# Affordable Custom Guitars?



## Yoims (Dec 29, 2011)

I've been trying to find some companies or luthiers that make somewhat custom quality guitars that won't leave you completely broke. 

I know Carvin makes amazing 7 strings with customs that have a huge variety of options, and I've also contacted the guys at Strictly 7. 

But I was wondering if any of you guys knew of other places that make really nice customs?

I'm a lefty, and quite frankly I'm not impressed by any factory made guitar that's available to me. (Except for the JP7's, but I don't have 3 grand to spend)

So if you guys could help out, that'd be awesome. (Sorry if this is in the wrong section, I'm new)


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## Thep (Dec 29, 2011)

Halo


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## Thrashmanzac (Dec 29, 2011)

you could try bowes guitars, that is member canuck brian on here. his work looks pretty great, and his prices seem extremely reasonable.
check out his thread:
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/de...l-bowes-guitars-thread-works-progress-29.html


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## Yoims (Dec 29, 2011)

Man, that's just out of my price range :/ I can't go much over 1,400.


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## Thrashmanzac (Dec 29, 2011)

ok man fair enough. if i was in your position i would probably just hold out a bit longer to save an extra few hundred dollars if i really wanted somthing a bit over 1400.


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## Valennic (Dec 29, 2011)

Yoims said:


> Man, that's just out of my price range :/ I can't go much over 1,400.



Totally not going to happen in that range, Carvin's the only one that can do that for you. Sorry man, you're gonna have to reevaluate how you look at customs. They're something you pay a VERY hefty price for, to get exactly what you want. 

Also, Thrashmanzac, he only had two spots available for the next few months, and I'm one and some other guy is the other, so he'd have a decent wait anyway. But I strongly recommend contacting him TS, toss some ideas around with him. He's insanely awesome to deal with 

EDIT: You'll still need a good deal more than 1400 though TS


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## JamesM (Dec 29, 2011)

Yoims said:


> Man, that's just out of my price range :/ I can't go much over 1,400.



Gonna need more than that. A $2,000 budget is more realistic for less expensive customs.


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## AwakenNoMore (Dec 30, 2011)

I was able to spec out a pretty cool Carvin around $1400, its was an 8-string model too.


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## TRENCHLORD (Dec 30, 2011)

Also Carvin is very reliable in terms of service and wait time (from what I've always heard).
You can get into some very lengthy waits and less than great customer service with some of the more "botique" brands, sometimes.


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## JP Universe (Dec 30, 2011)

Oh no, not this again..... :wall bash: look at about at least double of what you are budgeting for your custom. If 3k is too much then a full custom is not for you...

Your best bet is a semi custom Carvin


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## shuthaffa (Dec 30, 2011)

check ran guitars they do crusher its fantastic quality and wont hurt your wallet


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## Navid (Dec 30, 2011)

Welcome to Polar Musical Instruments
This guy is cool and safe. He does anything you want, he uses CNC machines and his hands.


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## Tyler (Dec 30, 2011)

Strictly7


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## drmosh (Dec 30, 2011)

Yoims said:


> Man, that's just out of my price range :/ I can't go much over 1,400.



Not realistic for a custom instrument that's not going to be garbage


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## Nautilus (Dec 30, 2011)

I think you *may* be able to get away with a pretty basic Invictus guitar at that price. It really depends on your spec, but Gareth's rates even for his absolute most expensive guitars are in the region of $2500, the basics can be around half that and there'd still be a lot of choice.

Doesn't hurt to shoot an email his way!


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## g-zs (Dec 30, 2011)

Maybe Ran? Standard Crusher specs for 7string costs ~1360$ and you can do some small mods


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## Sepultorture (Dec 30, 2011)

Aside from Carvin mate, yer not getting much of anything for $1400

afull on custom, shape, hardware, and all you want down to exact spec will put you in the $2000-$3000+ range.

if you are adament to stick with $1400, go Carvin, you won't be dissapointed, if you want something a little more, then yer gunna have to save and up yer budget.

also i'm the "other guy" getting a Bowes custom, can't effing wait for that guitar, gunna be a brootz machine \m/


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## ElRay (Dec 30, 2011)

Check-out B & V Woodworks. Brian is definitely a "no frills" custom builder, but I've not heard anything negative about any of his builds.

Ray


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## Explorer (Dec 30, 2011)

I always love the expectation that "custom" and "affordable" coincide. 

Unless you get someone who is either a hobbyist and doesn't rely on the income, or someone who is new and therefore doesn't know how to budget to know what is being invested in building a custom guitar (hardware, equipment, and time) and to price accordingly, and is therefore likely to fail (see the extravagant promises from Roter, for example), one is not likely to find "affordable" to mean the same thing with a custom as it does with a production guitar.


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## Danukenator (Dec 30, 2011)

Contact Tom from Oakland Axe Factory. He has some really nice pricing on non-fanned guitars. I'm sure one can be built for under 1400$ if you don't need to pimp it out with fancy stuff.


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## bandinaboy (Dec 30, 2011)

My warmoth is coming out super nice. If your ok with either 25" or 28" scale length, that and putting it all together seem to be the only thing wrong with it. And it seems to be in your price range. Otherwise as mentioned Carvins are super nice.


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## Demiurge (Dec 30, 2011)

OP, maybe you should save a little bit more. I'm not saying that buying a custom guitar is a situation to go hog-wild-spare-no-expense, but you don't want such a low ceiling on a guitar that should be made to your specs.


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## aaron_rose (Dec 30, 2011)

Strictly 7


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## Hollowway (Dec 30, 2011)

What is it that doesn't impress you with the production models that are out? Design? Quality? That kind of stuff matters if you're looking for a custom. As others here have pointed out there are options under $1400 but they're pretty limited. And if you're looking for something higher quality and more innovative than any production model out there (save JP7) you're simply not going to find it.

What I think is going on (and pardon me if I'm off base) is that you want a custom because they seem cool and the way to go. Take it from a guy who has 6 customs sitting beside me: It's a process you only want to go through if you literally have no other option. The cost is high, the wait is long, the odds of getting a guitar with a problem is pretty high (surprisingly) and the quality can be hit or miss. Unless you absolutely need a custom, get a high end production guitar. 

But I will also say that Carvin is an amazingly good option in that they are not really a custom shop - they're a wood and finish selection shop. But damn good at consistency and quality.

For customs, I can speak for BRJ, KxK, Strictly 7, OAF as all being quality instruments. Varying prices, varying levels of workmanship/service depending on what you're looking at (finish, neck heel, nut, wait time, wood selection, etc.) But I have builds with most of them currently underway again. 

The last option (which maybe should be first!) is to hunt through the FS ads on here. That's how I got my BRJ and KxK and I'm super glad I did. Still way above your $1400 limit, but there are things (like tricked out Carvins) for considerably less.

Good luck!


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## TomAwesome (Dec 31, 2011)

The best way to get the most quality on a budget like that is probably to be patient and keep an eye on FS threads and eBay, or wait for someone to do a discount run. You may be waiting quite a while, though. I agree with Hollowway, though, that it might be better to think about what it is you don't like about most guitars you're playing and try different brands/models of production guitars. Customs are nice, but there should still be plenty of production guitars within that price range that will suit you, unless you have really oddball tastes and comfort preferences that can't be accommodated by modding something that's already out there.


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## Hollowway (Dec 31, 2011)

TomAwesome said:


> Customs are nice, but there should still be plenty of production guitars within that price range that will suit you, unless you have really oddball tastes and comfort preferences that can't be accommodated by modding something that's already out there.



Yeah, if you're looking for some unique woods, a weird scale length, lots of extra strings, etc., then a custom is for you. I don't fully understand when people get a custom made to look just like a production instrument. But it happens.


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## Sepultorture (Dec 31, 2011)

Hollowway said:


> Yeah, if you're looking for some unique woods, a weird scale length, lots of extra strings, etc., then a custom is for you. I don't fully understand when people get a custom made to look just like a production instrument. But it happens.



sometimes people just like the look and feel but hate the wood, maybe the hardware, the quality even, any and all of these factors come into play when someone wants a custom made after an existing model.

me i'd love a fixed bridge RGD 7 string with mahogany body, prestige beck, hipshot bridge, graphtech nut, locking tuners, single bridge and volume setup. is ibanez gunna do that, no, but someone else will. cus there are aspects of my 2127z that i fucking love, and others i hate

so not only do you get the guitar you like the look and feel of, you get it to your exact specs. and the only reason you could have for hating that custom is if the work was shoddy, or yer just a dumbass that really doesn't know what they want. if you go custom you NEED to know exactly what you want going into this guitar so that it plays and feels like you want it too


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## SirMyghin (Dec 31, 2011)

you will not get an affordable custom guitar, and if you want to tread that water, carvin is the safest bet. I have had some experience with carvins, and another 'affordable custom' maker, and he couldn't compete in the least with the factory carvins. I rate carvins at good, not great, solid, well built good price. I probably value them at 1.5x their price (which would put them at retail price abouts , no coincidence). PM me if you want the skinny on the 'affordable guy'. Let's just say he's been mentioned in the thread.



Explorer said:


> I always love the expectation that "custom" and "affordable" coincide.
> 
> Unless you get someone who is either a hobbyist and doesn't rely on the income, or someone who is new and therefore doesn't know how to budget to know what is being invested in building a custom guitar (hardware, equipment, and time) and to price accordingly, and is therefore likely to fail (see the extravagant promises from Roter, for example), one is not likely to find "affordable" to mean the same thing with a custom as it does with a production guitar.



Glad to see you are still holding down the fort well in my limited available time. Affordable and custom do not belong in the same sentence, indeed.


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