Custom Shop wait time?

[Rusting In Peace]

Just wondering what the average wait time is. I placed my order about 5 months ago. King V with flame top and scalloped fretboard.

Thanks

[thetroy]

Re: Custom Shop wait time?

Assume 2 years from initial inquiry to complete guitar. This way you shouldn't be disappointed and will, instead, be pleasantly surprised!

[RacerX]

Re: Custom Shop wait time?

The most recent word (from Mike K. at NAMM) is 8-12 months.

[xenophobe]

Re: Custom Shop wait time?

That's BS. My signed confirmation was faxed back to them on 11/24/03 and I've yet to get a confirmation on the changes I made to their work order, or even get a work order #.

Many of the latest guitars shipped seem to have been placed well over a year ago, some close to 2 years.

I'd say, expect at least an 18 month wait.

[nix]

Re: Custom Shop wait time?

I agree with Xenophobe. I've had an order in since Nov/Dec-ish and and I got fed up 3 weeks ago with not hearing anything back from JC: no price, no work order, nothing.

I emailed my dealer (who is terrific to put up with my weekly emails requesting status on this thing)and said I reached the end of my rope and within 3 hours I had the work order (hmmm..Something is fishy here)

Then I had to make changes to that work order and it's been 3 weeks with no word. My only goal here is to get the final work order and get into the production que, then I won't "bother" them for 10 months. I mean, I plunked down $750 deposit for the priviledge of getting a price quote, I should get some response.I just sent another email yesterday to try and move it along.

Until someone from JC corrects me I'm of the mixed opinion that 1. MK or whoever does the paperwork pays attention to his favorite dealers first 2. Ignores new orders until the dealer calls to say he's losing the order unless he takes 10 minutes to enter the order and work a price 3. Is seriously overworked and has so many orders to get through that it takes 3 months to get a quote/work order (unlikely, but if that's the case hire an admin for $10/ hr). 4. Does not like to do quotes for Rhoads style guitars. 5. Is too busy catering to Mike Shannon's new level of fame within FMIC ie. removing brown M&M's, making sure the sanders don't make direct eye contact, etc. Any combination of the above would not suprise me.

So, in regards to time frame: I think expecting 6 months to get into the que, then 8-12 in production is more like it.

[pitboss]

Re: Custom Shop wait time?

I think it has a lot to do with what exactly is ordered. I ordered a relatively easy, barely " custom " bolt on dinky that took 6 months from initial phone call to the dealer to my doorstep. Those of you ordering these very custom customs ( special graphics, wild paint, etc ) wait a hell of a lot longer. Some months back someone speculated that the custom shop most likely barely turns a profit - that the money is made on the USA select batches where 10-20 are made at the same time. It honestly wouldn't suprise me if one day in the not too distant future the custom shop shifted toward a Carvin-like custom shop - hardware, pick-up config, a few other small-ish changes and stayed away from the all-out custom.

[Zerberus]

Re: Custom Shop wait time?

[ QUOTE ]
......It honestly wouldn't suprise me if one day in the not too distant future the custom shop shifted toward a Carvin-like custom shop - hardware, pick-up config, a few other small-ish changes and stayed away from the all-out custom.

[/ QUOTE ]
Ghat would surprise me, because it would go 100% against teh morals that J/C was founded on, and wpould probably ultimately destroy the company for that reason. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

But who knows, I´ve seen pigs fly, so.....

[mattsmusiccenter]

Re: Custom Shop wait time?

I'm going to be meeting with the guys running the custom shop at the end of the month and we're going to be discussing all of these issues. Obviously the smoother the whole custom shop ordering process can be, the better off we'll all be.

Can pigs really fly? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[RR05xx]

Re: Custom Shop wait time?

I was told 10-12 months when I ordered back in Sept. and I got the feeling that 12-18 mos. would not surprise by dealer.

[Toby]

Re: Custom Shop wait time?

From my experience, and what I heard from other C/J custom shop customers, the average wait is 12 - 18 months. On the confirmed order form for my custom order, a wait time of 7 months was expected. But the order form also sais, that the listed wait time is only an estimate. In reality, my wait time was 14 months. I also know some customers who had to wait 18 months.

[mattsmusiccenter]

Re: Custom Shop wait time?

I've been seeing wait times anywhere from 6 to 14 months. I know Jacksons target is 10 months from start to finish though.

[nix]

Re: Custom Shop wait time?

14 months is not unreasonable for production IMO

[tonemonster]

Re: Custom Shop wait time?

Well, I might as well throw my 2 cents in. I think the wait times are WAY too long. I mean come on!! these are guitars, not space shuttles!! I dont buy into any BS they tell us. If the demand is there, they should meet it, plain and simple. a 6 month maximum order to delivery time should be standard with a 4 month target. Hell, regular USA selects take 6 months or MORE! I have ordered 3 of them, so I know. I have waited just over 6 months on all of them. I currently have a limited edition on order that looks like its gonna be longer than 6 months now too. Jackson just wants to create a mystique with the long wait times to add to the demand of wanting one. so you can say"this is a CUSTOM SHOP, It took 2 years to get this guitar!!!!" [img]/images/graemlins/bs.gif[/img] there is no excuse for those long wait times. period, end of story. Rant over. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[Newc]

Re: Custom Shop wait time?

Well, one of the problems is changing the work order after sending it in initially. Having worked in a production facility, when you have a production schedule and it is arranged to run smoothly it is very aggravating to have something removed from the schedule and then someone wanting to squeeze it back in its original place, which is NOT gonna happen. As well, they probably don't have separate machines for each model already set up and doing nothing but churning out the same model all day, so if you want a Custom Rhoads when they're running USA Select WR-1s, you're gonna have to wait until the RR run comes around again. If you JUST MISSED the RR run, then you gotta wait until it comes around again - after the WR, KV, SL, KE, etc etc etc runs.
Then there's the fact that the Rhoads is the most-popular model, which logically means that you are not the only one ordering one at any given time. You are probably one of over 100 people ordering a Rhoads, in addition to the USA Selects that have to be made, but they establish a time-limit to keep everything else on-time, which means if the production schedule only allows time for 10 USA Selects + 5 Customs before the changeover, guess what? If you ain't in that 5, you just moved up 5 places along with everyone else. If you're 50 away from the Top 5, that means you have to wait for 50 more RR schedules to roll around.

I'm not expecting my Custom Warrior to get here before Christmas. I might see a pic of it at Winter NAMM 06, I might see a pic of it at Summer NAMM 06. On the other hand, maybe it's intriguing enough to them that they wanna get started on it right away because it IS the first bolt-on 7-string Warrior. Then again, maybe they're doing proto after proto to make sure mine is done right. Yeah it'd be nice to know where they're at with it right now, but I ain't worried. It's not like I don't have another guitar to play, and my career isn't dependent on this guitar.

This stuff takes time, people. Regardless of how bad you want it or how long you've been waiting, it ain't gonna happen any faster by getting pissy about it.

When you order a Custom Shop Jackson, the first thing you accept is the idea that there's no way in hell you're gonna be able to sell it for what you paid.
The second thing you need to accept is that it's going to have to be something you're going to want 5 years from now, not something you'll keep for 3 months, thought it was a good idea at the time, ordered it when I was bored, yadda yadda.
Most importantly, you need to have the options and specs nailed before you send the quote in, and especially before you send in the confirmation.

Yeah I did the same thing - forgot to add this and that to the quote, but the Finalized Order - the one I signed and sent in that said "Build It" - stays like it is. I don't care if I suddenly get a major stiffy for a certain option, that order will not be changed, and Jackson should not allow any changes to be made to Confirmed orders.
Once they're confirmed, they go on the schedule, or on the list to go on the schedule, and you're in line. You get OUT of the line, you lose your place. You get out of the line again, and you go in the "special" stack of people that can't make up their damn mind, so we're gonna wait for another few months to see if they change it again. If it hasn't changed in 3 months, it goes in the regular line, at the back, behind all the NAMM stuff.

I'm sure it's the same way with price quotes - you send in this quote, then that quote, then another quote and another, and then one day you don't get a quote.

[xenophobe]

Re: Custom Shop wait time?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure they group similar custom orders together in with production runs... less paint setup time, less individual options, etc...

As for the quote times, they just stink. Once you've sent in your revised quote (all of them seem to be off when someone gets them to sign), they should relatively quickly send you the revised confirmation so there is no bickering.

I sent in my revised confirmed work order in on 11/24. I still am unsure if they acknowledged the changes. That's just wrong. It's not my fault if they screw up again and it would be unfair if I lost my place because of that.