Why can’t EBMM do this?

With the new price increases across the board and some instruments seeing significant increases even though no changes were made to them, it got me to wondering why EBMM can’t do this?

I know the price increases were said to be done due to the cost of doing business in California. However, my concern is that with the significant price increases across the board and no changes being done to most instruments, it would make me think that the sizeable price increases would cause there to be less sales and not more. Especially when the used market permits people to now buy the same instrument on a majority of the models but save $1,000.00 or more. As a way of getting increased sales and justify customers paying a higher price point, why not make doing semi custom orders a reality for an upcharge by using any woods and finishes EBMM keeps in stock for all production instruments made. Here is how my idea would work.

Let’s say I wanted to order a Cutlass bass with the custom shop. The 2017 price started at $1,599.99 I believe? I now go to an authorized EBMM dealer and tell him I want to order my Cutlass with custom features. My price now jumps to $2,099.99 because their is a minimum $500 upcharge to have any semi custom orders made. Now let’s say I want to order the bass with a mystic dream finish and roasted maple neck and fretboard and black hardware. I think the mystic dream paint is around $400.00 extra. Roasted maple maybe another $400.00 and black hardware is around $50.00. My cost for that bass would now be $2,949.99. Now for EBMM, since you carry roasted maple in stock for the new Stingrays and you keep mystic dream paint in stock for the JP 6 and JP 7 guitars, all you have to do is pull wood from a different pile for the roasted maple. On the day you are painting any JP 6 or 7 in mystic dream, you simply put the bass in that same finish booth for it to be painted in that same finish as well. You then pull black hardware and install it as opposed to chrome hardware.

EBMM has not had to do anything extra as far as labor goes but you did just make a very nice profit margain on an instrument that you took in like that on a special order.

I love EBMM instruments. Since 2010, when I got my first one, I have bought approximately 20 guitars and basses. All brand new except for the first one. With the new price increases, I won’t buy new again simply because the pricing is to close to custom shop stuff now and there is a huge gap to the used market. Why spend $2,200.00 or more plus tax and maybe shipping on a new EBMM when I can get a used one is great shape for $1,000.00 less than a new one and in some cases, pay even less. I just saw a Cutlass bass on Reverb a few months back that was in new shape. The guy was selling it for only $900.00.

Anyway, this is the idea I had and wanted to ask see why it could or couldn’t be done? I would have no issues paying the additional prices then and EBMM might even be able to increase the profit margin significantly per instrument sold like that.