So you are the new Charvel/Jackson CEO...

[PowerTube]

The first thing I would do is acquire Daisy Rock and make the flower guitar available in Bolted Steel and Blood Splatter.

[slayer]

1) QC
2) Lower CS Prices like in 2006
3) No hearing NO on body designs
4) Some short scale guitar offerings
5) More 1 Hum guitar offerings
6) Lower Select Series prices like in 2005


Jack

[RacerX]

So basically what you guys are all saying is you'd run the company into the ground.

Let's hear your plan then, wisenheimer! :ROTF:

[hippietim]

Let's hear your plan then, wisenheimer! :ROTF:

I'd make sure we made guitars GC would actually hang on the wall and sell. Oh and I'd outsource more stuff to China.

[Leo Chang]

The first thing I would do is acquire Daisy Rock and make the flower guitar available in Bolted Steel and Blood Splatter.

LOL

That would actually be pretty cool ...

[Leo Chang]

I'd make sure we made guitars GC would actually hang on the wall and sell. Oh and I'd outsource more stuff to China.

I know that this is still a major gripe with a lot of people here, and FMIC's distribution is probably inconsistent ... but since FMIC acquired Jackson, I have been seeing a lot more Jacksons in my local chain stores (Long & McQuade), and a higher percentage of them have interesting finishes and graphics whereas before it was mostly solid black Jackson / Charvels.

There is no GC in Canada (as far as I know), so this post may be totally irrelevant

[RacerX]

Oh and I'd outsource more stuff to China.

Like these, huh?

http://www.jcfonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65835

[hippietim]

Like these, huh?

http://www.jcfonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65835

well, i just wanted to try something different. one quick look at how these turn out...

http://www.jcfonline.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=27

[Newc]

1. Expand the focus beyond the dwindling, penniless Metal market and compete directly with the Fender models rather than pigeonholing Jackson so i don't have to deal with the horrors of an open market.
a. Bring back the Jazz'R, but give it a better neck profile. Something like a C shape or Gibson-style that 90% of players can play on for extended periods of time, but with Jackson's compound radius fretboard.
b. Get the PC-1 into more hands than Phil's. WHat about that guy from the Grand Ole Opry? Does he still play a PC-1 or has he been chased away?
c. Bring back the other SweeTone models, but give them full-size double-cutaway shapes. The Dinky form factor was great when Lynch and DeMartini were scrawny little kids crying that Strats were too big, but it just doesn't play with today's beefier players (fat's where it's at these days).

2. Compete directly with Ibenhad, ESPee, Schecter, Gibson, PRS, Fender, Dean, Hamer, and BC Rich. Go back to the mentality of "it's nothing personal, it's just business", and call Gibson's bluff on flooding the known universe with free USA Gibsons if Jackson makes another V, Firebird, or other Gibson shape. Juskiewicz (whatever) is a money-grubbing fink and would rather curl up and die than part with that much money, as evidenced by his incessant crippling of Gibson.

3. Drop the idea of "artist models" not being available for Custom Shop or production (USA/Import) models. The RR is an artist model, just as much as the double-Rhoads, Green Meanie, or anything else. Isn't the PC-1 an artist model?

4. Officially-branded replacement parts (finished/unfinished bodies and necks). Yes, people will slap together kits and try to pass them off as factory, protos, Customs, employee projects, etc. So what? They do that now. How will it be different (read: worse) if the parts are easier to obtain?

5. Semi-Custom option: minor upcharges for simple changes like putting a lefty headstock piece on a righty neck piece, no extra charge for grabbing a different colored piece of hardware out of a parts bin, etc.

6. Regarding the previously mentioned guitars with built-in modeling units, that goes perfect with an idea I had for a video game that could launch Jackson to the top of the pile:
Since most people who buy a guitar nowadays are going to pay for lessons as well from their local shop, the game starts off by teaching you the basics, or you can select the "old school" method of learning totally by ear by playnig along to whatever tracks are in the game - licensed songs or "as good as" covers.
The guitar/controller would be an X-series or MG series with a piezo bridge, built-in amp/effect modeling, headphone jack, as well as being a real guitar you can play through a real amp.
If you take the lessons in the game, the piezo tracks your progress and you level up. Get good enough and you get invited to join a garage/backyard band. Get better and you get to be a teacher at the shop, asked to join a gigging band, or get studio gigs, all of which pay money. You use this in-game money to upgrade/maintain your gear (strings, change pickups, refinish, upgrade your in-game guitar, etc).

Sort of like Guitar Hero except instead of some crappy Mickey Mouse thing with buttons on the neck it's a real guitar so people can learn to play the guitar, and they learn on a Jackson.

Yeah it'd probably cost $600, but most people will spend that for the guitar, an amp, lessons, magazines, etc etc anyway, and at least they're getting a real guitar.

People snapped up those $250 Steel Batallion video game controllers, and it didn't even come with the game! Xbox360s sold out at $400 each, and PS3s sold out at $600 each, and NO GAME WAS INCLUDED!

With this, you get a real guitar, a DVD full of lessons from Beginner to Expert in several different styles (Funk, Metal, Jazz, Blues, Country (and Western as a downloadable expansion), Rock, etc) as well as backing tracks to practice/improvise over.

[ABSOLUT CHARVEL]

i like the guitar hero idea. i saw that there is a flying V coming out for the game. They should lic. a RR model for the game. and where the hell is the Jackson Podcast?

[ABSOLUT CHARVEL]

i bet Jackson could pick up Carmen Electra cheap. it would be fitting since Dave is now banging on Jenna.

[MEX3]

i bet Jackson could pick up Carmen Electra cheap. it would be fitting since Dave is now banging on Jenna.

Seeing her on TV doesn't make me want to eat at Taco Bell...Why the hell would she make me want to buy a guitar? Forget the "name" girlies. Just use the money to get some good players using Jackson. Vai and Satch have done wonders for Ibanez. Just hire some local strippers for your hot chicks ads.

[Hamner1]

1.) QC & Overhead expenses.
* I have not come across the QC issues others have talked about, but it seems to be an issue. And quite frankly any company should be concerned w/ the QC of their product (import or not).
* This is a standard for most/all companies to be profitable, lower your overhead allows you to keep costs down or minimize price increases.
> waste, theft, overtime, limited productivity, etc. (more sold & less spent = more profit)

2.) Charvels would be custom shop only w/ Strat headstock (unless customer ordered pointy)

3.) I would listen to the general public to fuel ideas, but I would base my decissions on models/features on what the dealers feedback is. Essentially these are the people who have contact w/ the everyday buying public, & are the ones who place the orders & promote the product in the stores.

4.) I would make all USA select models also import models.

5.) Imports:
Pro line & JS line (from what I've sen there is little price difference between X line & Pro line), so I would drop the X line. I would make the neccesary improvements to the DXMG & add it to the Pro line.
* the pro line would have binding if their USA counterpart has binding, MOP inlays on all pro line guitars, Neck-thrus get OFR. To have some seperation between imports & USA, I would use dark rosewood or dye it to resemble ebony. If there is no USA equivalent (RR24 for example) then I would use ebony
Say what you want about the JS line. for the price & the market it is intended for, it makes sense. This line is for the begginers, mom & dad buying for their kid their first guitar, under $300, etc.
Make sure to use quality woods (not plywood), & maintain some better QC in this line.

[Robert Burns]

i would drop the low end imports. i would mainly focus on the custom shop. i would get good endorsers, including guys on the local level (a discount endorsement - NOT free gear). i would market the guitars to have a wide appeal, NOT just metal guitars.

i would (temporarly) reduce the prices to where they were at the end of the akai era in order to get the guitars into more people's hands. then i would institute a 5% increase each year so the price increases were very gradual.

i would listen to player feedback. if there WAS a strong buzz about a guitar with certain specs, i would make it as a limited edition model (priced within reason) to test the validity of the request. if the limited version sold well, it would become a USA select model.

the imports would be priced into the $700-$1000 range and would be limited to a couple of models. these models would be slight variations of the USA models. they would have binding, but NOT ebony, the would have very thin pearl or abalone looking inlays (like agile, schecter, etc.) and logo. i would offer a few unique colors other than just black and cheap-o blue (hint to ibanez and ESP).

i would require my dealers to carry USA and import stock. i would not allow them to only order imports then tell a customer USA's "can be special ordered".

i would drop the limited runs. i believe those clog up the quoting of custom shop guitars. everyone wants something for nothing, and quoting a limited batch run for "possibly" interested buyers clogs up the system from real interested, cash in hand buyers.

i would institute a "custom guitar builder" online so that customers can play around with specs and SEE the prices BEFORE they submit their quote. ESP used to have this and it was really nice.

i would also PAY attention to what the japanese competiton is doing. love them or hate them ESP and ibanez sell A LOT of guitars. they must be doing something right. i would get off my high horse and look at my product line and see where i could beat the competetion....

or i would just go SUPER high-end custom shop if all my above plans failed.....

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"Well, guys, looks like MARK D should be the next CEO !! He's got a
Plan!

[RobRR]

Ah... good question. Im sure we all differ when it comes to what we would do, but in the end, we all want the same outcome: For Jackson to once again regain the market and become one of the best selling, playing, and most profitable companies today.

Me? Well... I would first start off by redoing the entire Jackson merchandise infrastructure as below.

USA:
-USA Standard Select series... buy them how you see them. Maple fretboards would be added to the Standard Select series, as well as 24 fret RR. Add 24.75 scale model to Standard Select series.
-USA Semi-custom Select series... Make minor changes to current Standard Select series models such as electronics, color and graphics, std. or rev. headstock, std. or rev. inlays, string-thru or trem. No wood-working changes.
-USA Custom... Anything goes, within legal reason. The Roundhorn V, Firebird and many others would be back. Bolt on or neck-thru. Virtually anything goes. CURRENT artist guitars will not be 100% replicated, customer must change at least 10% of the total design.

Import:
-Pro Series Plus... all neck-thru, binding, MOP Sharkfin inlays, rosewood fretboards, OFR or string-thru, std. or reverse headstock. Made in Japan.
-Pro Series... Same as Plus series but bolton. Made in Japan.
-MG Series... Add Rhoads to the list, 24.75 scale only(carved-top + LesPaul scale and feel = much wider customer base), OFR or string-thru, MOP Piranah inlays. Made in Japan.
-X Series... Jacksons entry-level guitar: No binding, MOTO sharkfin inlays, JT580LP or string-thru, DD or EMG-HZ PU's. Made in Indonesia.
-JS Series... Jacksons beginner series: Leave models current, JT580LP or string-thru, dot inlays, Jackson electronics, add new easily-replicated "graphics" to capture younger crowd. Made in Indonesia.

Production:
USA lines would be seperated as follows:
-USA Custom line would build Full Custom and Semi-Custom guitars only.
-USA Standard Select would be an entirely seperate line.
-Each line wold have its own dedicated QC department, and ALL workers to be CVP trained and will sign off on each guitars step. If a problem is found later on down the line or at final QC, it can be traced to where and when it took place. QC NOT to be confused with final setup. QC will be the LAST step before a guitar is packed up and shipped out. This will entail tolerances that must be followed to allow a guitar to ship as with any true QC department.

Endorsements and advertising:
-Set a certain advertisement budget and goals. Upscale advertising department (if one even exists?).
-Impliment endorement department which will take care of the following:
-Be more lenient and open to endorsees, impliment and endorsement "level" infrastructure. A new guy in the industry isnt going to get 7 free guitars a year... but we will take care and work with them to help build not only thier carreer, but our relationship. Someone who has sold 7 million records wants to come on board? Yeah, well cater to them.
-Focus on newer and more upcoming endorsees without straying too far from Jacksons roots. More agressive tactics to get pre-established artists to sign with us.

Website:
-Up-to-date info and specs at ALL times.
-Make site customer-interactive with forum, custom shop builder and prices, and online contests.
-Feature artists that people have actually heard of.
-Feature artist section which gives details of ALL of our endorsees.

Off the top of my head, thats the basics of it. There would be alot more to entail than that, but over all Ive covered most of the ground basics.