Yep. $400 for the frame. ~$45 for the SS track ends. ~$45 for custom paint job. It fits like a glove and rides real well. I chose roadish geometry, since I will be using it mostly as a commuter/training bike. So, it has a relaxed wheelbase.

But, and this is a BIG but; I noticed a problem with the rear triangle, wrt the centering of the wheel between the seatstays. As I centered the back wheel based on the chainstays, it was off center relative to the seatstays. So I took the bike to Conrads here in the city (who have a jig table) to have the rear frame alignment checked out. It turns out one of the seatstays is longer than the other by about 2cms! Whoever actually built the frame, did a sh*t job. Now, the bike is rideable, and I haven't noticed any problems with tracking with no hands riding, so its not that big of a problem. But, but, its a problem I can't live with.

So, I e-mailed Johnny Coast of Coast Cycles, in Brooklyn, and will be taking the frame in for a consultation, to see how much it would cost to fix and how much work will be involved.

Its unfortunate because I love the way it rides, feels and fits, and I love the paint job design. But it is what it is.

WRT Ken's original question, I think $800-1,200 is a good range for a good quality custom frame with decent tubing.

And I would recommend buying from a local framebuilder, if possible, or getting a custom fitting if you don't already know your sizing criteria.