before I describe why and how I need your help, let me explain how I got here in the first place.

Short history
In 2011 I decided to move to Amsterdam and attend to a 4-year woodworking school as this was the closest thing to guitar building. After I was done in 2015, I started working at the school as an instructor, so that the costs of having a place to live and having a workshop in Amsterdam, were covered.  Since that time I had all the resources and time I needed to make one-of-a-kind guitars. Each time trying make something unique or with its own theme. Here all my free time and money went into and took over personal life. Many times people asked me if I sold these guitars, most of them I just don't... they just aren't meant to be sold, but just to be made to show how far you can take guitar building, I guess :) They were my art projects I love to do. Although I do sell sometimes, I use the funds to re-invest even further in my company, getting to buy more wood, tools and supplies. After a couple of years expanding like that, it was time for a new chapter. 

Earlier this year
I decided to exhibit on the Holy Grail Guitar Show in Berlin just to show my stuff. There they got a lot of attention. One of the people I spoke with was Jamie Gale, the curator and organisor of the Boutique Guitar Showcase. He asked me if I wanted to exhibit on one of his stands at NAMM 2019. Now NAMM, for me, is like the final destination you can end up on in guitar-building-world carreer. For such a small company as myself to be on the worlds biggest music instrument exhibit I would consider one of my biggest achievements. I never dared to get such an oppertunity and I really want to go out there and show these guitars in real life! I hope that I can show people how far you can get if you just go for something and hopefully can be an inspiration to some. This is why I said yes! 
At NAMM I hope to get a feel where the future of Red Layer Guitar will be and what its place will be among all the other guitar brands out there. I also aim to start networking with dealers that can help me distribute my guitars better around the world.

So... now...
we're somewhere between that time and NAMM 2019 and things are starting to feel a bit like a steep climb. My calculations at the time predicted I would get even with the costs to get everything ready for NAMM, if I would just sell some guitars in the summer. Unfortunately there's always that one thing that often occurs during such plans: life. Of course right now, at the point of no return, I seem to get all these unforseen expenses thrown at me that I can't ignore for too long. Also a lot of "small" expenses are adding up. 
The costs of getting to NAMM are basically divided over:
-Booth costs €2500
-Planeticket €750
-5 guitars transport back and forth €750
-A place to stay for 10 days €400
-All the necessary paperwork €250
-I want to make some merch like t-shirts (to give away really), picks, some booth decoration and businesscards €350
-Eating/drinking, some sightseeing in and around Los Angeles and all other (surprise) expenses €1000

These are all extra costs and are depending on my guitar sales, which again is not the primary goal of Red Layer Guitars. With the money I make from my fulltime job I can only maintain all the monthly costs, taxes etc.
If you like my work and want to support me, please help me with my journey to NAMM by donating. SO MANY THANKS! :D

Donating €50 or more will give you the chance on winning this guitar (even now that the perk is turned off as it doesn't allow perks based on chance)

Specs 
-Black limba body
-Wenge layer
-Figured walnut top
-27.7"-29.47" multiscale 
-One-of-a-kind ziricote/birdseye maple fretboard
-24 Stainless steel frets 
-5-ply wenge/flamed maple neck, custom C-shape
-Luminlay sidedots
-Black Hipshot Griplock tuners
-Black Hipshot 21° slanted bridge 
-Lundgren slanted M8 pickup 
-1 volume
-Matte finish 
-Comes in Hiscox case