YOU WANT A PLASTIC GUITAR? HELL YEAH YOU DO.

[Greenfuz]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgVgs61YEns[/youtube]

they've got a really interesting tone that I like


perfectly garagey

love the sound of that first riff he does

[IEatCats]

Yuuup. That's going into the list of things to prototype if we get a CnC machine.

[Greenfuz]

also, what about matching little plastic amps ala oahu/valco?




since everybody is super interested in shortscale basses, you could do em the same scale as a pocket bass and use the same necks and bodies for both guitar/bass




they'd be great chilling on the porch or jamming in the living room instruments

[warwick.hoy]

Would you even be interested in this?

No

[John]

also, what about matching little plastic amps ala oahu/valco?

That is a really good idea. I love those old guitar case amps.

[IEatCats]

Maybe eventually. Right now, after talking with someone who managed business startups for a profession (my landlord, actually), he said that the best way to go about this would be to sell a basic model with a couple variations until we can safely afford to invest in customs and other products. So it looks like for now, I need to focus on getting a prototype of the first production model going, and focus on getting the best parts pricing.

I'd love to build a wide variety of other instruments/amps/whatever if I can get the first few runs off the ground, but it might not be the best plan to start with a huge line, if I'm not positive I can sell the introductory one.

[WeHuntKings]

In that case you should make a plastic offset guitar, that shit would sell like hot cakes. At least amongst us ILFers.

[phantasmagorovich]

I'd be hard to get into these, honestly. I am as are most guitar players kind of a traditionalist. Why change something that works, that line of thought. So I will prefer wood over plastic. Aluminum has somehow managed to get on top ofe list of materials, and it did so by getting so much love around here and famous users.

So what to do? Either befriend someone famous and niche enough to generate interest and be approachable enough to go for this or make them dead cheap and cool so that many people buy them and eventually get famous usin them, like fender offsets.

Ok, so much for the general thoughts. But if you get crazy finishes like the swirly vinyl stuff I might change my mind.

I am under the impression that the first thing to get customized by users over here is pickups. Maybe offer them with a swimming pool and the option to get them without electronics for people like us who end up putting in something of their own liking anyway.

Symmetrical body shape, either double cut or like a shrunk round shoulder acoustic would be win.

[warwick.hoy]

When you get to the production stage; don't undercut yourself on your prices. I've watched boutique builders offer their products; which could have commanded a premium, at really small margins and the result is they get overwhelmed with orders. Because they weren't seeing that much of a profit; they were unable (and in one case unwilling) to expand their payrolls to meet the demand. Then they just have a bunch of pissed off customers and a bad rep. Figure out where you can price these things where it's worth your time, you get a decent flow of orders; but not so much where you can't keep up.

That said;

I really feel like the only people that are gonna be interested in these guitars are gonna be a percentage of forumites that get caught up in hype. Unless you can really recapture the vibe of old bakelite and pheno-resin guitars; or you build nothing but lap steels, I don't see this appealing to collectors who are looking for old and rare. Just seems like a very niche novelty product. Call me a "traditionalist" but; there is reason why you aren't seeing mass production of high end plastic guitars and why guitars made from plastic are relegated to the bottom shelf Hannah Montana Wal-Mart toys and Rock Band/Guitar Hero video game controllers.

The one thing that could make this really appealing to the hair farming, tree hugging crowd,....if you can figure out a way to make a plastic guitar that DOES NOT include petroleum based plastics in it's manufacture; that might be a good selling point. That's the biggest thing that causes me to be uninterested in a plastic guitar, other than the fact that I too have worked injection molding and I hated it. I have a hard enough time being okay with the petroleum products that go into the poly finish of guitars these days (I just overlook it cause it's more convenient than only buying nitro or natural finished guitars),...let alone a guitar that is completely dependent on petroleum products for it's manufacture.

There are corn based plastics as well; but even then, I'm not really sure how I feel about that,...(not being okay with GMO-yness and supporting industrial corn).

Not trying to dog on you; just wanting to provide some food for thought.

[metalmariachi]

Most of the plastic guitars of the past were toys or not really accepted by players.
Even the Reso-Glass Airlines, Supros and Ampeg Dan Armstrongs were not cool back when they were new.
Plus they sounded like crap compared to more traditional offerings by Gibson, Fender etc.
One big exception was the bakelite Baby Bass, which found a home in Latin and Cuban music.

But if you could make a plastic guitar or bass that was light and sounded good you might be on to something.
A lot of Bass players bought Steinbergers so what do I know?

MM

[ryan summit]

use any word other than plastic
resobakaresin
anything but plastic

[goroth]

use any word other than plastic
resobakaresin
anything but plastic

Yep. How desirable is a fluroplast jacket compared with a Goretex jacket?
Also, bump!!