The game has changed...

[uk_lefty]

[quote name='Chownybass' timestamp='1462092984' post='3040130']
I don't think the game has changed either.

People like Scott and I are never going to be able to make - for instance - a jazz bass and compete with Squire. They make a solid instrument at an economy of scale that we could never HOPE to compete with.

What we can do - is fill up the niches with well thought out and soundly constructed instruments.

When making stuff in smaller runs, the things you'd cut to save money when manufacturing thousands, don't really matter. Want a bone nut? Sure why not. Doesn't affect my bottom line particularly much.

So with no distributors taking a margin, and doing our own distribution, it's perfectly feasible to make a musician friendly instrument at a good price and of good quality - as long as we work in the niches.

That's not to say we're not going to try stray outside them from time to time. It's not for the faint hearted though

There is a gap in the market for us at the moment to get stock into independent stores, as a few don't want to deal with the major brands at the moment. Agile brands like us, that can be flexible on stock levels, price and so on will always find a way to wiggle into the gaps.

I've often considered blogging about what it takes and took to get Chowny off the ground. But then I think I'd be the only one interested in reading it.
[/quote]

I'd read it!! Would love to hear about the journey. Something I often dream of (in another hobby) but am not brave enough to do.

[mcnach]

[quote name='uk_lefty' timestamp='1462180571' post='3040780']
I'd read it!! Would love to hear about the journey. Something I often dream of (in another hobby) but am not brave enough to do.
[/quote]

+1

[scrumpymike]

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1462145404' post='3040656']
He probably will be upset as he does come across as a nice guy in his videos etc.. which I like a lot, and I never really intended to make my disappointment at not receiving the bass yet public, but having read this thread, I thought I would air my frustration as I really wanted to try out the bass today at the gig which I've just got home from.
[/quote]

Understood - and I'd feel the same under the circumstances. No criticism of your post intended on my part, just wasn't sure how much you knew about Scott. Hope you won't have to wait much longer.

[thebrig]

[quote name='scrumpymike' timestamp='1462212000' post='3041171']
Understood - and I'd feel the same under the circumstances. No criticism of your post intended on my part, just wasn't sure how much you knew about Scott. Hope you won't have to wait much longer.
[/quote]
I'm cool!
Seriously though, I just can't wait to try it out!

[Owen]

Direct me to the Chowny blog.

[All thumbs]

Hi all.

Thanks for Stephen helping explain the situation here.

My apologies go out to anyone waiting for their bass!! I'm humble enough to admit I'm still learning here, and if I had delays in future I would be much more immediate in my approach to keeping everyone informed.

I should point out that I'm first and foremost a professional bassist and the transition into 'bass manufacturer' was almost by accident.

I received hundreds of enquiries about the SWB-1 I designed and had hand-built after being seen/heard in my YouTube videos. As the £2,200 price tag for a hand-built bass is beyond the reach of most (especially students etc) I approached countless guitar brands including Richwood, Dean, Vintage, Farida, Carvin to name but a few with my design and demo video/photos to see if they'd consider building a budget version of it. At this point I honestly would have given them the design for free just to be able to point people to a place they could buy their own SWB-1 at a price they could afford.

After 2 years of getting no-where with these companies, most simply not even returning my emails, the rest saying a short-scale bass like this was too 'niche', I finally gave up, even though I was still receiving emails daily about the bass. All I could do was apologise and explain no-one would build the bass. Frustrating to say the least.

Then one day, almost out of nowhere as I was looking at the CHB-1 bass I'd purchased from Stephen Chown a few months previously, the thought, "I wonder if I could do that" popped into my head.

I immediately emailed Stephen and after an hour long phone call with him, I decided I just might be able to.

Fast-forward nearly 18 months and 70+ SWB-1 Standards have sold all over the world, and the 2nd production run is here tomorrow. I still pinch myself daily as it seems unreal that what I'd given up on, is in fact now a reality and folks are actually out there playing my little bass!!

Has it been easy? - No (not one bit lol)! Have I made any money? Not yet! BUT the fact that people are thanking me from around the Globe for, "building their dream bass" counts for a hell of a lot, and now I've proved there IS a market for a professional, modern-sounding, affordable short-scale bass, I'm sure the above will turn round soon enough. :-)

Sorry if the above went a little deep :-o and I guess it doesn't really have a whole lot to do with the questions raised lol. But I do think it's important people know who they're dealing with and that my motives are genuinely to do a little good for the bass community.

I've learned a TON from these first two production runs - a real 'baptism if fire'. I'm striving to provide the best customer service I can, and will certainly continue to learn and improve from customer feedback and suggestions.

Cheers,
Scott.

Edited May 3, 2016 by All thumbs

[mcnach]

great story

[thebrig]

Did the basses arrive on Wednesday?

[Chownybass]

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1462530713' post='3043780']
Did the basses arrive on Wednesday?
[/quote]

Yes

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Chownybass' timestamp='1462092984' post='3040130']
I've often considered blogging about what it takes and took to get Chowny off the ground. But then I think I'd be the only one interested in reading it.
[/quote]

I think you are very much mistaken. Even if the audience was mostly limited to people on here and "the other place" I'm sure we would all find what you have to tell us fascinating. On the other hand you might not want to make it too easy for just anyone to start marketing their own bass deigns ;-)

[Chownybass]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1462531041' post='3043787']
I think you are very much mistaken. Even if the audience was mostly limited to people on here and "the other place" I'm sure we would all find what you have to tell us fascinating. On the other hand you might not want to make it too easy for just anyone to start marketing their own bass deigns ;-)
[/quote]

You know what mate? Let 'em try! It's SUCH a ballache that I think anybody who approaches it casually will drop out anyway.

You also need deep pockets to get started (unless you are VERY lucky)

My current model prototypes are doing my head in. I have the rage today.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Chownybass' timestamp='1462531328' post='3043790']
You know what mate? Let 'em try! It's SUCH a ballache that I think anybody who approaches it casually will drop out anyway.

You also need deep pockets to get started (unless you are VERY lucky)

My current model prototypes are doing my head in. I have the rage today.
[/quote]

In that case I can't wait for the blog. Bring it on!

Any while we are here, a quick question regarding the long-scale model. I see from the current photos that it uses the same body as the short scale which means that the pickup positions are more biased towards the neck, how does that change the sound compared to the CH1?

[Chownybass]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1462532904' post='3043805']
In that case I can't wait for the blog. Bring it on!

Any while we are here, a quick question regarding the long-scale model. I see from the current photos that it uses the same body as the short scale which means that the pickup positions are more biased towards the neck, how does that change the sound compared to the CH1?
[/quote]

I'll PM you so I don't hijack the thread

[All thumbs]

They're all here at Short Scale Bass HQ safe and sound...

[thebrig]

[quote name='All thumbs' timestamp='1462537080' post='3043856']
They're all here at Short Scale Bass HQ safe and sound...
[/quote]
Great! I can't wait to get my hands on my one.

[Oldboy]

Scrumpymike,

I'm new to the whole music / Bass thing but when researching what to buy, was very surprised bt write ups of low to mid level instruments.

In the end i bought a Classuc Vibe Jazz, only to find that I'm now lusting after a 54 P Bass as well....

Things may be better made, but it just leads to easier to salve G(B?)AS.

I can see peoples houses' filling with Bass after good quality affordable Bass! ;-)

[scrumpymike]

"I can see peoples houses' filling with Bass after good quality affordable Bass! ;-)"

That's my house you're talking about! I bought my first bass in 1964 and I don't think there's ever been a better time to buy than right now. The only frustrating thing is that short-scale production runs are often very short nowadays and IMHO some extremely good basses get killed off before their time has come - i.e. before they've appeared on my radar and I've made my mind up that I simply MUST have one!!

[Rikki_Sixx]

[quote name='Chownybass' timestamp='1462092984' post='3040130']
I've often considered blogging about what it takes and took to get Chowny off the ground. But then I think I'd be the only one interested in reading it.
[/quote]

I'd also definitely be interested in hearing about this! Whether it's a one-off blog about what you went through, or a whole series about every aspect of creating your products, I think it'd be fascinating!

This thread is the first I've heard of Scott and the SWB-1, but I'll definitely be watching now. These are beautiful basses!

Edited May 11, 2016 by Rikki_Sixx

[TheGreek]

I would have liked to have bought something like this as my first bass - just under £200 for a 4 string, neck through bass with exotic woods??? The 5 string is just £210. Look at the rest of the spec.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Caraya-SPB-3213N-4-String-Neck-thru-Electric-Bass-Guitar-Natural-w-Free-gig-bag-/161945468284?hash=item25b4b3bd7c:g:10MAAOSwT~9Wlen4

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Caraya-SPB-3214N-5-String-Neck-thru-Electric-Bass-Guitar-Natural-w-Free-gig-bag-/151948537256?hash=item2360d6ada8:g:xhkAAOSwoydWldbl

The game has changed...

[deksawyer]

All this talk is very interesting, but I'd like to know why you were charged £150 for the small amount of work you had done. Not saying it isn't top spec work, but that just sounds like an awful lot of/or expensive workshop hours....

Glad you're happy though, and it's a great looking bass as well.

D.

[scrumpymike]

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1462979844' post='3047518']
I would have liked to have bought something like this as my first bass - just under £200 for a 4 string, neck through bass with exotic woods??? The 5 string is just £210. Look at the rest of the spec.

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Caraya-SPB-3213N-4-String-Neck-thru-Electric-Bass-Guitar-Natural-w-Free-gig-bag-/161945468284?hash=item25b4b3bd7c:g:10MAAOSwT~9Wlen4"]http://www.ebay.co.u...0MAAOSwT~9Wlen4[/url]

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Caraya-SPB-3214N-5-String-Neck-thru-Electric-Bass-Guitar-Natural-w-Free-gig-bag-/151948537256?hash=item2360d6ada8:g:xhkAAOSwoydWldbl"]http://www.ebay.co.u...hkAAOSwoydWldbl[/url]

The game has changed...
[/quote]
Wow, that looks like a lot of bass for your Australian bucks - through-neck too.

[scrumpymike]

[quote name='deksawyer' timestamp='1462992823' post='3047709']
All this talk is very interesting, but I'd like to know why you were charged £150 for the small amount of work you had done. Not saying it isn't top spec work, but that just sounds like an awful lot of/or expensive workshop hours....

Glad you're happy though, and it's a great looking bass as well.

D.
[/quote]
Kim charges £95 for just a set-up, which is fairly typical for a good luthier 'down south'. Plus he's a 20 minute drive from me.