Paint issues

[BJF]

Hi,

I've read something off an other messageboard that warrants this post and I'd rather not respond to the specific thread at this other board, but would feel the answer should be better placed here anyway and this is mostly about distributed pedalmodels:

I get 135 USD / pedal, what they then retail at or sell for secondhand is a procentual overhead that pays distributors and dealers and shipping and import taxes and handling and further shipping printing of manuals and paperboxes, batteries and ............oh yea people that do all this would like to live on doing it too and then I have a warranty program that cuts in at the 135
If I'd ask a painter overseas- and really there are no painting facilities in Sweden that would accept painting in
five colours and deliver 40-60 boxes per month and that at no delays and perfect everytime, that would involve shipping of boxes and added import taxes and custom fees on each shipment and even if just one colour would be used as in maybe I'd just make just one model costs for paint would easily add to about 40 USD/pedal and now if I'd add that onto 135 and now charge 175USD/pedal retail would go up from 399USD to 517USD and then it would really be a question if costs for paint and shipping and taxes on that would stop right there, so maybe a rough 600USD retail would be just fine and then only in one colour............hm, and then I'd have to send prepared and drilled boxes to the painter or change boxtype
Oh and then I'd still get 135USD/pedal and be at the mercy of what the painter would like to supply me with and I'd likely have to pay for that in advance such as two weeks on the account before my now painted boxes even ship and then shipping that I'd pay and then import tax and custom fees that I'd also pay and all that in advance and wait a year until I can deduct any of those costs.
Fine I'll just change a few things here and be Weller.

I'd guess most people would then say" so why don't you just go to directsales and then you'd get really well payed for it?

My answer to that is that it would take too much time that I could use for more fun things.
It actually takes a long time to answer e-mails in great detail and as is I do learn a lot but also keeping rack of all orders?

Things are chaning though and in many ways MP Amplification to the resque

I could ask of the MP Amplification Ltd to supply me with boxes, but if I'd then like 5 different colours that would involve that those colours in themselves would have to be owned by MPA Ltd and yes they could be drilled in and painted in Finland but the cost for this again would have to be put ontop of what I currently charge to distribution and consequently retail would go up while I'd not get anything for that but OK maybe a honey bee would then retail at 500 USD just as an example and that only if the shade is owned by MPA Ltd or 600USD if not -just roughly guessing here - and then what's in it for me?

Indeed I would have an issue with this and I'd think that if the paint bothers you then please don't buy my pedals.

I have choosen to run a high servicelevel instead as that it does seem to me as a musician a more important,
with more than 4000 pedals out there I do care for each one be they secondhand,manhandled or just in need of a 10000 mile service.

Oh yea, I did lower what I did charge per pedal by 10% and changed paintstyle for more work but still a personal touch and that only to make sure that BJF pedals could retail at 220USD

Fine I can grasp the thing that my pedals look homemade, as that they really are, and I'd work on the art view of this to get a clear trademark so that it would be easily spotted that this is made by yours truely.

In many ways I think the MP pedals succeded in making something that would look a factory made BJF pedal and they are as those are still handmade but no tuning is allowed or the MP pedals would cost about as much as a BJF pedal. Right well I can understand that I cannot compete with that, nor can BJF pedals compete with US made or Aussie made or.....pedals due to economy


OK so there are also some Customshop pedals from BJF and those I only paint some of and since they are made in very low quantity and require special attention I do get a whole lot more per pedal, which enables me to maintain a high service level and maybe some freetime with my family.

So the ugly side is that anything you'd buy should be velcro friendly- OK fine use the diaper method and it'd be fine even with the type of paint I use on my pedals or go buy somethingelse, because what I do is about sounds and about colours.

Oh yea I can relate to getting a scratch on my first BOSS pedal and yes I felt I could get as much for it if I sold it, but really I bought it because my then guitarhero had one and i'd get as sorry as I would if I'd get a hole in my pair of jeans......the sinko show must go on and I'd cover my guitar in nose blood and people would applaud the stage show-even if unintentional..........right well that really happened once back in 1985 and I had a hard time getting blood off my white shirt and oh yea the man came onto me telling me all about how white my shirts could be but I can't get no.........oh yes I can;)
Right and all my BOSS pedals then went to a girlsband and they never did sounds as good, but then they had no pedals at the time, but they were reasonably young and eager and in need of a break and good sounds to carry them.

Oh and about the customshop things carried out here those are partly giving me much information and paying well and without that no research could be done, but now there can be research and you know I'd really like to learn more about things like distant amplifiers that I may never hear in real life.

Actually I am so happy and so fortunate to have so manynice people around me that would help me with all I'd like to do that it almost is unreal i.e maybe I don't have time tto stop and understand but I do appreciate all those efforts and their weight in gold.

Anyway, gentlemen have great fun
BJ

[Jagattack]

Hi BJ,
Don't change a damn thing!!!!
You've already got it right!
We're already having fun with our pedals, but for some people, total belief in free markets tells them that they are not having enough fun and something needs to be changed.
Cheers

[Donner]

Well said BJ,
yeah in todays world of plasma screens and iphones etc, many people never even see anything hand made anymore - much less have any contact with the person that made it - and they dont know how to appreciate the love and artistry that goes into something truly hand made.......stick to your vision.

[thisfire]

Agreed...you can't please everyone. There's always SOMEONE who thinks they've got it right and you don't. I think the custom paint jobs look freaking awesome. Keep it up Bjorn, nobody does what you do as well as you do

[analoghog]

Well said BJ,
yeah in todays world of plasma screens and iphones etc, many people never even see anything hand made anymore - much less have any contact with the person that made it - and they dont know how to appreciate the love and artistry that goes into something truly hand made.......stick to your vision.

Well said Donner, and a BIG +1 to that......i'm a Big Fan of your work Bjorn...just the way it is !....

[Tonefishin]

Amazing that people would complain about the paint.

Being like nothing else in the world is a good thing.

These pedals have true character inside and out. cheers

[EyeFly]

BJ,

Your creations, and they're not just pedals, they are creations, are masterful. As has already been eloquently stated, they have true handmade character and because they do, you have loyalty from those who know a great product foremost when they HEAR it but also when they SEE it!! Don't change a thing!

cork

[BJF]

Hi,

Thank you for your kind support, gentlemen.

Have fun and be well
BJ