Generic Price List

Once in a while you hear about a really great restaurant where the service is incredible and the food is so good that people who have been there drop off into a food coma when they try to describe to you just how much better it was than everything else ever they ever had.  If you ever try to go to one of those places, you know you are in real trouble when you find that the menu has no prices listed.  That's a very high-handed way of that sort of place to tell you that if you care how much their services are, you are probably not really the person they are trying to sell to.

We don't want to be that sort of place.  We also don't want to be the kind of place which has a lot of cool stuff on the showroom floor, but the only way you can get a price for the things you want is by talking to a salesperson who has no intention of letting you leave until you buy something.  Being subjected to that kind of sales pressure ought to automatically discount whatever it is you finally buy by 50%.

We have goods and services, and we think they are worth the price.  All prices are in USD.  

ASKING QUESTIONS: ALWAYS FREE (question@sodiumcathode.com)

REQUEST FOR QUOTE: ALWAYS FREE, which includes a printable digital proof of your design. (go here to request a quote)

SHIPPING: FREE inside the continental US. All others must request a quote and pay all shipping, taxes, duties, and other fees associated with shipment (technically, our shipping terms outside the US are EX WORKS  from our business address for the logistics wonks).

SAMPLES:

• Digital samples of past projects are always available on our website FOR FREE.
• We will send you a 2"x2" sample of the aluminum we use for these pickguards for the sake of your peace of mind for $5 plus shipping.   If you place an order following that sample, we will apply your $5 to your order.
• If you want a full-size sample of your proof (made of card stock and vinyl) to test fit it on your gear to make a final decision, you can buy one from us for $20 plus shipping.  That means that you will file a request for quote, we will supply you with the final quote and the digital proof FOR FREE, and if you're not 100% sure you can buy a solid proof which we will fabricate for you so you can make a fully-informed final decision.  The cost of the solid proof is a stand-alone cost and cannot be applied to your final purchase.

ART DEPARTMENT SUPPORT:  $75/hour, billed in 30 minute increments

What does this mean?  It means that when you submit your request for quote, we are going to invest, for free, the first attempt to get you a design which matches your dream/vision/expectations.  This may take a second pass after you review the quote and the proof.  If we have to move on to a third draft or a video conference call to fine-tune the design or some other long-term commitment to the right outcome, we have to pay our staff for that time.  Because that cost is a direct cost of your project, we have to bill that cost to your project.  To start art department support, we will require a prepayment of the first hour of time, and we can bill for anything the follows that first hour.

ALUMINUM PICKGUARD, CLEAN MILL FINISH:  $65
It's no joke that we are cutting pickguards from stock Aluminum plate specifically for your order.  We are using CAD drawings of standard pickguards to ensure that these are dimensionally comparable to the factory-cut plastic stock on your gear.  It is the way we also make sure your pickups will fit.  And it is possible that you might just want a pickguard which is moderately shiny or slightly industrial looking rather than a piece of art.  We don't mind: we are in it for the money.

ALUMINUM PICKGUARD, BUFFED FINISH:  $85

Same as above, but this version requires about an hour of hand-buffing to change the surface finish from a stock mill finish to a brighter metallic finish.

ALUMINUM PICKGUARD, ETCHED DESIGN (clean): $95

"clean" designs are designs which require no aging, no additional finishing, no extra processing.  Effectively we cut the pickguard, etch the design, clean it to remove any chemical residue and pack it to ship.

ALUMINUM PICKGUARD, ETCHED + AGED DESIGN: $125

To raise the contrast of our designs, we suggest "aging" them -- which is a process of adding layers of either paint or colored epoxy to partially fill the etched areas.  This requires some manual craft work and additional materials.

ALUMINUM PICKGUARD, CUSTOM CUT: $200

Yes: we can cut you a custom pickguard which is your very own design and completely unique to your gear.  Our art department and tech support will work with you to modify CAD files for the cutting machine for a great finished product.

CUSTOM NECK PLATES, BACK COVERS, TRUSS COVERS, etc.: ASK FOR A QUOTE

I am sure I cannot imagine everything the internet might ask for.  But when you imagine it, We can quote it.  You are the customer, and we aim to please.




NOW THE HARD PART:

Because all the work we do is custom-made, one-off, and not resellable, we offer NO REFUNDS for delivered parts.  We will ship everything insured for value via USPS, and if something gets lost in the mail we will of course replace it under the insurance.  Our process is intended to collaborate with you to get a product you are completely satisfied with, but we want to work the satisfaction in BEFORE WE CUT UP METAL.  This includes important details like:

-- Are the screw holes all in the right place?

-- Does the slot for my 5-way match my set-up?

-- Is there already some customized feature of my gear which the pickguard must accommodate?

Let's work together to build your satisfaction INTO THE PROCESS rather than working through trial and error to create costs and frustration for all of us.