Official Luthiers Forum!

I know this has been discussed before, but I could not find the thread where it was discussed. Anyway, I was wondering for those of you who go to guitar shows to show off your work, is it worth it? Now I know that if you are going to the shows, then you must think there is some value to attending them. Also to those who used to attend the shows, why did you stop getting a table? Last question, what are some tips for having some success for these guitar shows? How many guitars did you bring? What about brochures, cards, shirts, a sign, etc., what do you bring?

If you don't feel like chatting about it, but know where this thread is that I am talking about please provide a link.

-Rob

Two trips to the Montreal show netted me 1 sale and 3 commissions but the biggest plus was being there and meeting the great people who were in attendance. As a relatively new builder it was a chance to get my guitars seen at a major show. As for smaller shows the results are usually much lower as the attendees are much less though small shows have payed off with 2 sales and a commission but I probably have displayed at these local shows a 20 or 30 times. I hope to get some interest at the Memphis show this June but as it is a new one I have no idea what will happen there.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

I never been to a guitar show, and honestly right now, unless I have support from my parents (who are experienced in trade shows, they made their living selling at trade shows, but unfortunately do not support me in guitar making) I really don't have the resources to attend trade shows. I'm actually toying with the idea of attending trade shows on their behalf for shows around Texas but I'm not sure if they'd be on board with it...

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Thank Fred for sharing. Do you think the reason that you didn't yield as many sales/commissions at the smaller show was because of the type of show it was or because of just the overall volume of people? What I mean by the type of show is the smaller shows seem to me as more or less a swap meet/gun show type of scenario. The larger shows are commonly known as more of a high end type of show. Also do you feel like part of your success at the larger show was because of the experience you gained for "practicing" at the smaller shows?

I'm a professional guitarist and an amateur builder. As such, I can only really talk about the aspect of a purchaser, not as a builder. I attended the GFA convention A few years ago fully prepared to purchase a guitar. I knew one very prominent luthier would be there, and expected to purchase one of his. However, after trying everybody's guitars, I ended up purchasing a guitar from another builder who I had never heard of. I love the instrument. He had brought two guitars, and a friend of my purchase the other one as well, and he left the convention with several commissions. The following year, that same friend bought another guitar from him at the convention, and his wife commissioned a guitar from him, and he sold out yet again. For him, I think it paid off immensely.

Both of the above, and type of players present Folk and Bluegrass types are not usually interested in custom guitars

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

Sparky -- what did that maker charge for his/her guitars? What made those guitars a good value?

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

Think of them more as a show and shine. Actual sales or orders are the outliers.

How do you define 'worth'?

Hey Ed,

I get what you are saying and I understand that they are not really much of place to make sales. I do tend to look at them as a marketing thing, but my question is it worth it and why? Also if you feel that they are worth it then what have you done to make them "successful"? I know everyone who attends these types of deals will have varying opinions. For me, I wonder about the value of such an event. I almost feel that online marketing would be more successful and garner more views of your work. However, I know guitar players are a little more of a touchy feely group, so is this type of marketing really fruitless since the players/customers do not get the chance to play your work. I remember the thread that I read and some people were offering up tips on what they did with their brochures and to keep an eye out for the chatters and the tire kickers. I am just trying to open a dialogue about the marketing side of things.

In my 30 plus years of attending music industry conventions, instrument maker conventions, and vintage guitar shows the one thing that benefited me most was the connections I made. Who I knew, and who knew me - and the information we shared. Nowadays I suppose they call it social networking.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I would say again the the 'worth' of it depends entirely on what you expect to get out of it.

I can only comment on my personal experience from our local Vancouver show. Vancouver is a strange little burg. Most people won't actually even try a guitar, Vancouverites have a deep seated fear of human interaction (unless at a yoga class or Starbucks). They walk past the table at a safe 8 foot distance, looking to see if you're the guy who happens to have the '59 Les Paul unrecognized for 20$.

The widget sellers do ok, pickup swaps and pedals and such, but not a lot of guitars get sold.

There is a guy who every year wordlessly takes each guitar off of our table over to his where he cracks out the inspection mirror, calipers, feeler gauges and such. He almost placed an order because our neck angles were right, for such young builders.

We've never been invited to such illustrious gatherings as Healdsburg, Montreal, Memphis and such, and with a 1300$ base price and simple sound/function over visual appeal ethos, likely never will, so I don't know anything about what that might be like. Not sure if I would consider that worth it either as the costs associated with it are so high. Must run at least 3-5k with table fees, hotels and airfare and such. Not really sure how anyone has that kind of extra spring.

But overall, I personally consider it 'worth' it. The only real cost to me for our show is a day out of the shop. And with the 'giant' shows dropping like flies, it seems like a good community spirit type of thing to turn up with a few axes and side sets to chat with whomever is willing.

And no, I will not track down an original 1973 Tele screw, cause I know I could spend a month looking for it and you'll still expect to pay a quarter for it...

My parents made their living for decades doing jewelry shows (a bit off topic I know), and they've made good money. But perhaps it has a different market...

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com