"custom" mando vs "production" mando

[HuffDaddy]

What are the pros and cons of buying a custom made mandolin versus buying one "off the shelf?"

discuss

[mandroid]

You get to have a say on the color and binding selection , not to mention Inlay..

or, have it look like a slice of watermelon, or swiss cheese..

[billhay4]

Think of what you're paying for. A custom builder is building for you, not overhead, marketing, etc.
Bill

[fwoompf]

I really liked being able to work with someone who loves to make instruments and to get the feeling that their want to strive for something great would be reflected in the final product.

It was a much more human experience than just going to a store and picking a good mandolin off the shelf. Plus I really liked learning about the process, I feel as though I'm more educated on what goes into an instrument than someone who just buys something he sees.

[Lane Pryce]

Everything about the instrument is taylored to suit your stated preferences. The finish,woods,hardware,setup and more importantly the voicing. Taking it all into consideration makes the purchase of a custom mandolin a considerable step for many folks. Sometimes it just don't work out --- even with the best builders --- so there is a small risk. Lp

[jim_n_virginia]

A plus for long established companies like Gibson is that they will be around in 50 years to service my mandolins.

You can't say that about the single small builders. As evidenced by the recent demises of Rose, Mid-Mo, Rigel and the hundred other builder we will never hear about.

IMHO the best person to service or work on your mandolin is the ones who built it. They will know (or at least have the resources to find out) what kind of finish was used, how it was applied and generally how it was put together.

[Red Englemann]

"Think of what you're paying for. A custom builder is building for you, not overhead, marketing, etc."

Marketing seeks what most people who buy desire in a product at a specific price point. You may fine that you deviate from the market in some respect. This would be your reason to seek out a custom builder.

Overhead for the small builder is just as much of a factor as any business. While production costs are spread out over many instruments for the company, those costs are spread out among only a few for the small builder.

My point is that marketing and overhead are the nature of any business. Your custom instrument is most likely going to cost you many times beyond what the marketed products will cost.

red

[John Flynn]

A custom builder is building for you, not overhead, marketing, etc.
I respectfully disagree. A custom builder, in any kind manufacturing operation, has overhead (a place to work, tools, electricity, etc.) and has to do some marketing (trips to NAMM, a website) or he doesn't succeed. He doesn't have as much total overhead, but it may actually be a higher percentage of his income than it is for a production shop, because the custom builder does not have the economies of scale a big shop does.

A production operation in any manufacturing enviornment, if they are competent and chose to do so, can beat a custom operation in cost, time and technical quality almost every time. However, it is more difficult for a large operation to handle unique buyer preferences. That is where custom building has the advantage.

[DeamhanFola]

The pros are of course that you can get exactly what you want. Or at least what you think you want. In my case, I couldn't have asked for it to work out better.

The cons are *also* that you get exactly what you want--and that might have been better in theory than practice. You know exactly what you're getting (sound, feel, etc. perhaps adjusting somewhat for 'opening up' if it's new) when you buy something off the shelf, whereas at the end of the day a custom instrument is an educated guess. In addition, those custom features may not be desirable to *others* should you decide to sell the mando.

I doubt my custom Weber Bridger would be many people's cup of tea, particularly bluegrassers: carved Indian Rosewood back & sides,carved spruce top, D hole top, wide (1 1/4") mahogany neck. But then, I'm not selling it.

Who knows, some day 80 years from now when I'm in the ground feeding the worms my mando will fetch a record price as a rare example! As long as someone else is playing it and loving it as I do, I don't really care.

[F5G WIZ]

To me holding and playing an instrument that was built for me and helping to pick out all the options from the type of wood to the tail peice was and is exciting. The only con I can think of is not getting to play before you pay, you have to depend on the builders reputation and experiences from other owners. The warranty thing, maybe a little, but how many people actually keep thier new mandolin forever. I found a builder who is younger than me and his warranty is for the life of the builder so hopefully I'll be OK. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif Another con I guess would be having to wait for the build time which can go either way I guess. It's a con if you are impatient it's a pro if you need time to build funds. There's always the chance of getting in with a young builder when thier prices are low and watching as the price of thier mandos goes up and up such as Gilchrist, Dudenbostel, Kimble, Weins, Ellis and many others. Either way buy what you want, what you can afford and have fun. You can't lose!

[mythicfish]

The long and short of it:

Pro: You get what you want.
Con: You get what you want.

Curt