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David Beede's new Waiting List Firstly thanks for your interest in my craft. Due to increasing demand, I've recently made some changes that will hopefully result in more folks being able to play one of my instruments. Good news and bad news…. The bad news is I’m no longer taking custom orders. ;~( The good news is that I’m doing that in order to focus on a line of dulcimer models I’m working on! I’ve developed three models of full sized hourglass instruments. [PDF here] Folks can study my available models and put their name on the list of the one that most closely fits their needs and skill levels. There is no down payment and so technically no commitment to purchase. When I complete a given model I contact the next person on the list to give them first refusal. If they are still interested they can purchase it, if not, no problem, I just go to the next name on the list. To clarify a bit, the “variables” in the description of the models aren’t options to choose between, but variations that might occur in that model. That is not to say you can’t state your preference for say an “EP” model of walnut, but that would mean if I finish a mahogany EP, I wouldn’t contact you about it, but go to the next person on the list. The “back story” on this plan: I’ve been building for over four decades. I turned 63 this year which brought a deeper than usual reexamination of my life patterns particularly my commitments and allocation of my creative energy and work time. Several friends pointed out that being a self employed artisan I’m free to structure my work flow and creativity in any way I choose. What a concept! So, instead of being perpetually committed to a long list of folks eagerly awaiting the completion of their custom order instruments, while always striving to “get out ahead” of those orders, I hatched this new plan. The original vision always looked forward to the day that I would have a variety of completed instruments available for folks to order. The “good problem” I’ve had is that, even without formal advertising, interest in my instruments has grown faster than my ability to create them. This is in part due to the fact that custom work is always slower and less efficient than creating models with features I decide on. But rather than wait for the possibly mythological day that I “get ahead” I developed this new waiting list system. I hope you find one of these models will tickle your fancy, |