Official Luthiers Forum! :: View topic - Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!

.... the FAQ on your website isn't working. If possible some good close ups of the different paua and abalone would be great.

Oh and once this deal is over will we still be able to get it directly from Kevin at a later date?

Well this is cool product and all but the math just does not work out for me. It would cost $705 ($23.50 per 15" @ 450") in material to do a D45 (peghead, fretboard, top edge, rosette, back edge, back center seam, sides). I pay $.70 per inch for Select Blue Paua and Red Heart natural shell. That is $315 in material cost for natural shell. this means that the Zipflex cost $390 or 2.24 times more than natural shell. I can break a lot of natural shell for that.

So while the product interests me I will have to pass thank you.

MichaelP wrote:

Michael,
I'm sure at $.70 per inch you are getting solid shell. I think you may not need to get the ZipFlex for the fretboard and back seam because its totally straight.
The real advantage is comparing it to Abalam (price wise) and ease of instalation. Doing a D45 with ZipFlex wpould save you hours!
While you can do the whole guitar in solid shell, the color on the Abalam will be more consistent and doing the sides will be a breeze compared to an ordeal.... [xx(]

I get solid select grade natural shell for $.70 per inch for Paua and Red heart

Don,
just like with regular strips, once the strips are inlaid against each other there are no visible joints.

Quote:

I get solid select grade natural shell for $.70 per inch for Paua and Red heart

Micheal,

You haven't said where you get it from...

peterm wrote:

Don,
just like with regular strips, once the strips are inlaid against each other there are no visible joints.

To who's eye?

I can always spot the joint quickly, and even the tiniest of a mismatch hits my eye like a brick.
It's a curse I tell you.... gaah

Yes I get solid select grade natural shell for $.70 per inch for Paua and Red heart. Not counting channeling for the inlay since that has to be done no matter the product inlayed it takes me maybe 4-6 max hours to inlay a complete d45 with natural shell...

OK, So now Peter has to start a new thread because there's been to much "discusion" about the price of this stuff. Not that people shouldn't know or be informed, it's just that this is suppose to be for the group buy interest. If your not interested in buying some of the product why post? [headinwall]

Author:	peterm [ Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:09 pm ]
Post subject:	Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
Guys, Kevin Ryan was very kind to let me put this together for my friends here at the OLF and as promised here are the details. ZipFlex is the all new, redesigned FlexiAb. Until Kevin updates his site, all the details can be found here on my old site along with pictures: http://www.projectzion.com/zipflex It comes in 15 inch strips in Paua, Blue Paua, Green Abalone or Select Green Abalone. For the OLF offer to keep it easier the strips will be .055" tall by .057" wide by 15 inches. You will need 4 to do a soundboard or a back and 8 to do the sides. As you can read in the FAQ's, the shell itself is .047" wide but its bordered by .005" jet black matrix on each side making it a total of .057" Kevin will be supplying a world leading guitar manufacturer and thats the size they will be using. Let me give you my take on the ZipFlex: No more messing around with Teflon Strips. No more trying to get clean breaks while trying to fit the shell in the tight channel. This stuff is highly flexible and bends in all axis. You just route out the purfling channel and glue in like you'd do with any veneer purfling. If you ever wanted to do side Abalone Purflings this will solve all the problems! So here's the deal. You can select any type of shell (as long as .057" wide) And you can order AS MANY as you want!!!! Yep, you read it right! This will be a ONE TIME OFFER! I will run this offer directly for 10 days and after that Kevin will start shipping within 2 weeks. For the OLF group buy each strip will cost $23.50 plus $6.00 flat shipping via Priority Mail. Please contact me for international orders. Disclaimer - Kevin Ryan's actuall price is $22.50 per strip but I am adding $.30 Paypal Flat Fee plus their 2.9% commission that works out to about $1 per strip. If you rather send a check or moner order feel free to send only $22.50 plus ship. per strip. If you purchase individual Abalam Shell Strips from any of the regular vendors, the price works out to about $1.50 to $1.75 per inch. ZipFlex's price works out to $1.5 per inch. By far a better value!! Its late so I may have missed something... I'll keep posting as it comes to mind. Feel free to ask if you have any questions or look at the FAQ's on my site for more details.

Author:	Rod True [ Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:28 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group buy- the new ZipFlex!
So by looking at the pictures on your website Peter, it will work fine for a rosette yes? How many pieces required for a rosette and the top purfling? My guess is 5 but thought I'd ask. I didn't look in your original thread so if you've answered this already I appologize. By the way, the FAQ on your website isn't working. If possible some good close ups of the different paua and abalone would be great. If 5 for the top and rosette than count me in for 10 pieces of the select green abalone please (but let me confirm when I paypal the order after seeing some pics of each type). Thanks Peter Oh and once this deal is over will we still be able to get it directly from Kevin at a later date?

Author:	peterm [ Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:47 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group buy- the new ZipFlex!
Rod True wrote: .... the FAQ on your website isn't working. If possible some good close ups of the different paua and abalone would be great. Oh and once this deal is over will we still be able to get it directly from Kevin at a later date? Rod, the FAQ's is working now...sorry. Kevin may offer directly or through vendors. I'm not sure yet. Thanks,

Author:	Rod True [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:00 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
Thanks Peter, And just so everyone else knows... It will work for rosettes according to the FAQ.

Author:	Dave Fifield [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 4:27 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
Peter, Excellent, where do we send checks and to whom do we make them out? I want a ton of them... Your wording "...each strip will cost $23.50 plus $6.00 flat shipping..." presumably means that it's just a one-time $6 fee to ship however many we order, and not $6 shipping per strip right? Cheers, Dave F.

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Author:	Andy Birko [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 8:13 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
I'm in too....where do I sign?

Author:	Don Williams [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 9:56 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
Wow, that's cool looking stuff.... does he do this in any custom widths or other shell types? Kevin is a genius....eh?

Author:	SkyHigh [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:26 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
(newbie here) Isn't .057 bit thin for rosette? Is the idea to combine two strips to make it thicker for rosette? or just use it as a thin rosette? David

Author:	Michael Dale Payne [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:29 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
Well this is cool product and all but the math just does not work out for me. It would cost $705 ($23.50 per 15" @ 450") in material to do a D45 (peghead, fretboard, top edge, rosette, back edge, back center seam, sides). I pay $.70 per inch for Select Blue Paua and Red Heart natural shell. That is $315 in material cost for natural shell. this means that the Zipflex cost $390 or 2.24 times more than natural shell. I can break a lot of natural shell for that. So while the product interests me I will have to pass thank you.

Author:	peterm [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 11:01 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
MichaelP wrote: Well this is cool product and all but the math just does not work out for me. It would cost $705 ($23.50 per 15" @ 450") in material to do a D45 (peghead, fretboard, top edge, rosette, back edge, back center seam, sides). I pay $.70 per inch for Select Blue Paua and Red Heart natural shell. That is $315 in material cost for natural shell. this means that the Zipflex cost $390 or 2.24 times more than natural shell. I can break a lot of natural shell for that. So while the product interests me I will have to pass thank you. Michael, I'm sure at $.70 per inch you are getting solid shell. I think you may not need to get the ZipFlex for the fretboard and back seam because its totally straight. The real advantage is comparing it to Abalam (price wise) and ease of instalation. Doing a D45 with ZipFlex wpould save you hours! While you can do the whole guitar in solid shell, the color on the Abalam will be more consistent and doing the sides will be a breeze compared to an ordeal....

Author:	peterm [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 11:03 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
Payment can be made to me at info@cornerstoneguitar.com for Paypal payments or you can send Kevin a check directly. $6.00 is a flat rate shipping for any amount.

Author:	Don Williams [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 11:14 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
The savings here is definitely in time rather than in material cost. For anyone doing production work, shaving an hour or two off a guitar is huge. That's where this stuff is going to really excel. The only concern I have is the joints between the segments and how the purflings will line up / meet up. I'd love to see this stuff in lengths long enough to go completely around the perimeter of a top, or around a whole side. That would be fantastic. I suspect it's a tooling issue that keeps him from doing that.

Author:	peterm [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 11:28 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
Don, just like with regular strips, once the strips are inlaid against each other there are no visible joints.

Author:	Steve Sollod [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:32 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
Quote: I get solid select grade natural shell for $.70 per inch for Paua and Red heart Micheal, You haven't said where you get it from...

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Author:	Don Williams [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:39 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
peterm wrote: Don, just like with regular strips, once the strips are inlaid against each other there are no visible joints. To who's eye? I can always spot the joint quickly, and even the tiniest of a mismatch hits my eye like a brick. It's a curse I tell you....

Author:	Dave Fifield [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 1:01 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
Those darned sea critters....why don't they just cooperate and grow in nice long continuous linear strips? Dave F.

Author:	Rod True [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 1:34 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
OK, So now Peter has to start a new thread because there's been to much "discusion" about the price of this stuff. Not that people shouldn't know or be informed, it's just that this is suppose to be for the group buy interest. If your not interested in buying some of the product why post?

Author:	Rod True [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 1:35 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
Don Williams wrote: peterm wrote: Don, just like with regular strips, once the strips are inlaid against each other there are no visible joints. To who's eye? I can always spot the joint quickly, and even the tiniest of a mismatch hits my eye like a brick. It's a curse I tell you.... I'd say Kevin Ryan has a pretty good eye for detail, don't you think?

Author:	Rod True [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 2:23 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
Hey, I sound kind or grumpy today so some of you might just want to ignore me

Author:	WaddyThomson [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 2:59 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
Sorry, Rod, did you say something?

Author:	Bob Garrish [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 3:02 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
MichaelP wrote: Yes I get solid select grade natural shell for $.70 per inch for Paua and Red heart. Not counting channeling for the inlay since that has to be done no matter the product inlayed it takes me maybe 4-6 max hours to inlay a complete d45 with natural shell... That's pretty impressive. Thread hijacking aside, if we're comparing apples to apples then that means that you can colour match and perfectly mitre hundreds of pieces of shell in a curved channel in a matter of hours. We're talking about a cosmetic portion of the instrument, after all, and unless you're pulling out a real inlay miracle then there's no comparing the two processes on that basis. One's the look of solid marble and the other is tile... (I also charge at least as much as my plumber for my time, but that's your choice to make)

Author:	Kevin Ryan [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 3:13 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
Dear Friends, As far as I know, this is the first time I have ever posted to a newsgroup. At any rate, I wanted to make myself available to answer any questions about the zipflex. And I want to thank my good friend Peter M. for getting the ball rolling on this. Blessings to all, Kevin

Author:	Don Williams [ Fri Sep 12, 2008 3:16 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Kevin Ryan's FlexiAb OLF Group Buy- the new ZipFlex!
Rod True wrote: OK, So now Peter has to start a new thread because there's been to much "discusion" about the price of this stuff. Not that people shouldn't know or be informed, it's just that this is suppose to be for the group buy interest. If your not interested in buying some of the product why post? Rod, I think it's perfectly appropriate to discuss the merits of the product and the pricing within this thread. If for no other reason, it gives those thinking about participating food for thought. Do I want these? Why? Why not? Is the cost worth the time savings? Will they look as good as other methods? There are even more questions than these that should naturally get raised, otherwise we would purchase blindly without really thinking it through. Another question is, "How thick is the shell in these?" And is it solid or laminated, because if it's thin and laminated, then the question of "How easily can I sand through it?" should be raised. That's all that is really happening here.