25% Emerald Discount - Again

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by RP

I'd love to find out how many Emeralds were sold during THE BIG SALE and what % of those went to AGF members. My gut feeling is that there's a healthy carbon fiber guitar market (compared to the output of carbon fiber guitars, not compared to how many Martins or Taylors are sold) outside of AGF. How these people find out about Emeralds or Rainsongs when they have no dealerships is beyond me. But I do think that we AGF members tend to think of ourselves as a much bigger piece of the carbon fiber guitar pie than we actually are, but that again is just a gut feeling...

I think I heard that they sold well over 300 guitars. There’s a ton of people on various Facebook groups who aren’t here, and probably even more who are in neither place. I believe your gut feeling is correct - we are a tiny slice of the market here.

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

I do intend to get my Kestrel into the hands of a few archtop players around my area. Unfortunately, such players do seem to be quite traditional though. I would be too if I hadn't already been introduced to carbon fiber guitars back in the old MacNichol and CA Guitars days. I still enjoy a Gibson archtop though.

I’m loving my pre-sale fan-fret X20, and look forward to sharing it with you when we next get together. I’m also looking forward to trying your Kestrel, although I’m a little afraid I might like it a bit too much

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by David Eastwood

I think I heard that they sold well over 300 guitars. There’s a ton of people on various Facebook groups who aren’t here, and probably even more who are in neither place. I believe your gut feeling is correct - we are a tiny slice of the market here.


I’m loving my pre-sale fan-fret X20, and look forward to sharing it with you when we next get together. I’m also looking forward to trying your Kestrel, although I’m a little afraid I might like it a bit too much

If playability with those big jazz chords is important to you, then yes, you will love my Kestrel a bit too much. (we need a smiley for GAS, but I think this will do: ) Well, you will certainly return the favor with that new X20. With all that GAS, we will need to keep the windows open and stay out of the elevator.

With regard to your comment: we are a tiny slice of the market here

...and here I thought we were a bunch of SOMEBODIES, but no, we are but a tiny slice of a tiny market segment. I wouldn't be surprised if Martin or Taylor sold (or at least built) 10x that many over the same period of time. Oh well...I got my Kestrel!!!!!!!

Tony

[Captain Jim]

Looking at the Emerald Shipping Videos, and then not seeing the vast majority of those guitars show up as NGDs here, I agree that the CF Forum here is a small percentage of their buyers. But, we tend to be an enthusiastic group!

Just an anecdote about our "influence": my long-time friend and music partner has played each of my Emeralds but never expressed a burning desire to own one... he actually said to me, "Let me know when they have a 70% off sale..."

"You, my friend, should know better than to buy a guitar based solely on price..." While we were talking about the Virtuo I ordered during the sale, I said to him, "If you were ever thinking of an Emerald, and price is a factor - there will never be a better time than right now."

He must have taken me at my word, as he is now the happy owner of an X10 Slimline (got in on the last day of the sale). He was telling a neighbor friend of his, who also plays/sings (and has some very nice wood guitars), about his new X10. My buddy took the X10 to his neighbor's place, put the X10 in his friend's hands, and they played for about 3 hours. His friend ordered a custom Chimaera the next day.

One person tells another, and the word spreads. Neither of those guys are on this forum... yet.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Looking at the Emerald Shipping Videos, and then not seeing the vast majority of those guitars show up as NGDs here, I agree that the CF Forum here is a small percentage of their buyers. But, we tend to be an enthusiastic group!

Just an anecdote about our "influence": my long-time friend and music partner has played each of my Emeralds but never expressed a burning desire to own one... he actually said to me, "Let me know when they have a 70% off sale..."

"You, my friend, should know better than to buy a guitar based solely on price..." While we were talking about the Virtuo I ordered during the sale, I said to him, "If you were ever thinking of an Emerald, and price is a factor - there will never be a better time than right now."

He must have taken me at my word, as he is now the happy owner of an X10 Slimline (got in on the last day of the sale). He was telling a neighbor friend of his, who also plays/sings (and has some very nice wood guitars), about his new X10. My buddy took the X10 to his neighbor's place, put the X10 in his friend's hands, and they played for about 3 hours. His friend ordered a custom Chimaera the next day.

One person tells another, and the word spreads. Neither of those guys are on this forum... yet.

Ah Ha! Proof positive that after he plays my Kestrel, David Eastwood will soon be another proud owner of one too.

I already have a fan fret Emerald and an X20, just not on the same guitar. It will be interesting to try a fan fret 6 string X20.

...and we all thought that COVID spread quickly...

Edit: Maybe Emerald's next promotion will be a free outfit of spandex rocker wear with the purchase of a Virtuo or a pork pie hat with the purchase of a Kestrel.

Tony

[Captain Jim]

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

...
Edit: Maybe Emerald's next promotion will be a free outfit of spandex rocker wear with the purchase of a Virtuo or a pork pie hat with the purchase of a Kestrel.

Tony

Spandex and leather pants is what kept me from being a rock star. Well, that and a lack of talent.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Spandex and leather pants is what kept me from being a rock star. Well, that and a lack of talent.

The worst outfit I had to wear at some of our gigs was a tuxedo. I always felt silly wearing that thing.

Tony

[mountainmaster]

Emerald is making it hard to resist your GAS.

I am not tempted though. The only Emerald guitar I am interested in right now would be a redesigned right handed Amicus in the shape of the recent Amicus lefty.

Back in May I asked Emerald sales if there were any plans to redesign the right handed version, but they said no.
I also suggested that maybe Emerald could start a crowd funding pre-order campaign to cover for the costs of a new mold. Oddly enough, no reaction was given to that suggestion.

So I am cautiously keeping my hopes up. Until this dream comes true... No new Emeralds for me.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by mountainmaster

Emerald is making it hard to resist your GAS.

I am not tempted though. The only Emerald guitar I am interested in right now would be a redesigned right handed Amicus in the shape of the recent Amicus lefty.

Back in May I asked Emerald sales if there were any plans to redesign the right handed version, but they said no.
I also suggested that maybe Emerald could start a crowd funding pre-order campaign to cover for the costs of a new mold. Oddly enough, no reaction was given to that suggestion.

So I am cautiously keeping my hopes up. Until this dream comes true... No new Emeralds for me.

It is difficult to know what goes on behind the scenes when one is on the outside trying to look inside. I wouldn't doubt that with 25 years behind them, they have survived so far through Alistair's careful managing of the company's resources, in terms of keeping production running smoothly, containing R & D costs, jettisoning what isn't profitable such as customizing anything a customer wants as they used to do some years ago (but replacing that with a more limited but much cooler web 3D design/customization page), use of each employee's time, etc.

It could be that they simply don't feel they have the bandwidth in their vision for the company to manage crowd funding, but feel that making shipping videos and similar as well as social media involvement to keep customer interest up might translate into solid sales. I am just guessing based on what they are and are not doing.

Tony