About Us / Our Challenging Mission
We at Alchemy Guitar Werks like nice guitars... and we love the many great ones we have had the pleasure of playing / hearing throughout our lives. I will never part with some of my Gibsons, Fenders, Schecters, Taylors or Epiphones that are part of my personal herd of keepers. Although we will always appreciate these fine guitars we have purchased for ourselves (or made for ourselves) over the years, we have a real desire to make some more fine guitars that have some options or design characteristics never available to us before. Nothing really radical, but just some features that matter to us... and that should appeal to you as well.
Lets talk about overseas materials and manufacturing. Surely you realize that ALL of the major manufacturers have no choice but to acquire certain guitar tone woods from outside the USA for the simple reason that those materials are not grown here in the states (the rosewood, the ebony, the mahogany, etc.). Some of you may be aware that the importing of these woods is either prohibited and/or expensive. Further, due to laws of the USA certain tone woods from certain places overseas require that a certain amount of work be performed on them for them to be eligible for importation into the USA. Google "Gibson wood seizures" if you want to see what has happened twice before and might again.
And surely you are aware that every major manufacturer has a significant portion of their lines of guitars and basses made overseas... and especially from the far East (China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, etc.). Yes, PRS and Gibson and Fender still do make their flag ship iconic models in North America, but those are the usually greatly more expensive models that may cost from double to ten times (or more) what the Mexican or Chinese or Korean models will sell for. I suspect that there are some parts used in some big name USA guitars that are outsourced.
Over the many years this has been going on, the major companies have in effect shown and led certain factories in these countries to develop the facilities, knowledge and (increasingly) expertise in duplicating the same models for the US companies. Gibson has Epiphone, PRS has the SE's, Fender has the MIM's (made in Mexico) and the Squiers (made in China and elsewhere), etc. Some of the best brands of amplifiers (Marshall, Orange, Fender, etc.) have many of their models made "over there" now, but that is another story.
The reason many of these outsourced guitars from the majors are really good guitars is because their production has been overseen by these major companies in those facilities they have control over. They are not copies or forgeries since they are being made for the company and they are fitted with their trademark logos, etc.
Have we reached the point where guitar consumers can safely order direct from an overseas manufacturer that is not tied to the major name brand companies and expect it to consistently be playable and have good fit and finish? Simply, no. There are too many possible ways for a consumer buying direct from a manufacturer to get screwed... and have little (if any) recourse. There are too many makers of unknown origin, too many things that could not be right, etc. Even if you were to get lucky, the next one very well may not have repeatable quality.
We (Alchemy Air Werks) made some really nice 100% made in the USA by us replica one-offs. Those first guitars were enough to learn two very important things: First we learned that we can build some really nice guitars! The second thing we learned is that the final costs (materials, labor, facilities, and overhead) were so high that the selling price would have to be much higher as well.
So, where we are is this: Depending on the specific guitar and its needs, we get certain of our materials and/or assemblies to our exact specs from our overseas associates. These are individuals that we have developed a relationship with and that we have recourse with. Then we complete, set up and test each final product before it ever gets listed here. If it is not righteous, you will never see it. Our go / no go approach is so very much more than a factory hourly paid inspector sitting on a production line handling each guitar a matter of minutes for a last check before it gets shipped. We check and test every square inch for fit and finish, every component for proper operation, setup by an experienced player / luthier, and testing through real amplifiers in a non-factory environment (meaning not in a noisy environment and certainly never in a hurry).
Each guitar (or bass) that passes all that is photographed clearly from many angles and is part of the listing. It is THAT INSTRUMENT! Not an old picture of a previous iteration that already sold. Certainly NEVER a stock picture of a Gibson or other with the head stock hidden to try and trick somebody (a favorite tactic by some). You will always be looking at the actual guitar listed.
If you have question(s), by all means ask.
All Alchemy Guitar Werks instruments will have our head stock design along with the "Alchemy" logo inlay so as not to copy the fine instruments that we all know and love. All Alchemy Guitar Werks guitars will have our permanent serial number AGW XXXX on the back.
Our first dozen or so guitars were stamped Made in the USA. As explained earlier, that is not entirely true... nor is it entirely false. I do not want Made in India, China and USA on one guitar and then Made in Korea, China, Canada and USA on another. Your Ford or Chevy may say Made in the USA, too... but dig a little deeper. The new Toyota or BMW may have higher total USA materials and labor content than the Ford or Chevy. It has all become so confusing if that even matters to a consumer. I am trying to remedy that (for our cause) in such a way that is entirely accurate. "Made on Planet Earth by Humans" is my current favorite. Any better ideas out there?
For now, the guitars that I spec out and build (are not requested customer orders) will say nothing. They will not say "Made in the USA". If someone specifies a build, then it is a free option. You get to choose.
We will always have tremendous respect for the giants and masters before us and around us that have given us electric guitars in the first place. Indeed, we are trying to stand on their shoulders. But, we will not hesitate to do things a bit differently as we see fit. For instance, our semi-hollow body guitars will usually not have f-holes. We prefer our guitars without them. Our tone and sustain is righteous without them.
We are not big fans of large pick guards on many solid bodies that cover up so much of the top of most Fender guitars. We prefer those types of guitars with back routing for the pickups and controls... and with fronts showing off the gorgeous woods we use. LP type pick guards on single cuts are the occasional exception, but we usually do not want them on there, either. We do not like cheap plastic (or greenish) tuner buttons. We like sealed tuners for sure, but locking ones are also on our hot list. There may be nothing worse than a tuner that will not stay in tune. That is a fact! We will do our best to avoid that. In some cases, roller bridges and/or roller nuts are on our radar. In others, locking bridges and nuts fit the bill.
If you have us build your dream guitar, then you can likely have whatever you want. I can see the day coming when we make somebody happy making their perfectly ugly guitar for them just like they wanted. "Eye of the beholder" I say!
We use a variety of pickups that we select for our various guitars that will lend righteous tone and aesthetics to the guitars. It seems everybody wants their tone / sound just a bit differently. Like I have done numerous times on my personal guitars, many of you will change the pickups out to something else no matter what we use. Others will hear no need for a change. For the record, I have not had one single person tell me that they do not like the sound of their pickups or that they sounded bad. Feedback has been very favorable not on just pickups but the guitars overall. Our relatively low prices will not allow us to spend 1/4 to 1/3 of our instrument cost on boutique pickups. Our selections will get you into the game very nicely... and let you follow your muse.
But... I AM working towards a custom wound USA pickup upgrade that will give yet another option. More about this soon.
WARRANTY
Getting your instrument safely to you: If your well-packaged instrument is received with obvious visible damage to the packaging, then do not open unless the carrier is present to verify damage. All guitars will ship insured. If the package is not damaged, but you open the instrument and find damage STOP RIGHT THERE. Take pictures and notify us and the carrier.
After receiving your instrument: We give you 14 days after you receive your instrument to live with it and satisfy yourself that it is what we said it would be. During that time, you may return it to us (at your expense) in as-new, undamaged, unmodified and with no player wear condition for a full refund.
Unrealistic expectations: We do not guarantee your new instrument to have obscurely daunting user-discernible (and unrealistic) qualities. Do not expect our instruments to automatically have "Slash" or "woman" tone... or be as "chimey" or "bell like" as whatever is in your head. Hey, it might by accident... but if you are chasing something such as that then I suggest you go to a Guitar Center or a local music store and prepare to go through everything they have and still not find exactly THAT tone. The search for "that tone" is why those in search of it (me included) have dozens of guitars, a wall of amps, and few guitars with the original pickups in them. I have come to the realization that my "that tone" is not the same as your "that tone"... and whatever "that tone" is will be at least as much about the hands and technique of the artist that gets it as the guitar / pickups and amp / effects settings that may be needed as well. Our instruments have resonance, sustain, tune-ability, action, and volume / tone for an amazing palette of tonal possibilities. But like all brands and styles of guitars... No two are ever going to be exactly alike.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This endeavor is an experiment of sorts. It is not a financial make or break for us. But it DOES mean an awful lot to us. When we make these guitars to satisfy us, then we are confident that they will please most of you as well... if you are fortunate enough to find us. We want to keep your cost as low as possible, so we will not have the means of giving away lots of guitars for marketing purposes... nor will we have a large budget for media marketing. We do not have the time or the resources to hang out at concerts, festivals or NAMM shows. Beside this site, we will frequent eBay and possibly Reverb for listings exposure. Time will tell if word of mouth is good for anything in this internet age, but we will do our best to deliver the goods consistently.
Good times! ... and THANKS for stopping in!
Lets talk about overseas materials and manufacturing. Surely you realize that ALL of the major manufacturers have no choice but to acquire certain guitar tone woods from outside the USA for the simple reason that those materials are not grown here in the states (the rosewood, the ebony, the mahogany, etc.). Some of you may be aware that the importing of these woods is either prohibited and/or expensive. Further, due to laws of the USA certain tone woods from certain places overseas require that a certain amount of work be performed on them for them to be eligible for importation into the USA. Google "Gibson wood seizures" if you want to see what has happened twice before and might again.
And surely you are aware that every major manufacturer has a significant portion of their lines of guitars and basses made overseas... and especially from the far East (China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, etc.). Yes, PRS and Gibson and Fender still do make their flag ship iconic models in North America, but those are the usually greatly more expensive models that may cost from double to ten times (or more) what the Mexican or Chinese or Korean models will sell for. I suspect that there are some parts used in some big name USA guitars that are outsourced.
Over the many years this has been going on, the major companies have in effect shown and led certain factories in these countries to develop the facilities, knowledge and (increasingly) expertise in duplicating the same models for the US companies. Gibson has Epiphone, PRS has the SE's, Fender has the MIM's (made in Mexico) and the Squiers (made in China and elsewhere), etc. Some of the best brands of amplifiers (Marshall, Orange, Fender, etc.) have many of their models made "over there" now, but that is another story.
The reason many of these outsourced guitars from the majors are really good guitars is because their production has been overseen by these major companies in those facilities they have control over. They are not copies or forgeries since they are being made for the company and they are fitted with their trademark logos, etc.
Have we reached the point where guitar consumers can safely order direct from an overseas manufacturer that is not tied to the major name brand companies and expect it to consistently be playable and have good fit and finish? Simply, no. There are too many possible ways for a consumer buying direct from a manufacturer to get screwed... and have little (if any) recourse. There are too many makers of unknown origin, too many things that could not be right, etc. Even if you were to get lucky, the next one very well may not have repeatable quality.
We (Alchemy Air Werks) made some really nice 100% made in the USA by us replica one-offs. Those first guitars were enough to learn two very important things: First we learned that we can build some really nice guitars! The second thing we learned is that the final costs (materials, labor, facilities, and overhead) were so high that the selling price would have to be much higher as well.
So, where we are is this: Depending on the specific guitar and its needs, we get certain of our materials and/or assemblies to our exact specs from our overseas associates. These are individuals that we have developed a relationship with and that we have recourse with. Then we complete, set up and test each final product before it ever gets listed here. If it is not righteous, you will never see it. Our go / no go approach is so very much more than a factory hourly paid inspector sitting on a production line handling each guitar a matter of minutes for a last check before it gets shipped. We check and test every square inch for fit and finish, every component for proper operation, setup by an experienced player / luthier, and testing through real amplifiers in a non-factory environment (meaning not in a noisy environment and certainly never in a hurry).
Each guitar (or bass) that passes all that is photographed clearly from many angles and is part of the listing. It is THAT INSTRUMENT! Not an old picture of a previous iteration that already sold. Certainly NEVER a stock picture of a Gibson or other with the head stock hidden to try and trick somebody (a favorite tactic by some). You will always be looking at the actual guitar listed.
If you have question(s), by all means ask.
All Alchemy Guitar Werks instruments will have our head stock design along with the "Alchemy" logo inlay so as not to copy the fine instruments that we all know and love. All Alchemy Guitar Werks guitars will have our permanent serial number AGW XXXX on the back.
Our first dozen or so guitars were stamped Made in the USA. As explained earlier, that is not entirely true... nor is it entirely false. I do not want Made in India, China and USA on one guitar and then Made in Korea, China, Canada and USA on another. Your Ford or Chevy may say Made in the USA, too... but dig a little deeper. The new Toyota or BMW may have higher total USA materials and labor content than the Ford or Chevy. It has all become so confusing if that even matters to a consumer. I am trying to remedy that (for our cause) in such a way that is entirely accurate. "Made on Planet Earth by Humans" is my current favorite. Any better ideas out there?
For now, the guitars that I spec out and build (are not requested customer orders) will say nothing. They will not say "Made in the USA". If someone specifies a build, then it is a free option. You get to choose.
We will always have tremendous respect for the giants and masters before us and around us that have given us electric guitars in the first place. Indeed, we are trying to stand on their shoulders. But, we will not hesitate to do things a bit differently as we see fit. For instance, our semi-hollow body guitars will usually not have f-holes. We prefer our guitars without them. Our tone and sustain is righteous without them.
We are not big fans of large pick guards on many solid bodies that cover up so much of the top of most Fender guitars. We prefer those types of guitars with back routing for the pickups and controls... and with fronts showing off the gorgeous woods we use. LP type pick guards on single cuts are the occasional exception, but we usually do not want them on there, either. We do not like cheap plastic (or greenish) tuner buttons. We like sealed tuners for sure, but locking ones are also on our hot list. There may be nothing worse than a tuner that will not stay in tune. That is a fact! We will do our best to avoid that. In some cases, roller bridges and/or roller nuts are on our radar. In others, locking bridges and nuts fit the bill.
If you have us build your dream guitar, then you can likely have whatever you want. I can see the day coming when we make somebody happy making their perfectly ugly guitar for them just like they wanted. "Eye of the beholder" I say!
We use a variety of pickups that we select for our various guitars that will lend righteous tone and aesthetics to the guitars. It seems everybody wants their tone / sound just a bit differently. Like I have done numerous times on my personal guitars, many of you will change the pickups out to something else no matter what we use. Others will hear no need for a change. For the record, I have not had one single person tell me that they do not like the sound of their pickups or that they sounded bad. Feedback has been very favorable not on just pickups but the guitars overall. Our relatively low prices will not allow us to spend 1/4 to 1/3 of our instrument cost on boutique pickups. Our selections will get you into the game very nicely... and let you follow your muse.
But... I AM working towards a custom wound USA pickup upgrade that will give yet another option. More about this soon.
WARRANTY
Getting your instrument safely to you: If your well-packaged instrument is received with obvious visible damage to the packaging, then do not open unless the carrier is present to verify damage. All guitars will ship insured. If the package is not damaged, but you open the instrument and find damage STOP RIGHT THERE. Take pictures and notify us and the carrier.
After receiving your instrument: We give you 14 days after you receive your instrument to live with it and satisfy yourself that it is what we said it would be. During that time, you may return it to us (at your expense) in as-new, undamaged, unmodified and with no player wear condition for a full refund.
Unrealistic expectations: We do not guarantee your new instrument to have obscurely daunting user-discernible (and unrealistic) qualities. Do not expect our instruments to automatically have "Slash" or "woman" tone... or be as "chimey" or "bell like" as whatever is in your head. Hey, it might by accident... but if you are chasing something such as that then I suggest you go to a Guitar Center or a local music store and prepare to go through everything they have and still not find exactly THAT tone. The search for "that tone" is why those in search of it (me included) have dozens of guitars, a wall of amps, and few guitars with the original pickups in them. I have come to the realization that my "that tone" is not the same as your "that tone"... and whatever "that tone" is will be at least as much about the hands and technique of the artist that gets it as the guitar / pickups and amp / effects settings that may be needed as well. Our instruments have resonance, sustain, tune-ability, action, and volume / tone for an amazing palette of tonal possibilities. But like all brands and styles of guitars... No two are ever going to be exactly alike.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This endeavor is an experiment of sorts. It is not a financial make or break for us. But it DOES mean an awful lot to us. When we make these guitars to satisfy us, then we are confident that they will please most of you as well... if you are fortunate enough to find us. We want to keep your cost as low as possible, so we will not have the means of giving away lots of guitars for marketing purposes... nor will we have a large budget for media marketing. We do not have the time or the resources to hang out at concerts, festivals or NAMM shows. Beside this site, we will frequent eBay and possibly Reverb for listings exposure. Time will tell if word of mouth is good for anything in this internet age, but we will do our best to deliver the goods consistently.
Good times! ... and THANKS for stopping in!
