Amp kits: How big the market?

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Amp kits: How big the market?

Postby steve » Fri Aug 29, 2014 12:13 pm

There's plenty of cool small amp kits around. How many of these get sold in a year? It looks like some manufacturers make these things as a hobby, but others seem to make a living at it. Any ideas? Who would know? I'm considering entering the field.
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Re: Amp kits: How big the market?

Postby Shannon Parks » Fri Aug 29, 2014 3:29 pm

Start off as a hobby, see how many you sell and quit your day job when the numbers make sense.

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Re: Amp kits: How big the market?

Postby Geek » Fri Aug 29, 2014 5:21 pm

Make your kits unique. Remember that overseas dealers can sell the whole kit + cabinet for less than most on the N.A. continent can get the power iron alone for.

Not everyone can be a "Doc Bottlehead" ;) Success depends on SO MANY factors, that Shannon's advice is about the best you can get.

Cheers!
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Fine wine comes in glass bottles, not plastic sacks. Therefore the finer electrons are also found in glass bottles.
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Re: Amp kits: How big the market?

Postby SDS-PAGE » Wed Oct 01, 2014 9:26 am

Here are my two cents. I have been building custom amps and offering kits since 2008 strictly as a hobby and right now I am at a point where I am dealing with backorders, which is okay since I pick my customers and they are pretty chill with my leadtime. The profits that I make supplement the income from my day job quite well, which allows me to boost my savings and to buy frivolous toys (tractors, cars, boats, amps, and so forth). Not sure if I could survive on tube amps alone and I am not sure if I want to since relying your livelihood on it would take the joy out of it. Again, I never ventured to make my tube amp building big, so who knows.

My recommendation is to keep your day job, keep building amps, establish your niche, and make some extra bucks. By the time you're ready to retire, you could then turn it into a lucrative business that could also be a fun hobby.

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Re: Amp kits: How big the market?

Postby lego4040 » Mon Oct 20, 2014 8:37 pm

Try and offer amps that no one else does, that will help. Most sites offer all the same kits from Fender and Marshall. You never see Gibson, Vox, Magnatone etc. On the amp forums I look at,Hoffman being one, has some really good stuff but not complet kits. One amp that lots of people ask about is th Fender 5E9-A and the 5G9-A
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