why are willie wixoms so cheap

BIGDB

BIGDB

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im wondering why willie wixoms are so cheap compared to some of the other custom brands like mya moes. is it just that there not as good quality or not as good wood?

please explain

thanks
 
Cheap is relative. There are several luthiers in that price point. Brad Donaldson and Mike Pereira could potentially be cheaper / comparable for the same design and has much more experience, thus better track record. There are other luthiers, who charge much more.

If your comparing to the "K" Brands, some luthiers are cheaper because the "K" Brands price includes more costs for customer service and warranty. One thing that adds costs is of course reputation as these companies have been around for awhile and can demand a higher price without hurting demand.

I've seen several of WW ukes in the $900+ range so it could be expensive to some. However, his "avg" ukes are cheaper and there are bunch of satisfied clients. Test of time will be true measure of what is "cheap"
 
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Aloha BIGBD,
I spoke to Willie about his pricing prior to ordering mine. At that time, his love for woodworking and his newly found passion of uke building prompted him to enter the realm of producing quality affordable instruments like several other Luthiers around. This is just a hobby for him and makes minimum profit, just enough to support his hobby. But he also loves the feedback about his ukes, good or bad, and loves communicating with future owners about their build.
I don't expect his prices staying low forever thanks to this forum, so I got another build slot in April of 2013. May as well get while the getting's good.......
My opinion, Great value for the cost.................................BO............................
 

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Cheap?! :confused: You got my hopes up!! :eek: I took a quick look and a concert starts at $500 before any add ons which most people are going to want. I wish I had that much money that $500+ would be considered a "cheap" uke. :rolleyes: Perhaps "less expensive" in comparison to other custom mades would be a more accurate term.
 
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808boy said:
Aloha BIGBD,
I spoke to Willie about his pricing prior to ordering mine. At that time, his love for woodworking and his newly found passion of uke building prompted him to enter the realm of producing quality affordable instruments like several other Luthiers around. This is just a hobby for him and makes minimum profit, just enough to support his hobby. But he also loves the feedback about his ukes, good or bad, and loves communicating with future owners about their build.
I don't expect his prices staying low forever thanks to this forum, so I got another build slot in April of 2013. May as well get while the getting's good.......
My opinion, Great value for the cost.................................BO............................
Click to expand...

yeah ive been talking to him and he pretty much responded within a hour at most so that was very nice and he seems like a great guy
 
mikelz777 said:
Cheap?! :confused: You got my hopes up!! :eek: I took a quick look and a concert starts at $500 before any add ons which most people are going to want. I wish I had that much money that $500+ would be considered a "cheap" uke. :rolleyes: Perhaps "less expensive" in comparison to other custom mades would be a more accurate term.
Click to expand...

yeah i just put a deposit on one and it ended up being 945 and i think its pretty cheap for a curly koa custom and i have may till he starts it so got some time to save
 
BIGDB said:
wow that crazy i dont see how he even makes enough to stay in business
Click to expand...

Wow, his parts prices (strings, tuners, cases, etc.) are lower than what I pay wholesale for. And I thought my sources were pretty good. I buy strings in bulk directly from Worth and they charge me 12% more than what he's charging. I wonder how many other builders out there are in it to lose money?
 
That can't be possible...a fully optioned handmade solid uke for (if my math is correct) $290...are you kidding?
 
I don't think he has a base price. He says on his site that he's doing it just as a hobby and doesn't make any profit. He also says he wont build for just anyone--you have to write to him and show that you have aloha spirit and he says you have to promise to play the uke and if you stop playing it you have to give it to someone else or back to him.

tattwo said:
Im sure there is a base price plus the add ons. Im sure its not his full time job either
Click to expand...
 
That a pretty neat idea....kinda like a lifetime rental of sorts while you play, but it allows you pass on a nice instrument in your will to someone else who would appriciate it....or back to the builder for him to help you find another player....interesting to think about!
 
Since I am a new WW Uke owner, here's my reply to the ORIGINAL thread:

Willie is a retired teacher that taught Wood Shop, among other things. He has a very nice shop set up at his house, and as I can easily imagine, he ENJOYS working with wood, and he might-just might-enjoy NOT having to teach it to kids any more. As a result, he is FREE enough to do something he LOVES, and we get to benefit from his handiwork.

I got in touch with Willie when he was only backed up four months. It's a year or more now, and at some point he's going to have to stop taking orders to catch up, or it's going to back up a couple of years. (And/or his prices are going to be going up.)

I'm under $700 for a an absolutely just-what-I-wanted sopranino ukulele made out of GORGEOUS Koa wood. Willie is a great value, that doesn't make his ukes cheap.
 
im wondering why willie wixoms are so cheap compared to some of the other custom brands like mya moes. is it just that there not as good quality or not as good wood?

please explain

thanks

Why does a Lexus cost more than, say, a Kia?
 
ukeykondo said:
I don't think he has a base price. He says on his site that he's doing it just as a hobby and doesn't make any profit. He also says he wont build for just anyone--you have to write to him and show that you have aloha spirit and he says you have to promise to play the uke and if you stop playing it you have to give it to someone else or back to him.
Click to expand...

That's awesome...I don't think I qualify as it would be one of several ukes so I will always play it but not as much as the luthier had in mind!! That's an awesome way to pay it forward!!
 
Usually if you buy from a hobby builder, you get a hobby build. They appear to be neatly made though.

He must have a VERY well paying job to give up 50+ hours of his life each uke for free like that. I would also guess that he isn't married, has no kids and lives in a maintained unit. Either that or he is a bored insomniac.
 
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