Phil Mathews demonstrates the new Crafter Hilite Series of guitars
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Crafter Demo
Crafter HD24 demo! Availible from Guitar Empire, Bedford UK. www.guitarempire.co.uk
Naturepedic Organic Buy Now !8!# Troy Gym Equipment Discounted
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Crafter MD 58 /BK acoustic guitar complete demonstration, Akustična gitara
www.craftereurope.com = Crafter MD 58/BK acoustic guitar play. The sound of Crafter acoustic guitar. Guitar demonstration. How to Choose a Guitar. How to Select an Acoustic Guitar. Mikhail Lisov - како играти акустична гитара, звучне демонстрације
Comparison Brewsters Menu Promo Fleece Vests Keyboards Piano Buy Now
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Singers Key Notes--Courage and Creativity With Ken Davenport, PT Barnum of Off-Broadway
Ken Davenport, the young man the NY Times has dubbed "The P.T. Barnum of Off-Broadway" was my guest on Singers Key Notes this week. As a result, I am confident that Broadway will not only survive but thrive because we have this brilliant young man leading the way.
Ken is an innovator. He has unbridled creativity. He lives and works in the moment and uses technology to build his shows, the audience, and the buzz necessary for a long-running show.
Not only is he the only producer with three shows running off-Broadway at the same time (The Awesome 80s Prom, Altar Boyz and My First Time) but they have all recouped their investment, grossing a total of million worldwide. Combined, his productions have grossed more than 0 million worldwide and are being produced internationally in 25 countries including Germany, Mexico, France, and Korea.
Financial success Off-Broadway is a feat in itself. Financial success in a major worldwide recession is monumental. How does he do it?
First of all, he's been in the theater all his life from childhood actor to NYU to general manager on several Broadway shows. Ken spent 10 years working backstage to prepare himself for the role of producer. None of this success was due to luck. It's a lot of hard work and years of learning the ropes and a willing and relentless spirit.
Also, and this is the piece of the puzzle for our discussion today, Ken Davenport has the creativity and the courage to use it. Wrote and directed My First Time, the first-ever "Theatre 2.0", Ken set up a website http://www.myfirsttime.com/ and asked it's users to tell about their "first time" stories. All the words in My First Time are from real people who shared their stories on the website. Ken then crafted their words into the show we now see.
Ken is creator, crafter, actor, director, PR guy, producer, you name it, he does it! I questioned him about playing all these rolls in his business and how he gained experience in all these areas. His answer was wise beyond his 38 years.
To paraphrase, Ken said that you'll never be ready to take on a task until you actually do it. Will you always be successful? Maybe not. But if you don't ever try, then you have no chance of succeeding. This does not mean that you should produce a Broadway play your first time out, but produce a high school musical, get involved, stretch your wings and learn.
Nike is right: Just do it!
Square Lamp Shades For Table Lamps Right Now !8!# Upright Bike Buy Toro 20031 Free Shipping
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Advanced Selling Tips for Crafters
From the feedback I have been getting in the time since I started this website, I've learned that many visitors are working long and hard at their crafts, but are still having a hard time realizing home business success.
I don't pretend to have all the answers. There is just too much going on for one person to be able to solve all problems. However, let's break them down into two parts and then try to apply basic business solutions to each part.
Here are a few selling tips to consider.
The Product
I'm a pretty good cook. I've won awards from my local culinary arts society and have even been invited to give a lesson or two. However, when I try to make a new recipe, especially from some of
the most popular food and lifestyle magazines, I am usually very disappointed.
Why? In my opinion it is because something is usually missing, either from the ingredients or the instructions.
Now you're saying to yourselves, "what's this got to do with anything?" Well, most crafters are constantly searching books, magazines and web sites for free craft patterns. Like the "free recipes" noted above, however, I think something is always missing.
Simply put, the best crafters are not going to give away their best designs. Much of what you get for free can be helpful, but only if used as a starting point.
Even on my website, the designs I offer must be electronically condensed in order for the page to load in a reasonable amount of time. If you want to enlarge them, you most likely will be disappointed in the fidelity of the result.
You wouldn't be reading this article if you weren't interested in discovering some new selling tips for your craft.
So put yourself in the buyer's position. Is she seeing the same craft over and over again at the same show? If she is, the only reason she will buy from you is if your price is lowest. You don't want to find yourself in a price war.
Ideally you want to earn a premium for your efforts.
So let's try to do something to differentiate you - to make a common pattern special - to make it you.
Some selling tips to consider:
Oversize it or miniaturize it.
Use metal instead of wood, or wood instead of plastic.
Change the designs to make the craft prettier or more practical.
Instead of painting on a design or applying a decal, add a carving or incision that adds texture and dimension.
Use your imagination and sense of creativity.
Always use the best materials and methods of manufacture. If you shop carefully, you can get fine supplies either on sale or in the clearance bins. Many online sellers are offering the same supplies you see in the stores for 40% to 50% less.
The quality of your materials is one of the first things a buyer will notice. Don't turn her off by using cheap, chintzy materials.
Do the same with your manufacturing methods.
Are your seams straight and even? Did you use a nice copper braid, even when glue would do? Is you paint or stain evenly applied and unstreaked?
For every craft, there is always some extra little touch that shows you're a pro - that your product is worth more than the guy's at the next table.
These steps might take you a little longer at first, but once you get the rhythm down, you'll find it really adds little to the time and cost of making your craft.
Once you get this far, you face the more daunting problem...
Craft Marketing
When you are trying to sell a product, you're up against a whole universe of retailers, not all of whom are crafters. There are millions of products for sale in all price ranges in all sorts of different venues. How do you sell yours?
In this age of mass production, where every store in every mall seems to be selling the same thing, people have an appreciation for the unique handmade product that required more than movement down an assembly line. If you followed some of the tips in the first part of this article, you are already a step or two ahead of the field.
So you have to consider how the product is packaged and marketed. Can you put it in a nice box? Can you make hang tags explaining how you made it, the materials you used and why it is unique?
Look around any store and notice how the pros package everything from breakfast cereal to TV's. Follow their lead - they're giving you free selling tips.
Professional marketers are trying to get their product to stand out from the competition. They are trying to make it appear different or special whether it is or not. They are trying to draw attention to it by their packaging and shelf positioning. Try to do the same thing.
If you are going to display at shows, set up your table in a way that every product is shown off properly. If you have an inventory, just keep one piece on display: hide the rest under the table. Keep you table neat and clean. Talk to your prospective customers. Try to get them interested in your craft. Try to get some feedback from them
Have a handout available with an explanation of the product or your production methods. Have a business card. Be prepared to take and make custom orders.
If you're trying to sell your craft in stores or galleries, depending on the product, wrap it so it doesn't get dirty or worn. Use attractive packaging, decorative ribbons, etc. so it stands out on the shelves.
Make it easy for the store owner to contact you, when necessary and be open to change.
If you're selling crafts online, make sure you get some good pictures of the craft up in the ad. Use the space in the ad to explain why your craft is different or better. Plug your offline business and/or website.
If necessary, do as the stores do. Give away a free gift with purchase, hopefully some little trinket you can make or buy inexpensively. Try a "buy one get the second for half price" deal.
Or bundle complementary products together to create a perceived value greater than the cost of the parts. For example, if you're selling a handmade nutcracker, package it with a can of premium unshelled nuts: if you're selling a ceramic vase add a few silk flowers: if you make a guitar, give away a songbook. You will find you can often charge more for a well bundled package than you could if you were selling the pieces individually.
If you want to try eBay, Yahoo or Overstock online auctions, you will find that you can have the choice of selling in any of numerous different categories. Some of these categories can be quite competitive, others much less so. You might do much better in the less competitive areas.
Maybe you should use Yahoo rather than eBay, or vice versa, if one site is overstocked with what you have to sell and the other isn't.
I also suggest you look at some of craft marketing books. Learning is a never-ending process and many of these have advice and tips you will find invaluable. Even if you know 99% of what the author says, it's that 1% you didn't know that makes the effort worthwhile.
Conclusion
Life is full of challenges but that's what makes it interesting. If you're finding building a successful home-based craft business especially challenging, try some of these techniques.
The more engaged you become, the more you learn. The more you learn, the greater your chances for success. If in the course of your study and development, you have one of those "ah hah!" moments that gets you past whatever was blocking your success, please write me so I can share it with my readers.
For more information on setting up and running a craft business or selling your crafts more profitably, visit Your Craft Business Guide.
Monday, November 14, 2011
The Best Cheap Electric Guitars
You want to play electric guitar but you have a limited budget. Your first electric guitar needs to be cheap so you need to get some idea which is the best brand to buy. If you do not buy a good quality electric guitar your guitar playing learning curve is going to be that much more steep, and you are going to feel like a prize dumbbell telling people that your playing would be much better if your guitar was not such a pile of junk.
Let us set some ground rules. Do not buy a cheap guitar online unless the vendor is in your local area. Also, when we talk about cheap guitars we should be talking cheap brands, not old guitars of dubious quality and unknown condition. If there is a music shop or two somewhere close to where you live, they should be able to cater to your needs. There are a lot of deep mysteries connected with guitar playing but finding a cheap guitar is not one of them.
To start with, there are big brand name guitars that you may not be able to afford, and indeed it would be silly to pay a fortune for your first electric guitar, but there are copies of these famous guitars which you CAN afford. Amongst these copies of the big name guitars made by various guitar makers, are good and bad quality guitars, and you need to be familiar with the better quality makers of cheap guitars. Any guitar factory in Outer Mongolia can churn out realistic looking electric guitars but they may not be able to hold together for longer than five minutes.
So, let us first look at a few big name guitars. Fender, Gibson, Washburn. You recognize those names, right? Squier, Ibanez, Yamaha, Crafter. Do you recognize those names? They make cheap electric guitars some of which are copies of more expensive models. The basic difference between cheap guitars and expensive guitars is quality of materials. The reason you need to be aware of which cheaper brands to buy is that you do not want to go too far into the realms of cheap and nasty. Without wanting to influence you unduly, I think you could do a lot worse than buying a Squier Stratocaster for a first electric guitar. It is made by Fender, the makers of the original Strat.
Another thing you need to consider is the type of music you want to play. Once you start looking around at guitars you need to be aware of the sound. Right from the first day as a guitar player you should be listening to yourself making a sound that you are happy with.
One really cool thing you should be taking with you when you go looking to buy a cheap electric guitar is a guitar player. Even if it is one of the neighbors who bought a guitar years ago and never did anything with it, it is better than nothing. And then there's the color. Your neighbor may be able to give you some advice on the construction of electric guitars or the benefits of this or that pickup, but only YOU can decide what color you want. When Mark Knopfler decided to buy his first guitar he knew he wanted a red one. It is an important consideration. You will not feel comfortable posing in front of the mirror with the wrong color guitar!
You will not be posing in front of the mirror? Oh . . . okay.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
C. B. Gitty Cigar Box Amplifier: Oliva G Series
!±8± C. B. Gitty Cigar Box Amplifier: Oliva G Series
Brand : C. B. Gitty | Rate : 
| Price :
Post Date : Nov 06, 2011 05:42:09 | Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| Price : Post Date : Nov 06, 2011 05:42:09 | Usually ships in 1-2 business days
If you've been looking for a great, affordable Cigar Box Amplifier to go with your Cigar Box Guitar, then look no further!These great little amps are hand-crafted in the U.S.A. in C. B. Gitty's workshop in the foothills of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Their heart is an Artec SDA-T 2.5W amp board, which is powered by a 9V battery. The amp accepts a standard 1/4" mono guitar cord as input, and output is through a 3.5" 1W speaker. A red LED power indicator is included to help prevent accidental battery drain. These little amps put out a very respectable sound, and in our opinion are much superior to the smaller half-watt and one-watt amps!The dimensions of this amp are: 4.25" wide x 8" high x 4" deep. The box is an all-wood Oliva Serie G cigar box. This amp is one of C. B. Gitty's "Production" models, where many identical amps are built to a specific design. Each of these production models is designed and signed by C. B. Gitty himself, so you know you are getting a great item!C. B. Gitty selects the nicest, most suitable smaller cigar boxes as his amp cases, and then dresses them up with all sorts of great features, such as those seen on this amp: Stylish, distinctive all-wood natural finish Oliva Serie G cigar box; Beautiful gold Swirl Speaker Cover; Panel-mount tone/gain control; Gold On/Off/Volume and Tone Knobs; Externally accessible battery tray holder; Beautiful shiny gold box corners; Protective rubber feet.For those of you who are interested in tweaking your CB amp, and aren't scared of a soldering iron, the amp board also provides connection points for an output jack and headphones jack as well!
- Nice loud 2.5-watt amplifier, all-wood cigar box, beautiful gold hardware
- External mount 9V battery tray, panel-mount volume and tone/gain
- decorative gold speaker grill, made in the USA, great for busking
Custom Sweatshirt Buy Online Ikea Loveseats Buy Now Cheep Makita Chain Saw
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Hand-wound 4-String "Stonehenge" Cigar Box Guitar/Electric Guitar Pickup by Ted Crocker
!±8± Hand-wound 4-String "Stonehenge" Cigar Box Guitar/Electric Guitar Pickup by Ted Crocker
Rate :
| Price : | Post Date : Nov 03, 2011 13:07:26Usually ships in 1-2 business days
These custom hand-wound and hand-crafted StonehengeTM pickups are similar to ones luthier Ted Crocker crafted for the guitar featured in the acclaimed John Sayles movie Honeydripper (starring Danny Glover). They are ideal for use in 4-string cigar box guitars or other custom instruments. Each pickup is hand crafted by Ted Crocker. The bobbin top is exotic purpleheart wood and the bottom is ash. The magnets are Alnico V and wire is 42 guage. These are hand wound with a scatter pattern. The tone is deep and clear and has been described as 'syrupy'. These are perfect for use in 4-sting cigar box guitars and other home-made instruments.** Please Note - This pickup ships with 8 inches of hookup wire soldered on **** Please Note - The item you receive may vary slightly in appearance than the one in the picture. **** Please Note - Pickup coil wire is very thin and fragile and requires careful handling during installation. Each pickup is tested before leaving the shop. **
Promotion Parts For Hoover Steam Vac !8!# Gas Power Washer Clearance Sale Botkier On Guide
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Washburn Timber Craft Series D56SWK Acoustic Guitar
!±8± Washburn Timber Craft Series D56SWK Acoustic Guitar
Rate :
| Price : $549.00 | Post Date : Oct 26, 2011 09:19:10Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Solid Sitka spruce top Solid rosewood sides & back Maple binding on body & neck Gloss finish Mahogany satin finish neck Rosewood fingerboard w/Mother of Pearl inlay Feiten nut & compensated saddle Nut width: 1.7" (43mm) Rosewood butterfly bridge Exclusive Grover® 18:1 gear ratio tuners Buzz Feiten Tuning System™
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |