Bumstead Guitars

[Adrian30]

Has anyone heard of these? They look like very well made LP and SG copies at an affordable price.

http://www.bumsteadguitars.com/index2.html

Here are couple of paragraphs from their website:

"Today Bumstead Guitars breaks the mold by not being another OEM knock-off out of Korea or China. Our guitars are designed here in Michigan and manufactured to our strict specifications in Germany! The overall quality and superior structure of our guitars is immediately evident.

The attraction of Bumstead Guitars is its value for the dollar. The company’s guitars are loaded with features generally found on more expensive guitars coming from the big brand custom shops. Our guitars typically include high-tonal quality pickups, 6-way selection switching, advance tone & effect circuitry, premium woods and bright nitrocellulose lacquer finishes."

[oldguy]

They certainly look nice. I guess one concern I'd have would be the important notes....esp. the last two. But I may just be overly cautious. If the battery grounds out the internal components, it seems more design work is needed.
Built in preamps need to be tested and perfected.....and they're not for everybody.



Important Notes:

* Even though this circuit has a Passive position, the BOC is deactivated only when the guitar is unplugged from its cable. Leaving the cable plugged into the guitar when its not in use will drain the circuits 9 volt battery.
* On some of the Cordoba models, the battery for the BOC is stored within the volume and tone control cavity of the guitar, so extra care should be taken when replacing the battery. It's also recomended to wrap the 9 volt battery's metal casing in electrical tape so that it doesn't ground out any of the internal components.
* If the overdrive effect seems to be scratchy or too noisey, then check your amp settings. You probably have an overdrive or "bright" setting on the amp turned on. Turn this off as its not needed. The BOC should perform outstanding at this point!

[Katastrophe]

Gibson will have a cease and desist order letter mailed before you know it. The headstocks and "horns" on their LP copies are too close to the original, and are being marketed as a competitor. I think they look cool, though.:AOK:

[markb]

Gibson will have a cease and desist order letter mailed before you know it. The headstocks and "horns" on their LP copies are too close to the original, and are being marketed as a competitor. I think they look cool, though.:AOK:

My thoughts exactly, no one gets away with an "open book" head for very long these days. The note about if the OD sounds bad, it's your amp is quite amusing.

[Adrian30]

Yeah OG, you're right about the battery placement. That last note sounds really suspicious, too. :messedup:




Gibson will have a cease and desist order letter mailed before you know it. The headstocks and "horns" on their LP copies are too close to the original, and are being marketed as a competitor. I think they look cool, though.:AOK:

I was wondering about this myself. As far as I can tell their LP actually looks identical to Gibson's.

[Adrian30]

I just found this under FAQ:

"Where are your guitars made?

When it comes to manufacturing locations, we are no different than the “Big Brands”. Components are manufactured worldwide in countries such as The United States, Germany, Japan, South Korea and China. Finish and body work is generally done in Germany, while assembly work is done in China. Final quality inspection is conducted in the USA!"

Not that there's anything wrong with MIC, but they seem a bit dishonest when advertising them as "Made in Germany".

[oldguy]

Uh-oh......another red flag......... I just read their "satisfaction guarantee" and "limited warranty"...... if you read it in detail, both are nearly worthless.
Here's a partial list.....the boldface italics are mine.
How'd you like to order a half dozen, even as a new "dealer" for them, and find you were only allowed replacement of ONE guitar??:flamemad:
It also looks like NO hardware/components are covered for more than 30 days... an Agile would probably be a better investment.... or for a grand, a top of the line Epi, with change left over.



1. Customer must be the end user who purchased their electric guitar (guitar) directly from Bumstead Guitars through online retail outlet such as eBay.
2. Customer must be a first-time buyer of Bumstead Guitars.
3. Customer must have purchased a new guitar from Bumstead Guitars. Demonstration or refurbished guitars are excluded from this limited money back guarantee.
4. Customer must return the guitar in new condition with all items that came with the guitar including hardware, manuals, cables, gig-bags and cases.
5. Customer is only entitled to a refund on one guitar only. This applies on multiple unit orders.
6. Refunds will not be accepted for damages caused by shipping.


Bumstead Guitars warrants its electric guitars (guitars) to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for 24 months from the date of purchase. This warranty excludes guitar components such as pickups, switches, jacks, controls, all other electronic components, tuning machines, hardware, pickguards, plated surfaces, gig bags, cases and case hardware, which are warranted for a period of 30 days from the date of original purchase. This warranty applies only to the original retail purchaser when this guitar is purchased directly from Bumstead Guitars or an Authorized Bumstead Guitars Dealer and is subject to the limitations set forth herein.

[Adrian30]

Yeah...not the way to do business.

[tjcurtin1]

I dunno, guys - to me, the name was the giveaway... I mean, 'Bumstead'?!?!? THey couldn't have picked a name that sounded more like a joke! Wasn't that the grumpy boss from the old 'Dagwood' comic? Now "Dagwood", there's a name - I bet that will be the name of their upcoming line of acoustics....

[oldguy]

"Bumstead" was Dagwood's last name in the comic strip...... and supposedly the last name of the owner of this company, according to the website.
Dagwood's wife was "Blondie".......hmmm........ now, a korina/maple line named "Blondie"......:bravo: :bravo: :bravo:

[marnold]

"Bumstead" was Dagwood's last name in the comic strip...... and supposedly the last name of the owner of this company, according to the website.
Dagwood's wife was "Blondie".......hmmm........ now, a korina/maple line named "Blondie"......:bravo: :bravo: :bravo:
I was wondering if each guitar came with an enormous sammich.

[oldguy]

I was wondering if each guitar came with an enormous sammich.


Nope, not from what I read, Matt. It just looked like, if you got a "Bum" guitar, you got to "eat it".....:confused: :confused: :thwap:

[Adrian30]

Extra pickles for any three-pickup model.


http://www.carolineoncrack.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/sammich.jpg

[Brian Krashpad]

As others have noted, this headstock will get them sued:

http://www.bumsteadguitars.com/2008_imperial/images/imperial_006.jpg

The whole "Germany" thing is a bit deceiving, as others have noted too. Did anybody notice this "coming soon" model?

http://bumstead.ipower.com/store/media/fury_icon.jpg

It's clearly a Chinese-made guitar, same shape as SX makes for Rondo:

http://www.rondomusic.net/photos/electric/sjm623p903ts2a.jpg

The SX 3-pup version is $130 (2-pup is $99!), has the added pluses of not having the goofy flame tailpiece nor the useless onboard distortion. The Bumstead, with that crap, is listed for $781.00!

I don't think so.

[Adrian30]

Yes I did, Brian. I also noticed this other model.

[bumstead]

Hello! My name Sean Bumstead, Owner of Bumstead Guitars, LLC. “Ya, right!” you say!? Well the following link should provide a little tung-in-cheak proof of who I say I am: http://www.bumsteadguitars.com/fret/dagwood.jpg

Now that I have established that I am who I say I am…

I want to start off by sincely thanking each of you for taking the time to at least look at the Bumstead Guitars website. It has been a labor of love for me. And without getting into a sales pitch, I would be honored if you ever had a chance to play one of my guitars. You see, I'm just a regular guy, not some rich hot-shot or big brand. I'm am very passionate about guitars and really enjoy playing, collecting and building them. Like many of you, it’s in my blood.

A Little Background-
I was a former engineer for GM, a job that had me at times all over the globe. In my travels I came across an old violin manufacture that had been in business making stringed instruments. The amazing thing is that they have been at it for almost 400 years. Surviving two world wars! We are talking about a deadicated family of craftsmen. I have partnered with this company to produce and assemble the body, neck, headstock and fretboards for Bumstead Guitars. They also apply the nitrocellulose finish. In an effort however to keep costs to a minimum and be able to pass the savings to the customer, I have the pickups, controls, pots, and circuitry installed in either of two quality controlled facilities one of which is in China and the other is located in Korea. This “Global” manufacturing process took me several years to establish.

I would like to address some of the comments in this thread and will begin with the question over the Headstock.

I have noted the concerns about how similar the Bumstead Guitars headstock is to Gibson's and have taken action by releasing a new headstock design for all the guitars. This design was delayed because I had to run it through the trademark process. Talk about an expensive nightmare. If you are interested, there is a blue-print image of the new headstock design on the BG website under the Skunk Works link. My web-master will be updating all the images on the site over the next couple weeks to reflect the headstock change. To be truthful, I had no idea that the headstock would come into question. Heck you can buy kit guitars and replacement necks with the "open book" headstock. Side by side there is a difference, however it is not enough to be different. So, to reemphasize that going forward all Bumstead Guitars will have an independently designed and trademarked headstock. Enough said.

Cordoba and battery location-I think it was OLDGUY that noted my clause about the battery being stored in the Cordoba. This clause is for the original series of Cordoba's. My only concern and I felt that I should note it was that most 9V batteries are wrapped in a metal case. To protect delicate components, I suggest to wrap the battery in electrical tape. BC Rich does this very same thing for their Active Circuitry. We have since moved the battery out the volume & tone cavity and put it in its own storage bay. Also, as with an overdrive pedal, you would probably not want to have the overdrive turned on your amp as it would sound over saturated. So I suggest turning the OD on the amp off. This note is packaged with almost every 3rd party OD pedals, so I thought I should make note of it as well. Nothing really “suspicious” other than overdrive on top of overdrive sounds crappy. This is would be for any amp and guitar combo.

Addressing Warranty Concerns-I am reviewing the comments posted by OLDGUY and others and would like to solicit your feedback in greater detail. I want to offer a fair warranty coverage policy, so help me draft one!! I also think having both the Limited Satisfaction Guarantee and Warranty is too confusing. I am going to get rid of the Satisfaction Guarantee. I had this because of eBay sales. There are so many con-artists out there that I had to protect myself. I am however no longer selling on eBay, so I am confident that this policy document is not needed. As with every guitar on the market, the return policy is up to the dealer that you purchase it from. Thanks guys for the feedback on this section. Well put and noted!!

Dagwood Jokes-I about fell out of my chair laughing when I read TJCURTIN1 comments about the Dagwood Acoustic. I might now do it to be funny myself. No, wait. Bad idea. I don't need King Features who owns the license for Blondy & Dagwood suing me. I could however use a big (Dagwood) Sandwich as a logo on the Acoustic's headstock. Hmmm.

Invitation to Adrian30-
Adrian30 I notice that you are located within the Detroit area. If you are open one evening, I would like to invite you over to my home in Clarkston to demo one of the guitars. Heck, if you promise to post your honest opinion about the guitar(s) on this forum, I'll drive out to your house guitar in hand. I might even bring over some samaches! :-)

A sincere thank you to all. Please eMail me if you have any questions. I am easily accessible.

-Bum

[oldguy]

Sean,
It was indeed me who posted concerns in regards to your guitars in response to Adrian's original post. However, I meant no disrespect regarding your line of instruments, perhaps I've seen too many Chinese copies touted as "Les Pauls", and am therefore a bit skittish. As I stated originally, your guitars certainly look good. I've not seen too many with the open book headstock design remain on e'bay long, however.
I'd also never heard of a manufacturer (thanks for cluing me in) suggesting wrapping a battery in electrical tape prior to installing it in a cavity.
As far as the overdrive effect built into your guitars, perhaps I don't understand how it works. I've used multiple OD's in line (e.g...... Danelectro Big Daddy+Digitech Bad Monkey+ZYS in line) w/o excessive scratchy noise problems. I may have incorrectly assumed it was something akin to a built-in preamp module........ correct me if I'm wrong, I don't pretend to have all the answers.
AFAIK, no-one has yet been able to copy the big G's open book headstock and not get sued, I've seen Ibanez, Tokai etc. change over the years....... you did an excellent job, however. I do think your decision to make the change may save you some problems down the road.
I will admit I'm still confused as to where your guitars are manufactured..... mind you, I'm not casting aspersions, I'm merely confused as the the country of origin of each component........ thus my post as to the possibility that the Agile line might be a better value. I would assume from your post that the bodies, necks, and headstocks are made in Germany..... is this correct?
As regards the warranty, I personally would rather see the entire guitar covered for the warranty period, including all hardware/electronics.
I realize this is a lot to ask in this day and age, but it is important to the consumer.
Finally, I would like to say I'm very interested in any new line of instruments out there........ it's the reason I own a Wilburn Custom Shop Versatare.
I fully realize it's a dog-eat-dog business, and not easy to compete by any stretch of the imagination. Best of luck to you in your venture.:AOK:

[M29]

Hello Sean,

I drive through Clarkston almost every day on the way to my dads. I grew up in Waterford.

I have yet to see your website and I will do so right now.

Thank you for posting.

M29

[bumstead]

...
I will admit I'm still confused as to where your guitars are manufactured..... mind you, I'm not casting aspersions, I'm merely confused as the the country of origin of each component........ thus my post as to the possibility that the Agile line might be a better value. I would assume from your post that the bodies, necks, and headstocks are made in Germany..... is this correct?
Yes, the guitars bodies, necks, fret-board / fret-work and finish is all done in Germany! The mahogany used is GENUINE African mahogany from the Ivory Coast. This is premium grade mahogany, not Honduras mahogany, as used by some of the bigger manufactures. I’d also like to note that Honduras mahogany more often than not is actually a derivative of Juniper and not actual mahogany. It is a physically heavier wood. African mahogany is lighter and resists warping. That is why the British used it for so many years to build ships from. All the other components utilized in the construction of the guitar come from the same manufactures that the major guitar companies use for their premium line guitars. Here is a sample breakdown:
- Bridges: Germany (Imperial, Cordoba, Super) / Korea (Monaro, Fury, Regal)
- Pickups: Japan / Korea
- Tuning machines: Korea
- Pots, caps, etc.: Korea
- Custom circuitry: USA / Japan / Korea
- Finish: USA (Dupont)

[bumstead]

The whole "Germany" thing is a bit deceiving, as others have noted too. Did anybody notice this "coming soon" model?

It's clearly a Chinese-made guitar, same shape as SX makes for Rondo:

The SX 3-pup version is $130 (2-pup is $99!), has the added pluses of not having the goofy flame tailpiece nor the useless onboard distortion. The Bumstead, with that crap, is listed for $781.00! I don't think so.

As for the FURY and its comparison to Rondo…
I don’t know, but I’ve never downplayed the value of a genuine Fender Stratocaster, because I came across a $99 rendition that was imported from a toy manufacture in China. Heck there must be a million Tele and Strat knockoffs on the market, yet I know that a real Fender Stratocaster is a much higher quality of instrument. This is the case with the FURY!

The image on the website of the FURY is a prototype image of what is coming in the March / April time-frame. I am comfortable in saying that the FURY will be nothing like the instrument that it was being compared to. Here are the general specs:
- 3 boutique, tailor-made humbuckers equipped with AlNiCo VI magnets*,
- 6-way rotary pickup selection switch**
- BOC (Bumstead Overdrive Circuit)
- Solid Alder body
- Custom nitro finish (6 color coats w/10 clear coats)
- Custom maple neck w/rosewood skunk-stripe
- Custom flame bride
- Optional coil tap switches
- Serial Numbered
- Overall construction will be done in Germany

All-in-all, this guitar is targeted at the classic 1950’s car buff. The shape is reminiscent of the fins from that era. Living near Woodward Avenue, I don’t know of any hot-rod chariot not equipped with OVERDRIVE and finished in a metal-flake, candy apple nitro finish!

* DC Resistance Ratings: B = 15k, M = 12k, N = 9k
** N | N&M | M | M&B | B | B&N

[bumstead]

Yes I did, Brian. I also noticed this other model. (making reference to the ROCKETAR)

The ROCKETAR is my own creation made in my garage in Clarkston. It is one of a kind, inspired by the old 1940 / 50’s Buck Roger’s and Flash Gordon serials and tin toy rockets from that era. It was fun to make and is great to play. I have been offered a good chunk of cash for it, but I doubt that I will ever let it go, as it is a favorite of my 6 year old. Perhaps someday I’ll coordinate with Penny’s or Sears to release a teen version of the guitar? Who knows?
Specs:

- 3 custom (handmade) pickups
- 5-way switch
- Orange-drop Cap
- 22 coats of nitro finish (5 different colors)
- Handmade body, neck & headstock
- First guitar to have the Smashing Man logo!

[Bloozcat]

Thanks for taking the time to post here, Sean.

It will be quite interesting to read a review on your guitars by one of our Detroit area members should this come about. I know this endeavor took quite a bit of time and coordination on your part, and I wish you the best of luck with it.

I like what I'm reading about your nitro finishes, Sean. Not to compare, but 16-22 coats is more than some of the "big names" are shooting on some of their models. :AOK:

[tjcurtin1]

Sean,

I feel that I must apologize for goofing on your name. Not that I'm not known for cracking wise around here for a laugh, but I truly imagined that an off-shore company had just picked a name out of the hat that sounded really American to them. And, being that I'm of a certain age, Dagwood just leaped to my mind....

Best wishes to you in your endeavors; I can appreciate both the fun of producing your own guitars as well as the business and marketing challenges in today's world.

TJC

[Adrian30]

Hey Sean,

Glad you joined us here, and thank you for your willingness to clarify the questions that we had about your guitars. I figured you would do so sooner or latter.

First let me say that have “known” the fellow forumites here for a few months, and despite the questions that we raised and the way we did so, I’m more than certain none of them meant any disrespect or damage, including here myself.

I started this thread after I came across your craigslist ad posted under musical instruments. I had checked your website several times prior to deciding to share it with the fellow fretters, curious about weather any of them knew of Bumstead guitars. There are quite a few well-experienced and knowledgeable guitar players in this forum and I was curious about their opinions.

As far as your generous offer goes, though I might take you up on that, I’m probably the least qualified to comment on LP & SG style guitars. As a someone who has never owned a Gibson or Epi, I would be insincere if I would claim to have the knowledge and experience to review your guitars, knowing that the main question here is going to be “how do these guitars compare to Gibsons”, both in playability and sound. I am sure that I’ll find time to stop by one of the locations of McCourt’s Music, and test drive one of your guitars, and perhaps share that with fellow fretters as a “highly subjective and unsolicited opinion”. I’ll definitely let you know when I do so.

I really appreciate your positive attitude and sense of humor. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.:AOK:

[lansing]

I found this thread earlier today while Googling "Bumstead Guitars". I purchased a Bumstead Imperial about a week ago. I have to admit that there is nothing that comes even close to German craftsmanship and it is very evident when playing the Imperial. It is physically the same size as a LP Supreme, yet it is lighter, making it more comfortable hold. What also impressed me was the finish on the guitars. No orange pealing effect. Very glossy. The BOC is an amazing addition to the guitar. I was hesitant at first when I read about it, but after playing the guitar I found it to be extremely responsive and rich in producing tone. Anyone thinking of buying an Epiphone should really consider the Imperial. It is a lot more guitar for the money. Comparing it to my other guitars, I would have to say that it is the top dog.

[bumstead]

As far as your generous offer goes, though I might take you up on that, I’m probably the least qualified to comment on LP & SG style guitars. As a someone who has never owned a Gibson or Epi, I would be insincere if I would claim to have the knowledge and experience to review your guitars, knowing that the main question here is going to be “how do these guitars compare to Gibsons”, both in playability and sound. I

Well, the offer is open. Drop me a note should you change your mind. I am sure you are very capable of determining the overall quality of a guitar. And I would never ask you or anyone for that matter to compare my guitars to any other brand. I already know that answer.:D

[lansing]

Sean,

I don’t know if you are still reviewing this thread or not, but I wanted to note that I took my IMPERIAL to Guitar Center to pick up a nice case and to have it set-up for .10’s. No sooner did I pull it out of its gig-bag did a small crowd (mostly made up of staff members) gather to check it out. Without exaggeration, I started getting worried that I was going to loose it as everyone wanted to pick it up. Everyone was impressed with the tones of the BOC. There was a lot of "Oh man!" and "Holy Sh*t!" being thrown around.

BTW- what is your commission plan if I were able to sell a couple for you? :) Heck, I’ll take a Super or Cordoba in trade! <-- You're saying "ya right!?" lol

[rythmtr]

Hi! anyone bought one of these guitars?

[DrumBob]

For the price of a Bumstead, you could buy a nice used SG or Les Paul Studio that will probably play just fine, and more importantly, have resale value.

I'm sorry, but I could not play a guitar with the name Bumstead on it. Too many comical visions of Dagwood, Blondie and Mr. Dithers. No offense to the owner of the company. It was the same thing with Phattie drums. I couldn't deal with that name on a bass drum head.