Chowny/Retrovibe to become fully UK brands

[Chownybass]

U.K made Chowny CHB-2 bass ready for the show this weekend! Proudly made in the West Country. Hand tinted 3-tone burst in Amber/Cherry/Black. 

 

Come and play it! We WANT you to! 

 

[naxos10]

That looks really really nice Mr Chowny👍

[Stub Mandrel]

On 31/03/2022 at 11:35, Chownybass said:

U.K made Chowny CHB-2 bass ready for the show this weekend! Proudly made in the West Country. Hand tinted 3-tone burst in Amber/Cherry/Black. 

 

Come and play it! We WANT you to! 

 

Screaming out for a dwtty black pickguard 335 style 🥰

[Guest]

Never in the history of the world has a single instrument screamed out for a black pickguard. Ooh, a beautifully painted bit of wood, if only it were covered up with some black plastic. 

[BabyBlueSound]

2 minutes ago, Ricky Rioli said:

Never in the history of the world has a single instrument screamed out for a black pickguard. Ooh, a beautifully painted bit of wood, if only it were covered up with some black plastic. 

 

Good to know everyone in the world has to like exactly the same stuff  

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, whave said:

 

Good to know everyone in the world has to like exactly the same stuff  

 

Liking different things =/= telling a manufacturer their product is incomplete because it doesn't include a bit of decoration I like. 

[ezbass]

Sounds like an opportunity for a Chowny custom line.

[Dad3353]

As I play finger-style only, any 'pick-guard' would be superfluous, to me, and would not be a selling point; quite the opposite. As it is, I'm saving my pennies, and one of these would be splendid to grace my other Hofner basses and guitars. It's almost (but not quite...) worth doing this 'Loto' thing for..! 

[Stub Mandrel]

Snowflakes  ❄

 

I can't believe that the suggestion causes you such trauma!

 

 

[Obrienp]

Each to their own IMO. Perhaps Chowny could offer a pickguard as an aftermarket accessory.
 

Mine would have to be the other side though: I play acoustic guitar as well and my nails mess up the finish by the E string on my basses. I’ve found one of those clear electrostatic guards they use on flamenco guitars is quite effective and doesn’t spoil the aesthetic.

[Chownybass]

Proudly UK made basses at the show in Liverpool this weekend. 

 

Also pleased to say that our new production partner is Crimson Guitars, who will be making our basses to our specification and price point.

 

SWB-1 / Pro / Deluxe pricing will be out soon too. 

 

[Russ]

1 hour ago, Chownybass said:

Proudly UK made basses at the show in Liverpool this weekend. 

 

Also pleased to say that our new production partner is Crimson Guitars, who will be making our basses to our specification and price point.

 

SWB-1 / Pro / Deluxe pricing will be out soon too. 

 

Thought it might be Ben & co. I was struggling to think of many other guitar manufacturers in the West Country! 

 

 

[naxos10]

Good news, hope the show went well.

[Chownybass]

Ok. It's time to talk about what things cost.

We've put our prices up to reflect the new UK manufacturing and have already had several angry emails from potential customers. So I want to address a few things. 

 

The cost of manufacturing in the East

Even if we'd kept our manufacturing in India, our prices would probably have gone up 30%. This is due to the cost of wood going up. Shipping prices skyrocketing. Import Duties (we used to get our instruments tariff free on an EU trade deal. That's now gone). And just simply the factory in India raising their price. So although our new 60% price increase seems a massive jump. It's two jumps in one. One of which we were already absorbing.

 

The sustainability of manufacturing in the East

First - it's a bit wanky - but it's not too environmentally friendly shipping guitars all over the world by ship. Ships are massive polluters. It's not a great idea. But even that aside - all the manufacturing capacity at the Indian / Indonesian / Korean manufacturers is being bought up by the big boys. Smaller manufacturers like us were being pushed to the back of the queue ALL the time. They're just not interested in manufacturing for us.

 

A move to the UK

We know that if the ONLY thing we're offering for the increased price is that it's made here - then people are going to see that for what it is. So we are taking advantage of the fact that we can now work more closely and flexibly with a UK factory to squeeze in some improvements. Chambering / Weight Relief, Boutique Woods, Better Finish, Carbon reinforcement in all necks, Blind Fretting, Rolled Edges on Fretboards, Better parts. ALL of these are included in our price increases. So you're getting a lot for our money. 

 

Come along on the journey with us. 

We KNOW we are going to lose sales. Spending £850 on a bass is a lot more than £530 on a bass. We are not worried however about where we sit in the market. It's a totally fair price for what you're getting. Our confidence in the market on the whole is a bigger concern. Higher bills, national insurance and inflation makes us worry that people might not have the money to buy a bass. But it is what it is. Come on a journey with us while we build a proper UK build bass brand. It's going to be fun! 

 

Thanks for letting me ramble.

 

 

 

[yorks5stringer]

26 minutes ago, Chownybass said:

Ok. It's time to talk about what things cost.

We've put our prices up to reflect the new UK manufacturing and have already had several angry emails from potential customers. So I want to address a few things. 

 

The cost of manufacturing in the East

Even if we'd kept our manufacturing in India, our prices would probably have gone up 30%. This is due to the cost of wood going up. Shipping prices skyrocketing. Import Duties (we used to get our instruments tariff free on an EU trade deal. That's now gone). And just simply the factory in India raising their price. So although our new 60% price increase seems a massive jump. It's two jumps in one. One of which we were already absorbing.

 

The sustainability of manufacturing in the East

First - it's a bit wanky - but it's not too environmentally friendly shipping guitars all over the world by ship. Ships are massive polluters. It's not a great idea. But even that aside - all the manufacturing capacity at the Indian / Indonesian / Korean manufacturers is being bought up by the big boys. Smaller manufacturers like us were being pushed to the back of the queue ALL the time. They're just not interested in manufacturing for us.

 

A move to the UK

We know that if the ONLY thing we're offering for the increased price is that it's made here - then people are going to see that for what it is. So we are taking advantage of the fact that we can now work more closely and flexibly with a UK factory to squeeze in some improvements. Chambering / Weight Relief, Boutique Woods, Better Finish, Carbon reinforcement in all necks, Blind Fretting, Rolled Edges on Fretboards, Better parts. ALL of these are included in our price increases. So you're getting a lot for our money. 

 

Come along on the journey with us. 

We KNOW we are going to lose sales. Spending £850 on a bass is a lot more than £530 on a bass. We are not worried however about where we sit in the market. It's a totally fair price for what you're getting. Our confidence in the market on the whole is a bigger concern. Higher bills, national insurance and inflation makes us worry that people might not have the money to buy a bass. But it is what it is. Come on a journey with us while we build a proper UK build bass brand. It's going to be fun! 

 

Thanks for letting me ramble.

 

 

 

A very fair summation of where you are at and I hope it goes well for you and your production partner. You're at that 'Skoda' stage, where they used to be cheap and cheerful and are now as good (or even better) than their counterparts, let's hope the buying public see the added value in your instruments and appreciate the UK manufacture. Assume Ben will be making them all himself at night, as judging by all the YT videos he posts, he doesn't seem to need any sleep!

[Obrienp]

Thank you for such a thorough explanation of your position and the difficulties you have in producing a product in this globalised economy. I think we are all grateful to you that you keep on going despite what seems like a Herculean task.

 

I think you have a lot of plus points on your side: the environmental aspect of buying locally; first world production at less than US prices; different designs; improved quality and features. Yes, it does put your instruments in a different price bracket but they still represent value for money IMO. I hope plenty of punters will be able to raise the cash and I wish you success.

[bloke_zero]

35 minutes ago, Chownybass said:

 

First - it's a bit wanky - but it's not too environmentally friendly shipping guitars all over the world by ship.

I don't think it's wanky - can you use it as a selling point? Not wanting to be flippant but planting a tree or 2 might make you almost carbon neutral. Though I'm sure any kind of cerification is pretty onerous - I always look to see if something is fairly traded and sustainable by preference.

[wrinkleygit]

Enjoyed the ramble and hope the journey brings the success you deserve. Sadly I’m at the time in life that’s bringing my playing to an end so regretfully a new purchase is unlikely, however, love the look of the shortscale P and I’m dying to get my hands on it at Bristol later this month. Good luck for the future and I hope everyone supports the pound and not the dollar, yen, euro or whatever. Mike B.

[Stub Mandrel]

I think strong colours, good finishes and distinctive without being wacky designs are a good base to work from. There is a real gap for a UK manufacturer addressing the 'affordable but not cheap' market.

 

What you need most of all is visibility beyond us lot. I'd be sending an offer of a sponsor deal to a few emerging dinstinctively british bands. Wet Leg?

[NickD]

You're in business, you're going to worry, but I don't think you've much to worry about.

 

You've moved up a price point or 2. That will automatically exclude some folks, but as long as the quality is appropriate at that price point, you'll attract people shopping in that bracket. Taking the CHB, you're now a couple of hundred quid over the offshored version of the Starbass, and the Korean made Jack Cassidy, which I would assume are the closest competitors for someone wanting 'that' style of bass. On appearance, finish (that green burst though 🥰) and detailing alone, I know where my money would be going.

 

Obviously I don't like it when something is beyond my budget, no one does, but at the end of the day the question is 'is it worth it'. If it is i'll wait until I can afford it, if it isn't I'll buy something else. Look after the quality and you'll be grand.

[Marvin_]

I think you also need to really push this and the new features on your website, and show how it's changed too - pretty much anyone who produces their gear locally makes big statements about production location because of the numerous benefits you eloquantly describe above.

 

Very tempted by a CHB-2, and I think the price point is excellent for a luthier-built product from the UK. You're at a similar price to the least expensive Gibson and someway short of the least expensive US Fender, and those are much more mass-produced. I'm no marketer, but that's all got to be worth something.

 

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Marvin_

[Bass Culture]

14 minutes ago, NickD said:

You're in business, you're going to worry, but I don't think you've much to worry about.

 

You've moved up a price point or 2. That will automatically exclude some folks, but as long as the quality is appropriate at that price point, you'll attract people shopping in that bracket.

 

Having played the SWB Deluxe at the weekend I would certainly say the quality is top notch.  They are really, really nice basses, with excellent quality PUPs and preamp too.  They'd be on my list if I were in the market.

[LukeFRC]

18 minutes ago, Marvin_ said:

I think you also need to really push this and the new features on your website, and show how it's changed too - pretty much anyone who produces their gear locally makes big statements about production location because of the numerous benefits you eloquantly describe above.

+1 

It goes straight into marketing but I think the odd thing about this thread is how unexcited the tone is.

chowny are making better instruments, in a better way and here in the U.K. to drive better quality. It’s something to be excited about and use as a basis to sell from. 

[Chownybass]

18 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

goes straight into marketing but I think the odd thing about this thread is how unexcited the tone is.

Haha. Probably because I’m exhausted!

[Matt P]

i've been quietly reading this thread as it has unfolded and my main reattion at the new prices was  that they are a Bargain! for a uk made instrument (made by a very well respected workshop) i think they're actually pretty cheap, the quality will be top notch and the lead times won't be affected by the long waits for containers to be shipped half way round the world.

 

all i need to do know is start saving my pennies and decide which one i want!

 

Matt