please set me straight on ordering

[peedenmark7]

ok, I havent read any of the posts pertaining to ordering a new c/j guitar so forgive me if I am covering old ground.....BUT I need some info clear in my mind before I even waste my time moving forward... I am hearing from the masses quite a different story than from the insiders. maybe things have changed...
can I order a strathead the way I want it OR is fender doing some limited run b.s. each year and we all get the same damn guitar ? and are the necks coming form the fender side, or ours ?
secondly, on the pointies they are taking orders for , we can order "anything we want" , correct ? and do the pointed heads have fishpapered headstocks ? just want to be clear before I start running the dealers ragged..... john

[RP]

Re: please set me straight on ordering

I think you're going to have to run a dealer ragged since it sure doesn't seem that anyone has any definitive information.

The only official word we got was that the stratheads would be limited edition things. And while I'm sure there are limitations on the "anything you want" on the pointies, I'm not sure any of us really know what, exactly, those limitations are.

Of course, I emailed a dealer on Monday inquiring about getting a black pointy with a maple fretboard and single hum, and I've yet to hear anything back. So it may be easier said than done in terms of running a dealer anywhere.

[peedenmark7]

Re: please set me straight on ordering

this is kinda what I have gathered myself....I had it good info that once the waters tested positive on this 25th anniversary thing , that we WOULD be able to go ahead and order what we wanted s-head wise.....if this is not the case , "guys please simply say no" or we will never get our way.. if its some compromise neck we're dealing with to get a NEW s-head whats the point if it only looks like the real thing. from what I have heard from 3 people is the strat necks are fenders, no mojo, no gogo..........I hope this info proves to be very incorrect... but with fender being so protective and hush hush..you'll likely never know the truth........
as for the pointies I already pounded the pavement once and didnt hear back from one dealer........I want to see fishpapered headstocks on these for real deal appeal...what are they doing for neckplates ? burning up reissue ones ? or is there some retro "old school" plate in thew works ? I would like to see them pick up the serialization where they left off in '86 thus being a continuation rather than swill for us old timers.........what neckplate came on those bullseye pointies ? any definitive pics/info from naam ?
john

[shreddermon]

Re: please set me straight on ordering

The word from NAMM - as discussed in other threads - was that "old school" neckplates are in the works, with the old San Dimas address. Rumor is they even tried to get the old PO box from it's current owner, but they wouldn't let it go. So they went with something very close. Only 1 digit is changed, I believe. The NAMM guitars all had etched plates for now, as a placeholder.

As to picking up where the old serial #s left off, that was already done. Last year's Bullseye Reissues had "old school" neckpates with the Ontario address, and re-started the serials in the 6000s. (I have 6026.)

[~K~]

Re: please set me straight on ordering

N0w there's food for thought .. how collectible will 6000 to 6049 be in the future? The only charvels to leave Ontario with 3d neckplates

[STARGUITAR]

Re: please set me straight on ordering

Were those guitars on the walls in the NAMM pictures for sale? I saw a HRF,Bullseye and a lightning bolt star. Anyone know

[mattsmusiccenter]

Re: please set me straight on ordering

Any one with questions regarding the availability of Stratheads and what you can/can't get from J/C can email me or call me directly.

Matt
www.mattsmusic.com

[RacerX]

Re: please set me straight on ordering

John, take a chill pill, dude! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

At NAMM, John Walker told me he didn't want to "blow his wad all at once". Have patience....things are going quite well.

[RP]

Re: please set me straight on ordering

People like me just hate being kept in the dark about stuff, especially once we've been teased.

And it gets especially frustrating when you attempt to seek out more information only to be stymied at every turn and also have people not return your emails asking questions or having websites that say they'll be updated when people return from NAMM only to still not be updated.

As an American, I'm not used to standing around with a fist full of money telling people I want to purchase what they're offering only to have my offers of purchase be ignored.

All I want to know is when I can buy a new Charvel Standard. That question appears to be very hard to answer.

So I can understand where people can get frustrated because I am frustrated. I want to buy, but there's no one to sell.

We've been teased and we want more info, but no info is forthcoming.

[diablomozart]

Re: please set me straight on ordering

i see your point but...namm is a showcase for new gear to the dealers...usually having a few specimens at namm doesn't necessarily mean that the company has inventory ready to ship, usually they're just testing to see how the dealers react...i'm sure the charvels are coming but we'll have to give jackson some time...they know we want them...and i'm sure they'll do their best to meet that demand...d.m.

[RP]

Re: please set me straight on ordering

I understand that... though I would settle for being able to place an order for a future date and a timeline as to when I might expect to have one, as well. It's not just an immediate "in my hands" sort of thing that I'm looking for.

Or at least some answers to some questions. Or some return emails from some dealers.

(And I would suggest not putting up on the website that all the latest and greatest gear would be posted on the site once they get back from NAMM if that's not going to be the case. I don't necessarily care that it's going to take more time, but don't tell people one thing and do another. That's my gripe about it).

Eventually, people do give up. Too much longer in this complete information blackout, and I'll probably just go to GMW or spend the money I've set aside on something used.

[tmdiamond]

Re: please set me straight on ordering

I'm really glad to see that FMIC has responded by giving us what we want at least on a limited scale. Here's my philosophy: If they were smart, and I think that they are, they'd whet our appetites and get us wanting more and more. That's exactly what they are doing and it is a brilliant yet basic marketing strategy. They're not going to put everything out there that we as players and collectors want right away. This way, they'll sell a lot of guitars that are not necessarily 100% what we want and gradually, they'll meet the desires of the majority of us and probably get a lot of younger, new C/J players in the process. Look at it this way, if we were able to order or have built any strathead or pointy with any possible option, they'd sell one guitar to each person that wanted their dream axe. As it stands now, we can get something close, but not quite what everyone dreams about having. So maybe some of us buy some stratheads and pointies but not with a graphic, trem, or neck we would really want. Down the road a year or two, they may open up things to allow a ton of true custom graphics, Floyds on stratheads, any pup combo, etc. Of course, those with the money will buy again and maybe more than once. So they make more money in the long run, have more of their guitars out there which will hopefully bring in a new crowd of players and/or collectors, and they will attain their possible goal of being THE rock guitar of choice.
If I were the owner of C/J, I don't think that I'd make everything available in one fell swoop either. You gotta spark the interest of your faithful customers, get their appetites whet, and quite lilterally make as much money as you can, all the while intending to eventually give to the masses what they want 100%. It makes sense to me but it's only a hypothesis.
I'm dying to buy a crossed swords strathead with a Floyd in a hum/sing pup combo. It seems the only way to get it is to go thru GMW which isn't a bad thing. But....if I do that, I won't have a reason to buy a real Charvel in that setup when and if they become available. I suppose that Charvel is taking somewhat of a risk with potential customers like me who want that guitar now as opposed to waiting to see if it ever will be possible as a true Charvel. I'd like to know what y'all think of my reasoning so toss 'em out there. I may be totally off base.

[shreddermon]

Re: please set me straight on ordering

Originally posted by tmdiamond:
As it stands now, we can get something close, but not quite what everyone dreams about having....

I suppose that Charvel is taking somewhat of a risk with potential customers like me who want that guitar now as opposed to waiting to see if it ever will be possible as a true Charvel. I'd like to know what y'all think of my reasoning so toss 'em out there. I may be totally off base.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think you're in the ballpark about where their marketing strategy has been / is going. "Whet the appetites" slowly on stratheads, gradually building interest over a period of time (outside our small core group of J/C diehards, I mean), and do all this in the context of rebuilding a brand name that has basically been defunct for nearly 20 years now. IMHO, it would have to be a multi-year strategy to have a fair chance at true market success.

My problem with the approach so far lies with the above-mentioned. First off, I disagree that we can get something "close" to our dreams. All of the strathead so far have been single hum & vintage trem. That's not "close". It may be popular with some folks who are more into the vintage thing. But I and many others won't even consider that layout.

As to the bottom quote, IMHO therein lies the flaw (...if there is one) with the approach so far. Since none of the strathead offerings so far have appealed to me, J/C is just - plain and simple - losing sales from me and others. I can't get a strathead that's even close to my ideal? That money now gets spent elsewhere and, thus, will not return. That's less $ in J/C's pockets. I've now been disappointed by three straight NAMM shows without a strathead that appeals to my wants and needs.

I don't mean this to be critical of J/C's strathead efforts thusfar, as I think I do understand where they're going with all of this and generally agree with it. But the real trick is in finding a balance between keeping demand up / rebuilding the brand, and losing sales from guys like us. IMHO, the strathead offerings thusfar could be doing a better job of striking that balance.

And a sidenote: I just flat out don't get them not allowing custom shop strathead orders, period. Custom orders are such a small % of overall demand and production, it would have little or no effect on the whole Charvel strategy. And, perhaps more importantly, IMHO it disconcertingly rubs against the grain of what the company was founded on. i.e., A custom shop that can do anything and everything to build your dream axe. ...Everything except offering a simple headstock option that's otherwise available on a few limited edition models? [img]graemlins/eyes.gif[/img]

But, then again, WTF do I know? I don't actually work there, so I'm just Monday morning-quarterbacking. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[tmdiamond]

Re: please set me straight on ordering

Shredder, Chuck, and RP, you all hit the nail on the head, IMO. True enough, the vintage trem single hums are what Charvels are really all about. Then again, building custom guitars and guitars that bring to fruition the imaginations of us as players is also a founding principle. My desire is for a H/S Floyded Strat with a maple stratheaded neck. My dream guitar differs from Chucks and Shreds and RP's. I really may just go ahead and commit to the GMW option and buy the guitar I've been wanting.

[RP]

Re: please set me straight on ordering

My dream guitar is already available from Jackson/Charvel, but I thought the new Charvels would be a way to get what I like for a lower price since I would otherwise have to go to the Custom Shop for the options I prefer.

They've announced the guitar I want already. I'm just wanting to find out the timeline to when I can get one. Because if it's going to be months and months, I'll probably go ahead and get something else for now and make arrangements to look into the Charvels when they finally come out.

So, in a way, this marketing strategy is potentially costing Jackson/Charvel money. I was looking into a custom shop order to get the guitar I wanted, only to hear about the new Charvels and see that they give me nearly all of what I want for a lower price. But since they aren't making the Charvels available, I can't buy one AND I'm not looking into the custom shop anymore since I know the Charvels will eventually come.

So this marketing strategy has left me looking at spending money I would be spending with J/C now on something they are ostensibly offering for sale on something else because I can't buy what J/C offers.