Is Jackson next?

[87jackson]

Lepard, I agree, I was going to order a custom shop soloist not to long ago. I received a few $$ quotes and ended up not being able to justify paying PRS prices for a Jackson. Don't get me wrong, I love my 80's Jacksons as much as the next guy. And truthfully if the quotes weren't so crazy, I would have placed an order, but come on, $4200 for a custom soloist is nutty. A lot of it is dealer greed. Why does a dealer have to make $1,000 or more just for placing a order for me?? If I could call the custom shop directly, place my order I would.

[Chad]

A lot of it is dealer greed. Why does a dealer have to make $1,000 or more just for placing a order for me?? If I could call the custom shop directly, place my order I would.

There you go unjustly ripping on dealers again. First of all, how do you know their cost/margin? Using your example, if a dealer makes $1,000 on a $4,200 guitar that is around 23% margin. That is fairly normal for retail. Maybe even on the low-ish side depending on their sales volume. Your argument about "just placing an order" is unjust as well. If anything, a dealer should shoot for MORE margin on a custom order because, despite what you think, coordinating custom orders from beginning to end takes a lot of effort, patience, and attention and to detail. A lot of things can happen that complicate things.

[87jackson]

Good luck chad

[pianoguyy]

In all honesty, I don't know of anyone buying $2500-$3000 USA Select Jackson's anymore. I have about 50 USA Jackson's from over the years and am as big a Jackson fanboy as anyone but seriously ??? who's buying these guitars at these prices ?

At this point of my career. At my age. With the current state of the music business.
I can't see myself buying any NEW guitars any time soon. Especially high end models.


I may have dropped big bucks 20-30 years ago, but things are different today. Plus, I still have a couple of them with me. They earned their price.
Will I be able to say the same thing about buying one today. At 60 or 70 years old, will I be able to say 'I rocked hard for the past twenty years with this puppy'

[pianoguyy]

A lot of it is dealer greed. Why does a dealer have to make $1,000 or more just for placing a order for me??

Dealers pay money for the privilege of being dealers. And it isn't just about money, they have to be approved by the company to be dealers. I think they earned the right to make a profit.
I can't speak for Jackson specifically, but many companies dictate the price in cases like these. They shoot the dealer two lists, one with cost and one price.

Why does a dealer have to make $1,000 or more just for placing a order for me?? If I could call the custom shop directly, place my order I would.

But you can't call them directly, that is part of the agreement companies make with the dealers. At least they aren't slapping their own dealer labels on them the way car dealers do. You're a walking billboard for the car you just bought, your guitar is just a Jackson.

[ulijdavid]

If anything, a dealer should shoot for MORE margin on a custom order because, despite what you think, coordinating custom orders from beginning to end takes a lot of effort, patience, and attention and to detail. A lot of things can happen that complicate things.

It should not be this way. The custom order sheet is basically like ordering from Mcdonalds - what is the sandwich type, fries with that, large or small soda. It's not like Jackson/Charvel will stray from its pick and choose specs. Specifications are quite clear. Carvin and Fender can do all of this from a website form. There is just some kind of disconnect in this organization. It's not hard. It's a lack of attention to detail.

[Rich#6]

When I just bought a guitar on closeout for $1200 and it originally sells for 2000(list of over 3k) and they still made money off of the sale I can see the 1k being low for dealer profit on a 4k guitar. mark up on regular stock is much higher then 25%.

[Nightbat]

I don't understand why you think because a company is currently making money, why they wouldn't explore ways to make more? With that being said

Hold on, you misunderstood
I was just pointing out that the wait time in Jacksons case has to do with the number of orders, IOW: their 'succes'
It could also be inefficient production, but for a change I decided to look at it from a positive view

Dealers pay money for the privilege of being dealers. And it isn't just about money, they have to be approved by the company to be dealers. I think they earned the right to make a profit.
I can't speak for Jackson specifically, but many companies dictate the price in cases like these. They shoot the dealer two lists, one with cost and one price.

It isn't so black and white
Big names usually put out incentives to move their brand
More often you'll find dealers pushing a certain brand since the margins -or bonuses- are bigger, not because the manufacturer chokes their wiggleroom for potential buyers
It's how the Japanese brands managed to get a big chunk of the US market: by allowing the retailer to increase their profit

[VitaminG]

Lepard, I agree, I was going to order a custom shop soloist not to long ago. I received a few $$ quotes and ended up not being able to justify paying PRS prices for a Jackson.

you couldn't justify spending PRS production model prices for a Jackson custom built to your design?

[87jackson]

There's a number of reasons, but yes I couldn't justify spending PRS $$ for a Jackson custom shop

[lepard]

There's a number of reasons, but yes I couldn't justify spending PRS $$ for a Jackson custom shop

Resale value comes to mind. That's the exact reason you don't buy a USA Custom Dean. $3000-4000 out the door and worth $1000-1200 the next day.

[artonsafari]

Resale? There's no reselling, regretted pretty much every guitar going out.

[Flatpicker]

I've been giving this some thought and I'd say that the answer may be Fender won't do so.

Now, I could see them closing down the imports and consigning the Jackson line to the Custom Select and Custom Shop Masterbuilts only.
While allowing the Charvel brand handle the MIM and MIC lines.

Basically, Charvel would be the Squier line to Jackson's Fender line for the metal market.
It would give them a strong brand to compete with the ESP/Ibanez lineups.

That way, you consolidate costs for the MIC/MIM by having the existent Fender lines make the Charvels (bolt on in MIM, NT in MIC)
Keep the Jackson line as the higher priced line and combine the builders into a Fender/Jackson Custom Shop where all your master builders and their teams would live.
You save on real estate, tooling, and utility costs that way. Plus, by having them all in house you can share the wood supplies and decrease your inventory costs.

[Rsmacker]

Fender off-loaded Guild yesterday.

Just sayin'...

[DK2M92]

I think the Jackson Import lines have been around too long for them to shut em' down. Its been 24 years now. Good idea I think but Jackson probably (not sure) sells mostly Imports.