Post by alig on Sept 26, 2013 20:59:03 GMT
Hi again all!
I'm disappointed that the online discussions about my slides always focus on the cost - sometimes brutally - and not the tone, feel and quality of the slides, not to mention the fact they will last forever.
All I can say about the price is that yes, they really do cost this much to make. In fact, they should cost a lot more - people who know or work with tungsten carbide are shocked that I can make and sell them this cheaply. It took me a huge amount of time to work out how to do it.
Compare the Martin Simpson Signature Slide to a cheap tungsten carbide wedding ring for about £40, or a good one for £200+ and consider the difference in size - this affects both the amount of carbide I need to use (no, tungsten carbide is not as expensive as gold, but the raw material alone costs me hundreds of pounds per kilo) and the time it takes to grind and polish the larger area, inside and out, all by hand in the UK. Measured against any other tungsten carbide component available, these slides are excellent value.
But I'd much rather people considered the tone, feel and quality. I appreciate that this is really difficult without trying one for yourself, but I will be exhibiting at more shows etc. wherever I can. Unfortunately I can only sell direct - getting them into retailers is just not practical (a rough calculation shows that the retail price would need to be over £500). There will also be reviews appearing shortly in fRoots, Guitarist, Acoustic and others - hopefully these will share a balanced view of how the slide performs and, I daresay, comment on the cost too.
I will say that they are selling slowly but steadily, and at the moment every one of my customers is delighted with their slide.
I'm really happy to answer any other questions about the slides - either here on the forum or email me through the Wolfram Slides website.
Take your points! I've always felt that 'you get what you pay for' and that it's the sound that matters.
Hard to have folk comment without hearing the thing!
I wish you all the very best.
Alasdair.