Ordering a Guitar
Ordering Your Guitar
Base labor price- $5000
I am currently offering 4 models, the rb-0, rb-00, and the rb-000 as well as a parlor size 0. Outside of the body shape parameters there is a great possibility for customization to suit your needs and desires.
The first step in the order process is to contact me and we can begin to discuss the possibilities for your guitar. We will talk wood selection, how and what you play, aesthetic possibilities, all of the important considerations. When we have a good idea of just what guitar you want we will settle on a final price including materials and labor, and you will put down a material deposit* to reserve a build slot. When I am ready to begin woodworking for your guitar I will ask you for a labor deposit of at least 40% to begin work, and the remainder will be due upon completion of the guitar.
The possibilities for a custom instrument are vast, but every guitar I build comes standard with some features that I think make for a truly outstanding guitar.
Solid laminated linings
Solid wood binding and simple decorative purfling
solid or slotted headstock with violin style purfling
Bone nut and saddle
pyramid style bridge
Bone or hardwood bridge pins
Two way truss rod
Hide-glue construction throughout
Shellac spirit varnish french polish body, and oil varnish neck
*Materials deposit- As the world of tonewood, in terms of price, availability, and quality has become more volatile, and because I would rather be as straightforward and transparent as possible regarding material costs, all custom orders will have material costs calculated individually to reflect current market prices for parts. $600-800 is currently a good estimate for a high quality guitar, built with high quality, but not overly flashy tonewood. If you take a look around the site, just about every guitar on here would fall into a material cost in that range.
I strive to build with only the highest quality wood, selecting for wood that will perform best in terms of structural, sonic and stability considerations. Generally speaking aesthetic considerations take care of themselves if you find good wood. I keep a modest but ever growing stock of my preferred tonewoods, which is a great place to start wood selection as aged woods will exhibit more stability, but I am happy to source specific woods on request (with some exceptions, I will not work with Brazilian rosewood for example). Everything that I keep in stock is high quality tonewood from quality suppliers or rough lumber hand selected by me and the same considerations apply when sourcing species requests for custom orders.
Customization-
The possible customizations on a guitar are many, from wood selection to rosette and purfling design we can walk through everything during the initial ordering process. While things like wood selection and tuning machines are fairly straight forward, design elements can go in all sorts of unforeseen directions that are easiest to sort out in conversation. I try to keep costs reflective of the materials and labor involved (and I do enjoy a good challenge) rather than pin a random price onto a broad category of possibilities.
Most importantly, I would love to make you a guitar that looks and feels just right for you, if you are interested please email me at aaron@queencityguitars.com and lets start planning your next guitar!
Warranty-
Custom guitars come with a limited lifetime warranty for the original owner covering materials and craftsmanship for the length of my life as an active guitar builder. It does not cover unauthorised and/or improper repair and/or modification by owner or 3rd party, regular wear and tear (strings and frets wear out, nuts and saddles need periodic setup work, decades from completion just about every steel string will need a neck reset), or neglect/abuse/accident. Please let me know right away if you a potential issue so we can figure out how best to correct the issue, if needed the guitar can be shipped to me at the owners cost and I will perform the needed repairs.
Please also reach out to me if you have an issue that is definitely not covered by the warranty. I like the guitars I build, I know them inside and out and I’d like to see them making music for decades to come. Even if I am not going to do the repair I am happy to consult with you as well as I can about the best way forward in executing the proper repairs.