What is your single biggest pickup related purchase?

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

I could never figure out why someone would replace a set of pickups in a $499 Epi Lester with a MIK set costing $49.95 the pair. It seems hardly worth the bother myself.

I'm not going to agree with or disagree with any particular philosophy, but people evaluate how they put money into an instrument based on how much they paid for said instrument. Then go to high enough of a price scale, and people don't want to modify it. That is why, I think, only a small window of instruments seem to receive aftermarket pickups. Joe Barden pickups, for all the hype they get in magazines, fora, testimonials, etc., only show up periodically. For a long time, a set of those exceeded the value of a Mexican made Fender. People are generally aware that money spent on care/maintenance and modifications to an instrument is money lost, and they'll get antsy when they start to feel like they are putting more money into something than it is worth, regardless of how nice of an instrument it'll yield. Again, I'm not endorsing or criticizing the idea - but it is a common consumer pattern.

I think this is the silver lining in all of the prices going up. It is easier to convince someone to buy a nice set of pickups when the mexican strat sells for $500 instead of $350.

[big_teee]

The Epi Lester is the High end of that type of Import.
Most go for the $225-$400.
Like Funky says that customer is not going to pay $100 or more for a pickup.
If you have those high end customers, be grateful.
For every 1 of the high end there is 10 on the low end.
Same with the Tools you mentioned.
If you don't believe there is a market for cheap Tools, In any big city go to a Harbor Freight tool store.
Go there between 12 and 1 PM.
It's like Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve.
It can be a Mad House at HF at Lunch Hour.
Moral of the Story, there has to be Niche Market for every Income Level.
Later,
B_T

[copperheadroads]

Elepro's winder kit has been probably my biggest single Purchase related to pickups

[WolfeMacleod]

My coil winder wound up being about $15,000, back in 2003. A couple years ago, I bought two more guides for it, at around $1,000 each.

I do not think that multi-use tools should count: IE: A bandsaw or router that also gets used to build guitars.

[Possum]

The miniature table saw I got is from Byrnes, Model Machines LLC.
Byrnes Model Machines Home Page
I was going to get a MicroMark model but its made of plastic and I read good and bad reviews on it, Chinese made and whether you get a good one or not is luck of the draw. Couldn't bring myself to buy another Chinese piece of gear and end up spending hours finding out what it does badly. The Byrnes is a joy to use, everything is precision machined, he even made a stop bar for me so I could cut bucker shims quicly and set it up with a slitting saw blade. Wonderful for cutting plastics too. I don't actually use it that much but when I do it makes everything so easy, I highly recommend it. I see he's got some new machines now too, oh boy, gotta take a good look at those.... his prices are actually very good for what you are getting.

[big_teee]

Looks like a fine machine.
Terry

[Joe Gwinn]

Those tools look pretty good. I found by google another toolmaker with similar products; don't recall the details.

I bet he uses CNC machines to make the parts. No way could he make a living making the saws by hand using just a lathe and vertical mill (shown in the photos).

[SonnyW]

I spent about $1500 on my coil winder, and about another $2000 on test equipment, plus another $650 for a magnetizer. I'm single, so I got away with it more or less scott free, but my kids probably think I'm crazy. I don't tell them about some of the guitars though. I do make a little income on it so it isn't all folly.





only half of the magnetizer shows in this photo.