Now THIS is agressive guitar marketing

[Fred_C]

I'm certain that there are a number of forum members who are involved in Sales and Marketing.

 

I am on the Conti Guitar mail list because I purchased some instructional books from him a while back. Well, I received an email from him announcing a new guitar model, the Estrada. I clicked on the link and took a look at the info. The most amazing thing is that when you buy a Conti guitar, he makes a personalized video of himself, playing the exact instrument you've purchased, discussing the instrument for you and demonstrating how it sounds and plays.

 

I think this is a great idea! Robert Conti makes very nice guitars at very reasonable prices and he is certainly no slouch on the instrument himself.

 

Check out this link and watch the video. Pretty cool!

 

https://www.contiguitars.com/entrada/

[d halfnote]

Thanks for the link, FC. Those seem to be nice gtrs & as you mention Conti can play v. well himself! (I'll have to look into his career).

 

However I wouldn't call what you describe agressive mktg, w/its connotation of annoyance, but sincere & helpful concern for his clients---whom he honors w/the term "patrons".

That is what you really meant to convey to us, eh ?

 

Cool that he personally checks each instrument before it's shipped.

-------------------------

 

After looking at site further, it's also interesting that he uses user endorsement/comment vids.

That's an obvious way to support his products but also a platform for lesser-known players to promote themselves & network !

Not only that but one could study the clips as lessons & also as suggestions for what's popularly trending stylistically.

[Larryz]

I got the memo too Brother Fred! I remember telling you about Robert Conti long ago as I knew he taught chord melody and you were interested in taking a look. I'm pretty sure his guitars are/were made by Peerless which is another favorite of yours. I too bought a couple of his training DVD videos back then and I kick myself in the ass for not sticking with it but I was more interested in other genres. It is the only time I learned to play note for note. His DVD's have sheet and tab that you print out and can play the lessons and refer back. I only bought two and have never opened the second DVD but I just might some day! He is a great teacher IMHO. His method is different from any other but if followed, you'll be playing jazz very soon compared to others I've seen...

 

The guitars are beautiful and I watched the whole vid. It was very interesting all the way through. I like that natural finish with the blacked out hardware! I have resisted buying his guitars for many years and I'm still tempted as ever to do so! I was thinking the 2 pickup model in black with blacked out hardware or the natural or both! I must resist...I must resist...I must resist LOL! I wish he had mentioned the gauge of those GHS strings!

 

I think IIRC the price is around $1,400 and an extra $126 if you want the case. I love the fact that he checks out the guitar hands on before it leaves the shop and makes you a video! I didn't know he did that until I watched your vid! He is truly a guitar master, great teacher and has a great personality. If I fall off the wagon, I may just buy one some day. He also offers a 10% discount if you take a professional photo of yourself with the guitar and send it in with your comments! A sincere thanks for posting that info Bro, even if it is some aggressive marketing. That's what he does, but I also believe he is also sincere about doing a great job for his students and customers! Like the other thread on Epi with some pickup upgrades, I believe what he said about his luthiers statements regarding laminates sounding just as good!

 

 

 

[Fred_C]

One thing that Marketers focus on is "differentiation". That is to say, with so many competing products on the market, how do we differentiate our product? We talk about "adding value" through various methods and techniques. Niceties like the personalized Conti videos certainly would qualify as a "post sale" service that "adds value" to the product and serves to effectively differentiate it from the competition.

 

Perhaps "aggressive" was not the correct term. Maybe "unique" would have been more appropriate.

[Larryz]

"Well said, well written" Brother Fred..."aggressive" is OK by me, but +1 on "unique"...I would certainly save that video if I bought one and he sent it with a guitar!

[DocPate]

One thing that Marketers focus on is "differentiation". That is to say, with so many competing products on the market, how do we differentiate our product? We talk about "adding value" through various methods and techniques. Niceties like the personalized Conti videos certainly would qualify as a "post sale" service that "adds value" to the product and serves to effectively differentiate it from the competition.

 

Perhaps "aggressive" was not the correct term. Maybe "unique" would have been more appropriate.

 

I liked "aggressive" personally.

[whitefang]

That is a nice looking guitar. Seems both a well finished and comfortably sized instrument.

 

And I'd say both "aggressive" and "unique" are fitting descriptions. There are some though that confuse "aggressive" with Belligerent", so don't fret( no pun intent) about that.

Whitefang

[Sharkman]

One of my degrees is Marketing and Management, and I've been doing one form of sales or another for approximately forty years, so I have a little knowledge about marketing. I would not call this aggressive. I would use words like excellent, or awesome, or terrific, or brilliant. And his guitar playing impressed me as well.

[Fred_C]

One of my degrees is Marketing and Management, and I've been doing one form of sales or another for approximately forty years, so I have a little knowledge about marketing. I would not call this aggressive. I would use words like excellent, or awesome, or terrific, or brilliant. And his guitar playing impressed me as well.

 

Greetings, Colleague.

[Bluesape]

Looks great, but I did not catch where it is made. His facility looks like final assembly and qc inspection.... Seems ghost-built, but at a very high quality level...

[jimmac]

I rarely listen to jazz but really liked this guy and the wine colored guitar he was playing looks great. If I was looking for another guitar I would be tempted. Jim

[Fred_C]

Looks great, but I did not catch where it is made. His facility looks like final assembly and qc inspection.... Seems ghost-built, but at a very high quality level...

 

Made in Korea by Peerless.

[Scott Fraser]

I'll get interested when he comes out with a Venetian cutaway version.

[Caevan O’Shite]

I'll get interested when he comes out with a Venetian cutaway version.

 

Venetian... ?

 

__________________ http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/ss103/CaevanOShite/Warm_Sunday_Nylons_In_Bed_Smaller_A.jpg

[Larryz]

I'll get interested when he comes out with a Venetian cutaway version.

 

I don't think he's going to Scott. In the video Fred posted, he said they redesigned the new models with a "shallow cutaway" to get away from the "Venetian cutaway" in order to gain better access to the higher frets on the 24 fret neck and he also cut the body from 17" to a 16" version for comfort...I too like the looks and vibe of the Venetian cutaway.

[whitefang]

Actually, I prefer the Florentine. It's why for the most part most acoustics with cutaways don't appeal to me all that much.

 

Epiphone makes( or made) an acoustic with a Florentine cutaway,(PR5-E/acoustic-electric) but I haven't ever spotted one in any local shop in order to try out how it feels and sounds.

Whitefang

[Fred_C]

I'll get interested when he comes out with a Venetian cutaway version.

 

I don't think he's going to Scott. In the video Fred posted, he said they redesigned the new models with a "shallow cutaway" to get away from the "Venetian cutaway"

 

That's strange. I thought he said "Florentine", Was he talking then about the "first generation" guitar, The Equity?

 

I'll have to watch it again.

 

I prefer the Florentine cutaway over the Venetian. I think it gives better upper fret access. Just an opinion.

 

Also, we should be aware that a 24 fret fretboard is going to change the position of the neck pickup and alter the sound. Unless I'm mistaken, It isn't going to sound like a 22 fret fretboard.

[Scott Fraser]

I just don't like sharp points on guitars.

[d halfnote]

I just don't like sharp points on guitars.

Well, it'as not like yer gonna get impaled..unless it's a cut string end.

 

 

WAIT, THERE'S MORE !

I'll get interested when he comes out with a Venetian cutaway version.

 

Venetian... ?

 

__________________ http://i566.photobucket.com/albums/ss103/CaevanOShite/Warm_Sunday_Nylons_In_Bed_Smaller_A.jpg

 

As a deep Hendrixite, I'll be waiting for the Venusian model.

[d halfnote]

On a more serious, uh, note, having, perhaps problematically, introduced the idea that there's a diff between aggressive mktng & other approaches, let me point out that there's nothing inherently bad abt being aggressive, in mktng or otherwise.

While we all want to avoid feeling targeted or pestered, some amt of aggression is necessary to get anything going...& it seems more needed as our world turns...into whatever it's turning into.

 

One particularly helpful skill to any sales/mktng person is how to be aggressive/forceful in ways that don't seem so.

 

[Larryz]

I don't think he's going to Scott. In the video Fred posted, he said they redesigned the new models with a "shallow cutaway" to get away from the "Venetian cutaway"

 

That's strange. I thought he said "Florentine", Was he talking then about the "first generation" guitar, The Equity?

 

I'll have to watch it again.

 

I prefer the Florentine cutaway over the Venetian. I think it gives better upper fret access. Just an opinion.

 

 

Fast forward to 8:40 Brother Fred. He was talking about the features of this guitar the Entrada. He said it has a "shallow cutaway" not like the older guitars with the Venetian cutaway, to make it easier to access the 24 frets...

[whitefang]

I'd suppose(from what I've seen on other instruments) that either cutaway can be made to various depths and the access too, will vary. ie: Gibson's BARNEY KESSEL and the newer JOHNNY A both have dual Florentine cutaways, but notice too, that they're not as "deep" as the cutaway on Conti's guitar, which he claims is "shallow".

 

But still too, it's too nice looking of an instrument to quibble over something like that.

Whitefang

[Fred_C]

On a more serious, uh, note, having, perhaps problematically, introduced the idea that there's a diff between aggressive mktng & other approaches, let me point out that there's nothing inherently bad abt being aggressive, in mktng or otherwise.

While we all want to avoid feeling targeted or pestered, some amt of aggression is necessary to get anything going...& it seems more needed as our world turns...into whatever it's turning into.

 

One particularly helpful skill to any sales/mktng person is how to be aggressive/forceful in ways that don't seem so.

 

Exactly!

[Caevan O’Shite]

As a deep Hendrixite, I'll be waiting for the Venusian model.

 

Indubitably. But then, there's always Mars.

[whitefang]

But if you treat your guitar carefully, it won't get "marred". (couldn't pass it up)

Whitefang

[Larryz]

I'd suppose(from what I've seen on other instruments) that either cutaway can be made to various depths and the access too, will vary. ie: Gibson's BARNEY KESSEL and the newer JOHNNY A both have dual Florentine cutaways, but notice too, that they're not as "deep" as the cutaway on Conti's guitar, which he claims is "shallow".

 

But still too, it's too nice looking of an instrument to quibble over something like that.

Whitefang

 

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/gibson-limited-edition-cf-100-cutaway-acoustic-guitar <---here's the Gibson acoustic like the Epi you referred to Fang, with a Florentine cutaway. There is a picture of a CF100E (with a pickup) signed by Bob Dylan on Wiki but I can't get it to post. Joe Pass loved his Gibson ES-175 and Scotty Moore loved his Gibson ES-295 both have the Florentine cutaway. They both loved the Venetian cutaway on their other guitars like the Gibson L5, D'Aquisto and Ibanez as well. Epiphone makes cheaper versions...I really like the Florentine cutaway and can see why Mr. Conti refers to his as a "shallow" version.