Thank you to those who completed our recent survey. The results were very helpful and I have some great plans in place for the rest of the year. For the benefit of those who love data, I thought I would share some of the responses.

1. What is your age?

Although there was an option to not respond to this question, everyone seemed happy to do so. Answers ranged across the spectrum with both the lowest and highest responses surprising me. 12% of you are under 18. And 18% are over 61. If you’re approaching or beyond the official retirement age, it must be a little depressing to have to tick the highest box. Sorry about that – if I had known so many customers are – ahh … let me use the phrase “in their wisest” years – I would have added a couple more options. Whenever anyone asks my age, I expect them to tell me theirs, so for the record, I fall into the 41-45 bracket.

2. It only takes a few minutes to start learning the guitar, but it takes a lifetime to master. Where are you at in your journey?

Over 60% class themselves in the middle. 2 were ambitious enough to claim they are ready for Wembley.

3. What styles of music do you like to play?

This question allowed multiple answers and there was a large range of responses. Over 90% ticked rock with blues registering 63%.

4. Rate your skill level in building guitar kits

53% are beginners. 41% intermediate and the rest advanced.

5. How many guitar kits HAVE you built?

Well over half have only built one kit … but …

6. How many guitar kits ARE YOU LIKELY to build?

Over 40% claim they are likely to build more than 6 kits. I am therefore working on a way to make this easier to achieve, but I have to do some serious number-crunching before I can announce anything further.

7. Before you purchased from us, did you look around for other options?

Mixed responses to this question.

8. What was the MAIN reason you bought from DIY Guitars?

On reflection the answers to this question were always going to be price and product.

9. How happy are you with your purchase?

Click to enlarge

Pretty happy it seems. Thanks – tell your friends!

10. How comfortable were you in purchasing?

It seems that almost everyone is okay about buying online these days with 92% saying they were either very or mostly comfortable.

11. If you were uncomfortable purchasing, what would have made you more comfortable?

The greatest answers here related to the product images so that task has been added to the list.

12. If your purchase was for a guitar kit, how long did it take you to build it?

Again there is a fair spread of answers to this one, but the most common response was 2 to 4 weeks. Happily, no one said it was too hard to complete.

13. We currently only accept PayPal … etc.

The response to my question regarding whether or not we should add a “real” merchant payment option surprised me. It seems that almost everyone is happy using PayPal.

14. How likely are you to purchase from DIY Guitars again?

Almost everyone! Fantastic – I had better place some more orders.

15. What guitar kits would you like us to stock that we don’t already?

This question also allowed multiple answers, so there isn’t a clear winner. However the Gibson Firebird style was popular along with a Rickenbacker and a 12 string. I didn’t expect that 33% would be interested in a pre-painted model. These kits come with a painted body and neck so all that’s left is the assembly and setup. As it happens, we are getting our first of these in the next shipment. It is a Fender Strat style with a sunburst finish, similar to the photo below. The headstock will have a pre-cut design. This is a great way for beginners to get into guitar kit construction and gain a greater appreciation for how a guitar works.

16. What accessories would you consider buying from DIY Guitars?

The winner here was cases. We do have one already and the next shipment will include a case that suits the Hofner style bass guitar kit. A few people asked for effects pedals as a kit. I love that idea in theory, but if you mess it up, it is much harder to troubleshoot than a guitar. I am undecided, but I will look around for options. If you know of either a kit or pre-made pedals that you think would be of interest, leave a comment below.

17. How else can we improve?

Many people asked for better instructions so that is high on the list. So too is a forum and some videos. Here are some specific responses:

“I would like to buy books” – StewMac has some great books, but unfortunately they don’t offer wholesale rates. My sums tell me that if I pay the StewMac retail, add GST and freight, it is cheaper for you to get them direct. However you do have to wait a while for the books to make their way from the US. If enough people convince me that they are prepared to pay more for me to stock their popular titles then I’ll reconsider, but right now this is somewhat down the list.

“Upgrades / parts etc.” – probably down the track.

“An option to leave the goods at the premises if no one is home”. Sorry – no deal. I know this can be frustrating, but if you can’t be at home to accept the delivery, Australia Post will leave a card for you to collect at the post office. Although there are no identifiable markings on the box (even the return name is my generic company name), I can’t afford to take the risk. It would be better to deliver to a work address or a neighbour. When the order is complete, you receive an email containing the Australia Post tracking number. Admittedly this is rather hit and miss as some delivery centres are better than others when it comes to scanning the bar code. But when you get the tracking number, you can enter it at Australia Post and then enter your email address for updates. This MIGHT tell you when it arrives at your delivery centre which, depending on the time, often means it will be delivered to you that day or the next. Alternatively, if you are in Sydney, we can get a good idea of the delivery day by sending via Clipper Parcels.

“There was residual glue on the wood which affected the finish” – although sanding is part of the finishing process and should remove any traces of glue, it can sometimes be difficult to spot every little imperfection. Nevertheless I reported this to our supplier who advised that they are aware of it and have subsequently improved their processes.

Thanks again to everyone who contributed. I now have a very long to-do list.