BeBop, Soulmate and efficiency

Up till now I have worked on individual basis. By this I mean that I build each bass individually for each customer. That way I kept overview of all custom options, and I was able to send the customer pictures of the whole build process. There was also a problem, I was never very efficient with my time and planning.

From now on I want to change that, specifically for BeBop and Soulmate basses. So instead of making basses one by one, I will make batches of bodies and necks and form a supply. That way I can work more efficiently: do more in less time. How much more is something I don’t know yet. The profit for me is not only efficiency, but also that I can make basses for stock instead of only on customer order. That was something I didn’t have much time for, and very often customers were interested in trying out a few basses, only to find out that I didn’t have basses in stock.

The only disadvantage for you, the customer, is that I may no longer be able to send pictures of the building process. I may have made a stockpile of bodies, and when it’s time to start on your bass I may select a body from stock and continue from there. The same might be so for the neck. Both are still made from start to finish by me only, but maybe several months before they become yoúr body and neck. There is actually an advantage too, namely that you, rather than me, can select your own body and neck. In the past you could only say of which wood type  you want the bass to be made, without selecting it yourself.

Practically this means that I intend to build up a supply of bodies and necks for BeBop and Soulmate that are rather standard, without many options. I will use them for orders or stock basses. Custom options will require that I still make some basses in the old individual style. So my new workflow will be a mix of old and new methods. I think the disadvantage of not being able to send pictures of the building process is small compared to the advantages for me to work more efficiently and for you to be able to select your own body and neck.