The Birth of Guitar Master Stool

It is not just a lifestyle but a whole new present for guitarists worldwide.

Sam's Jaw-Dropping Guitar Stool Stuns Me, 
But Price and Fit Give Me Pause

Sam's Jaw-Dropping Guitar Stool Stuns Me, 
But Price and Fit Give Me Pause

On October 24, 2022, Samuel showed me a picture of a performing stool guitar stand, which deeply shocked me.

This is the best acoustic guitar performing stool I've come across. 
Its elegant design and quality construction have been very inspiring.
I was thrilled to buy it until — saw the $3,013.98 USD price tag, which is unfortunately out of my budget.

l also worry the stool's height may be excessive for my 173cm (5'8") frame, and my relatively large behind might not fit it well. Therefore, I'd like to innovate the design to better suit my body and needs.

Revolutionizing how we experience our instruments

This is the inspiring journey behind creating a genuinely Remarkable Guitar Master Stool.

On September 23rd, 2022, I visited a furniture store seeking inspiration and discovered a very cozy 15-inch (40cm) tall stool.

I took the stool home to examine it thoroughly. With the footrest positioned 30cm away, resting my guitar on my lap soon made my thigh feel fatigued. All I wanted was to plant my foot straight on the floor for relief.

After testing, I figured a 36cm footrest would let me rock out for hours on end at 5'8"Major thanks to my college bud Wu Bin for getting me access to his architecture firm's souped-up 3D scanner, which mapped my stool down to the last 0.01mm. Now l can keep both my legs and tunes flowing sweet.

Version 1.0 was born

Redefining product design is derived from close insight of acoustic guitar playing.

A Functional and Inspiring Bedside Table Accessory

When looking for inspiration,  saw a leather bag added to a bedside table, which could hold sheet music, capos, tuners, and even lemon oil for guitar maintenance.

Version 2.0 was born

Looking for excellent supply chain production and iterative samples

Iterating the Design

Iterating the Design

Three days later, I returned to the factory to test new samples, adjusting the distance between the footrest and stool surface to 30 cm, 33 cm, and 36 cm for three different sizes. Ten days after that, we got all the parts in and were set to put it together ourselves.

Version 3.0 was born

Beauty and utility combined; Artistry and craftsmanship refined.

On February 25th, 2023, after the Chinese New Year, I invited friends over to test out the 2.0 chair. 
Thanks to my friend's suggested tweaks, like moving the footrest forward 1.5 cm, it was even more comfortable.

Seeking Perfection

Seeking Perfection

In order to prevent the back of the acoustic guitar from touching the stool legs, it is recommended to widen the stool surface on the computer model to ensure it can directly support the guitar neck. 
Also, the bag used for guitar sheet music should be removed as it may touch the guitar heel and become dirty.
 

During a bike ride, I saw a tree with a trunk that gradually tapered as it grew upward, inspiring me. 
And the legs of the stool lifted the stool surface like open hands.  The stool's surface is more streamlined, enhancing the contours around the buttocks.

Partnering with Heritage Craftsmanship 

Partnering with Heritage Craftsmanship 

On April 6th, we switched to a factory specializing in intangible cultural heritage. This third factory is the best one we could find in Chengdu for the job. Using the same production drawings, the process has obviously improved. The product accuracy is now very close to the drawings.

Balancing Craftsmanship and Cost

Balancing Craftsmanship and Cost

The mass production cost of this ash wood is very expensive. The ex-factory price is close to 125 US dollars even just Ash Wood, plus a 55 US dollar shipping cost. The fixed cost of 180 US dollars is too high given our 50% pricing strategy of 360 US dollars. As a start-up company, we are looking for the best supply chain and reasonable ex-factory prices for production of our guitar stools.

Seeking the Right Build

We visited the office of the 4th factory and obtained samples made from the second sample attempt at this producer in Foshan, Guangdong. However, the curve of the legs differed from our expectations, and the sample varied considerably from our drawings.

Craftsmanship Finds its Home

We searched for a 5th factory with strong craftsmanship and service, and in late June,a friend introduced us to the most skilled furniture producer in Zhongshan,Guangdong. This factory perfectly produced our desired sample in one iterationbased on our drawings.

The Challenging Path to Innovation

All the wood artisans we have met said that making stools was the most challenging task in the furniture industry 
due to the varying angles of the tenons. At first I did not believe them; 
however, after one year, having exchanged five factories and undergone 11 production sample iterations, 
the Nakupenda Guitar Master Stool was finally born.

Nakupenda means "I love you" in Swahili.

We focus on stuffs vital like water yet as overlooked as water.
We believe human-centered design and engineering can shinning the world.
We believe that making small contributions is our way of changing the world.
We eagerly recommend this product and look forward to sharing your joy.

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