Custom guitar ponderings for Spacey

Hey Michael, some weird life stuff has one of my customs headed back to the luthier who made it for now (when he finishes the one he has been making for me I'll get that, plus he sending some cash now so I can buy a car... *Sigh*).  Later on I'll be able to buy the first guitar back (I'm very appreciative of his help).
 
Anyway...  That got me thinking and you're a good one to ask this question of.
 
I think of guitars more like golf clubs than collector items which is why the ones I've had made are all the same neck and body specs (shape, radius, scale, etc.) but with different features.   I think of "collector guitars" as having to have Gibsons, Fenders, PRS', etc. but my approach is a lot more like a bag of matched golf clubs where each has a consistent look and feel with slightly different uses.
 
What I dream about eventually having are several guitars that feel the same when I play them (with all the parts I liked best from the "name" guitars - scale, radius, weight, hardware, etc.).  These would include guitars with humbuckers or single coils, modern high output pups (or active pups), more "classic" lower output pups, with tremolo and without, six string and twelve, then extending down to a B-to-B baritone (I prefer six strings not seven), maybe a bit further down to an E-to-E (Fender Bass VI type) and finally an actual bass (probably five string).  At least six instruments, but it could be eight or more depending.
 
Right now, the customs I've had made have really been over-the-top gorgeous with incredible exotic woods, hardware and inlays.  Overkill for my "needs."  More like art than instrument (not complaining - just saying  ).  The one I sold to Space Cowboy made me nervous to play because I didn't want to damage it - lol!  It was also so heavy that it hurt to play for any length of time (a big reason the next one that's coming is made of Korina).
 
So, my question is this:  What do you think is the least expensive ballpark cost for a custom guitar that simply is made well and plays great?  Obviously there are other variables like what pups and hardware are needed, but I'm just talking about a similar neck (scale and radius, preferably neck-thru) and body style (Gibson double-cut style) on each one.
 
Just to be clear, I'm thinking of along the lines of mahogany for some of the bodies and some of the necks, korina (black limba) for some of the bodies, and maybe maple for the tops and some of the necks (heck, I'm not even sure what the most basic words are!).  Fretboards of ebony or maple.  No inlays, no need for exotic wood accents (or "Master Grade" wood), no extra bindings, no finished backs, no gold hardware, no multi-layer dye jobs (basically nothing that's added just to improve the looks beyond a standard finish).
 
Thanks for any opinions or comments!
 
I'm mainly doing this because I've found that if I can figure out what I want and plant it in my mind, I tend to eventually get it. 
 
 

All the best with things Craig.
 
I can't answer your question.
I don't sell guitars and I don't buy custom built so the only things I know are to do with me and each one has been it's own unique trip. I guess that really is what a custom is all about.
 
I'm sure I have advice about building one and/or having one built but even then it wouldn't get you an answer
to the question.
 
Let's imagine you got all the details about the guitar and covered them with a luthier and he gave you a dollar amount to complete...what would you compare that with?
Another luthier giving you a quote on the exact same thing? I don't know but I can't imagine that there is going to be a number or quote that is the same so how can we determine one?
 
I guess one could get numerous quotes-get an average and there's the ballpark figure...something I haven't done.
 
It was a fun question while enjoying my morning coffee...at work...now back to the salt pits.
 
 
 

For a parts guitars, it's not too hard to figure.
 
For fully custom stuff, I'm guessing it's going to be all over the place as spacey said.
 
Other than that, I would think it would be reasonable to look at Carvin for baseline prices.

He's sort of on hiatus, but you can also check here out as there are some prices:
 
http://www.soulmateguitars.com/index.htm

Craig PM me.

Ah, well then I don't have much else for you (that I've heard enough about) that isn't either high $$$ stuff or parts or kit type stuff.

Daydreaming is fun!
 
I can't tell you how many guitars/basses I have that will only ever exist as various combinations of layers in photoshop!
 
 
But it's also sometimes dangerous for me, as I have a few real instruments that look an awful lot like some of my photoshop experiments.

I visited my buddy Dan this week and he used his router machine to shape a pattern for me. After we were done working in his shop he opened up his music room and showed me some of his custom stuff.
 
Here's his custom one piece Mahogany fret less bass:
 

 
This chunk of Mahogany was being used as a "floor" plank in a mason's scaffold when he discovered and rescued it.
 
The shaping was done with a 7"angle grinder.
 

 
He made the bridge from scratch out of some sheet steel, a small tube, and some threaded hardware.
 
Someone told him he needed a truss rod so he used a pilot drill and installed a threaded rod that is anchored to the head stock plate he fashioned from a chunk of aluminum. He adjusts the tension from an short access "channel" in the back of the body with a coupling nut.
 
He found some tuners and a pickup on an old throw away instrument. The strings probably cost $30 so I'm guessing he has well under $100 in this custom one piece Mahogany bass.
 
He let me play it. It plays like butter. Loads of fun and great balance so the neck just floats in your hand.
 
 
 
He also showed me one of his many fifty dollar Keytars:
 

 
I thought about telling him he should buy Trillian to use with it, but I figured he's already doing great without any ideas from me so I just sat back and listened to him jam. ;-)
 
Good times.

mike_mccue
Here's his custom one piece Mahogany fret less bass: 
 
 
 
 

?  Are you saying he doesn't have photoshop?