In general, expect a lot of back-and-forth communication. These are the kinds of projects that require a crystal clear idea of desired features and design.

Before any talk of money, we’re trying to gather the following information from potential clients:

• Is this a serious customer?
• What is the scope of the project? Is it reasonable?
• Is there a difference between what the client wants musically, and what the client is actually asking for? How will those expectations be managed?
• Is this project best handled by 60 Works or another party?

After this initial investigation, a proposal is written. The proposal states all project goals and estimates a price. Half the estimate is required upfront as a deposit. If the project has natural milestones, the estimate can be configured to charge by the milestone.

After the deposit is received, “real” work begins. Communications still persist, but they change to reflect the following:

• Weekly Status Updates. Progress reports on tasks such as research, parts ordering, prototyping, design and manufacture.
• Further Research. Additional investigation to ensure the controller meets the client’s exact specifications. This could take the form of additional conversations, or as visits to gigs to monitor performance styles.
• “Point of No Return” Notifications. At key points in the process, certain design and manufacturing decisions will be set in stone. Going backwards from here will incur extra expense and time. We’ll inform you when these “points of no return” are about to occur.

After manufacturing is complete, the remainder of the balance will be collected and the controller(s) will ship.

Post-sale support is a given with such a custom device. Manufacturer guarantees will vary based on the project, though you can assume that if something goes wrong because of 60 Works’ design or manufacture, it’s in our highest interest to fix it ASAP.