right. I'd be totally down for a cool plastic guitar.
Any scale length, the most unique the better IMO.
It'd be cool to see a swimming pool route if you use a pickguard. And pickguards with multiple cutouts for different pickup arrangements (P90s, SS, HS, HH, etc).

And I'd be down to come up with a built-in fuzz for the record...

[TheOndrakGuy]

Dude.

Plastic. Fender. Swinger.

... with lipsticks.

... and a Jag trem.

I'd sell you my firstborn (or more likely give you around £350).

[IEatCats]

I want guitars that look like these

I was thinking something like that, and maybe even approaching the artists to get a sponsored "Okay" for a limited run of specific album inspired guitars.

"Dopethrone Purple" and shit.

And I'd be down to come up with a built-in fuzz for the record...

FANTASTIC!

I actually just found out that I might be able to get the city to subsidize a building for bringing local manufacturing into Niagara Falls again, too.

[coldbrightsunlight]

Dude this is wicked rad! Gotta love more guitar variety.

Now, here's the shit I've got to ask you guys:

• Would you even be interested in this?
• If you are, about how much would you happily spend, knowing that the guitars are hand/boutique built?
• What types of pickups and designs would you like to see?
• Are there any oddities that you'd like to see in smaller runs? (Baritone, extended strings, small scale, etc)

• Yep, I'd love a plastic short scale bass
• Depends on the model/level of customisation, but probably up to $1000 if they're real nice (Not that I have the money right now but I should do when this gets going)
• Single pickups, I'm thinking simple stuff for a plastic guitar, maybe weird pickups? I don't really know much about pickups soooo
• Short. Scale. Bass.

[IEatCats]

So, general consensus so far:

• Weird builds are a plus
• One pickup for a standard model seems to be the go-to
• FUN COLORS
• Boutique pups are a good idea
• Custom plastic guitars/basses are something that would definitely sell

It'd be cool to see a swimming pool route if you use a pickguard. And pickguards with multiple cutouts for different pickup arrangements (P90s, SS, HS, HH, etc).

This was actually something I was thinking about, but if we go the route of a CnC machine, the custom pickup slots could just be a little bit extra ($5 dollars for custom routing, plus the a discounted cost of pickups if they aren't in stock, or something). And because everything would be cut/molded on site, we could make pickguards and pickup rings on site from scrap plastics, meaning the only parts that would have to be ordered would be the actual metal hardware, unless we get a machine that's capable of cutting those from blocks as well. Because of the manufacturing style, if we get powerful enough hardware, literally every part could be molded/cut on the production floor after a while.

It's something that I'm thinking about, though. It might also make it a bit lighter to do a large route like that.

Options options options.

Edit: I just randomly had this idea. I wonder, if this idea works out after the first few months (assuming it happens), if Eastwood would be willing to work with us for a modern day "reissue" of the Res-O-Glass guitars they seem to have the rights to made from the plexiglass like the originals.

[Chankgeez]

... Frets? It seems to me that a plastic board might be doable, but the fret wire might be a little iffy.

Two words: Bond Electraglide

[IEatCats]

I agree with the consensus.

Also had another idea: How much of this stuff could be made with recycled plastics? I can't speak for everyone, but my interest would go way up if these guitars were not only rad and cheap but also sustainable.

Double also: you said neck through 100% plastic. Does that include the fret board? Frets? It seems to me that a plastic board might be doable, but the fret wire might be a little iffy.

EDIT Triple also: your dad sounds awesome.

Fingerboards would probably be wood, although, there's a chance that they might be handcrafted by myself or whatever team ends up on this, instead of pre-purchased.

Recycled Plastics would be likely to happen if we end up with a molding system (this was actually my original idea about a year ago), which could be cool to buy up broken toys and action figures and remold them into guitars. (Maybe buying factory closeouts and donating half of whatever old toys we get?)

A CNC is probably the most likely to happen, but if the kickstarter gets enough backing, it would be interesting to get a mold system that creates blocks that can be cut with a CnC, that way we can do 100% recyclable guitars. (Making deals like I mentioned earlier, if you somehow crack your guitar, we'll remold you one for a fraction of the cost of replacing it, a lot more doable.)

A good portion of what i'm talking about it all idealism, and I don't know what the actuality of this will end up being (maybe we'll end up making a kickstarter with a minimal goal, and a secondary goal too, or something) right now.