Lathecuts.com

[piaptk]

Hey everyone, I finally got a decent system set up for cutting poly, and am taking orders through http://www.LatheCuts.com.

The records sound about like a dusty 45.. the romanticized sound of vinyl, with a little crackle, but totally listenable and pretty damn good if I do say so. Not as good as a diamond cut, but more affordable.

Options and pricing, etc available at: http://www.LatheCuts.com. I will only be taking on 5-6 jobs a month (except during the summer time), because I don't want to make the mistake some other lathe cut places have made and get 40 jobs behind and completely screw myself. So, contact me through the site to see what my availability is.

[fraggle]

way too cheap...

[Angus McCarthy]

Well, bearing in mind this is for alternate materials and not lacquer dubplates, the price scale seems fair.

Are those glass mirrors? How on earth would that work?

[concretecowboy71]

I agree that is too cheap. You are providing a skilled service, it is worth more.

[piaptk]

They are acrylic mirrors...not glass...

The pricing is actually pretty expensive for artists or labels to afford. A 7" with a 4 min song on both sides costs $7.20 ($2+$.65*8). It also gives people the ability/motivation to do one-sided cuts and shorter sides to fit their budget.

So far, it's been a good balance of cheap enough that some can afford it, but I'm not overrun with orders (which was the achilles heel of the now-defunct places who really WERE charging way too little)... which is where I want to keep it.

These are noisier than diamond cuts, but still sound fine for loud rock bands, lo-fi bands, etc. They are not comparable to a dub plate or anything.

At that price, running two lathes, I'm able to recoup expenses and compensate myself fairly. It beats waiting tables, but pays about the same.

[fraggle]

piaptk it might be noisier and stuff but when you get orders and you start cutting the same trallalla 20 times i reckon you will found out thats its actually too cheap. the time you invest in this, ask tommie:(
anyway thats just my opinion.
good luck mate

[petermontg]

Looking snazzie. Hope its a great success for you mike. love those those mirrors.

[Angus McCarthy]

They are acrylic mirrors...not glass...

The pricing is actually pretty expensive for artists or labels to afford. A 7" with a 4 min song on both sides costs $7.20 ($2+$.65*8). It also gives people the ability/motivation to do one-sided cuts and shorter sides to fit their budget.

Of course. My brain sometimes forgets to remind me that these things exist...

Considering labels like Third Man sell their pressed singles for something like $6 each, it is a very comparable price for a short-run release.

[opcode66]

Considering labels like Third Man sell their pressed singles for something like $6 each, it is a very comparable price for a short-run release.

I can supply 100 x 7" pressed vinyl for $627 all inclusive. That is $6.27 per disc. I have a quote generator on my site http://www.deepgroovesmastering.com/order_placement.aspx

[piaptk]

I'm aiming at people who can't sell 100 copies and only want 20-30 on square plastic. But I might be hitting you up for some records at that price soon. Opcode, do you do the pressing or do you have a deal set up with a plant?

[aaron]

Not to hijack, but I ran across Palomino that can do 100 for $465... Has anyone ever used these guys?

[opcode66]

Opcode, do you do the pressing or do you have a deal set up with a plant?

Multiple Plants.

[piaptk]

Not to hijack, but I ran across Palomino that can do 100 for $465... Has anyone ever used these guys?

They are awesome. Keep them to yourself because they have been getting super busy and taking longer... . Tom is awesome! You can always get him on the phone and he is a super nice guy. Quality isnt always optimal... Ive gotten some warped records and test pressings, burnt labels, center holes that werent fully punched, etc but for the price you definitely cant beat it...

[MEGAMIKE]

Sexy, looks great ..

[dietrich10]

everyone sort of hijacking the topic since should be all about lathecuts.com


maybe people can start a classified thread listing what pressing prices they offer.

[mossboss]

Well one can see that with these type of order size as well as the price offered or asked for these pressings a cutting studio or pressing plant owner will retire in no time at all
I am still wondering what it is that drives people to establish a price level which is unsustainable by any measure
I suppose given a choice serving on tables or cutting 20 records its a no brainer, one can nearly justify it with a $3-5K investment and a spare life
But running a cutting studio or a pressing plant?
By the way I am not worried that much about any one posting up prices here
They are available in just about every pressing plant or any broker's website one visits
No secrets there apart from all the extras that people get slugged for
Cheers

[piaptk]

I am still wondering what it is that drives people to establish a price level which is unsustainable by any measure
I suppose given a choice serving on tables or cutting 20 records its a no brainer, one can nearly justify it with a $3-5K investment and a spare life

Like we've said before.... it is almost impossible to find a price point for short runs of "lathe cuts" that is affordable for the buyer and profitable for the cutter. I priced them in a way that finds a middle ground betweeen affordable and profitable. I already invested the $5K+ for my own hobby purposes (completely independent of any business reasons), so I don't feel like I need to worry about that as much. I only worry about the cost of my time and materials. I only use square plastic, which is less than half the price of getting it cut on a CNC router. And, when you account for setup time, materials, rejects, etc, I make about $25/hr on average, which is about what I made waiting tables, except I can do it on my own time, when my family is asleep, and start/stop whenever I want, and I'm more emotionally equipped to dealing with musicians than jerk restaurant patrons. I would rather listen to the same harsh noise recording 20 times than listen to some condescending asshole berate me about how his steak isn't cooked exactly the way he wants it...

I was actually very careful about timing myself and keeping track of work hours, expenses, etc to make sure that I was making as much as I thought.

At this price it is sustainable for me, in my situation, I'm out of work for 2 months and HAVE to get another job to make ends meet, and it doesn't really steal any business from a pressing plant. I offer a very distinct product, inferior to and more expensive than a pressed record, and the band buying 20 lathe cuts from me is not going to be ordering 200 records from a pressing plant if I'm not around, they just aren't going to release that particular recording on record format. My only competitive advantage is the tiny scale and quicker turnaround time.

Although, I do enjoy that everyone thinks I'm too cheap, because from a buyer perspective I felt like I was too expensive (though any less obviously wouldn't be worth it to me)... and it makes me feel better about the prices I am charging being a decent balance.

[mossboss]

Hey Hey Hey
No one is suggesting you or any one out there is not entitled to establish any price for whatever they wish to offer to the consumer
My point is simple it is unsustainable in every sense for any one else who wishes to establish a similar service on a full time basis
Be that a studio or an individual, even in a low cost rented shop front with a telephone and a website
I suppose a line has to be drawn somewhere between business, a part time craft and a hobby/service, subsidizing the cost of that hobby
That is where most lathe cuts come into play, as we all know the few attempts so as to establish a reasonable service for lathe cuts has been a big failure so far
Also as I have already indicated no one is going to retire on those kind of orders be them lathe cuts or pressings
The point was that once a price point is established the consumer is naturally inclined to want it for that price or even a lesser price for reasons we, who are in this as a business know
Things like I am famous qty repeat orders as well as all sorts of other reasons they will give you
That is what makes it unsustainable and I wish people would take note
In my view the service you offer has to be based on real costs as the basis of establishing a price
A good discount say 20-25% for the fact that you may or may not have the time to do it all if the orders pile up
Call it inconvenience factor if you wish
On this basis it is still far to low a price
But only time will tell
And by the way my steak is always cooked by the guy in the kitchen and never the waiter
So I never take it up with them
Cheers

[tragwag]

looks good man!
glad to see this works for you well enough to make it public.

[piaptk]

And by the way my steak is always cooked by the guy in the kitchen and never the waiter

That makes sense to you and I, but not to the typical 300 lb redneck in cut-off sleeves with an ugly moustache.