Is anyone writing to FMIC about bad policies?

[excon]

Corporations like FMIC don’t do anything unless there is a profit to be made. This “high end showroom” represents a new market that FMIC wants to exploit, and it must if it wants to be competitive. It stands to reason that this high roller showroom will pay for itself and make a profit or they will shut it down. All FMIC wants to do is get that money before someone else does.

I think what is scaring JCFers out there is that FMIC is going to try to do the same thing with Jackson. After all Jackson has had a successful USA custom shop too. If FMIC is to do this they must raise prices which will take them out of the reach of those of us who have already become accustomed to having them. The question is will the rich people want them? FMIC is taking a big risk by raising their prices because they will alienate the current customer base.

If you look at the bigger economic picture, these new high end markets are a sign of the times. Statistics show that since 1980, the rich have been getting richer and the poor have been getting poorer and the middle class has been getting smaller. If the middle class doesn’t start fighting for better living standards like it once did in the first half of the last century, most of us will be scrimping and saving for guitar strings, and that is something to be mad about.

[Cygnus X1]

Educate me, and I'm not being sarcastic...my impression is that most of the old Jacksons were customs, there were model lines, but the paint schemes varied widely across the board, so there were a large amount of rare pieces.

I guess that was a different age, though, when they were struggling a bit, had low overhead, and were trying to establish themselves. Now it's just another name on the headstock, built by a high cost operaton, I guess.

[AK47]

*Maybe* to FMIC it's just another name on a headstock, but jackson has all their own people who only work on jackson, and regular fender employees dont touch them. EVH stuff and charvel may be different, but jackson is a separate entity within fmic.

Not anymore I am sure a few other members can confirm this...


Important thing is write and let them know how you feel since this thread did open up a line of communication let them know if you think they are doing a good job but for those that do I really dont see you guys putting money down on a custom but I could be wrong...

You have to remember its not 1988 and not everyone wants a Jackson right now demand is low compared to Gibson, PRS and Fender so you cant up the price to their level if you have a guitar that is not that high in demand. Look at what ESP and Ibanez are doing and compete with them. Thats your demographic right there.

[RacerX]

Guys, I would like to hear the issues and help address them as best I can. Please feel free to email me at [email protected].

Thanks... Mike

Welcome, Mike!

[mattsmusiccenter]

Do any of these "custom shop galleries" actually exist?

One of these days I'm going to publish a book called "Confessions of a custom shop dealer". Judging by this thread it will be a good seller!

[MEX3]

I know how that book would end. You'd lose your right to sell FMIC products.:ROTF:

[mattsmusiccenter]

[Chad]

and the complete lack of orders at Jackson (to the point where staff are being moved off J/C production)

My source confirms this.

J/C CS is overloaded. Shit, it takes them weeks and weeks just to proceed your qoute.

?

[RacerX]

That last guy doesn't know what he's talking about

[shreddermon]

Really, Ron? When's the last time you got a custom shop quote turned around? Because that's pretty much how it's played out for me everytime I've ordered a CS guitar in the last 5 years or so. Sometimes better, sometimes worse. (Much worse - as in months, once or twice.) ...Unless something has changed very recently.

[slayer]

I will write to Mike eventually, but after I have settled down I am 100% happy with my 2005/2006 CS Soloist and was about to order another one when FMIC dropped the big bomb on us about limitations on options, Master Built bullshit(just the words MB make my skin crawl) and the 30% average increase on the price of the guitar itslef. So, I voted with my wallet and did not order one. The only way to get me back would be to lower the prices back down 30% to the old prices, get rid of the MB upcharges and be a custom shop that offers many options, with very little restrictions. I paid alot of $$$$$$$ for my CS Soloist and would do it again, but not 30% more and no MB bullshit My ultimate vision would be for FMIC to sell off the J/C name and rights and a smaller company buy it and old school it again Until then, I will buy no new Jacksons ever and stick to good used ones.

Jack

[excon]

I agree with the above post. It seems like Jackson is falling into a black hole also known as the FMIC corporate empire. Grover Jackson was a creative man with a vision of doing things differently. He made Fender shaped guitars better than Fender, and he made Gibson shaped guitars better than Gibson. In addition he designed his own line of guitar shapes; Soloist, Rhoads, Kelly, King V. In the late ‘80s he helped to produce the import guitars which made Jacksons available to everyone. Even after he left the company the custom shop continued his creative legacy. Just look the custom shop sections of Jackson catalogs of the ‘90s. Every year there were new headstock and body shapes with new construction methods, hardware combinations, and pickup combinations. Look at the custom shop section of the 2006 catalog. What happened? All it shows are several common models. Is this the future of the Jackson USA custom shop? I don’t know. I hope not. It looks like there may be a lot of limits.

This is the problem with corporations. Whenever a creative man of vision comes up with a better or cheaper way of doing things, the big corporations purposely use their power to run them into bankruptcy and/or buy them out. By doing this they crush the competition, and they can continue to conduct their business in the way that suits them. In addition, they use their lawyers and lobbying groups to tip the playing field in their favor. People have to start fighting these corporations! After all, there is a lot more at stake than a great guitar market with a good selection of guitars at affordable prices.

[kinde69]

I have to say that I´m really satisfied with Jackson at the moment. I ordered my custom RR in the end of 2005. About half year later my RR was finished but unfortunately there were a few things which I didn´t want at all (mini switch, tone knob and inlays was different than I ordered). Jackson promised to make a new custom RR and follow the WO very carefully. Believe or not but it tooked only 2 months and 20 days to build my custom RR!!! ...and there was a lot special features (Iommi Cross inlays, scalloped frets etc.). At the end I got my dream RR (Matt helped with nut). I was promised to have a binder with my custom RR but I didn´t get it. Today was my lucky day and I got my binder and cool pics from my guitar. The quality of Jackson guitars is the best in the world! I have played many guitars but not every other guitar brands...and I´m not the best player in the world either but I can play something...I have now 17 USA Jackson´s and definitely will order a new one in the future! I admit that it take sometimes a little too long before customers get their service but the service is really top quality. I got all what I wanted from Jackson - sooner or later.

Patience, patience...communication is the keyword what I wanted and what I need also in the future. There is a huge pain if you don´t know what is happening. After you get the information you can sleep your nights better But I guess that the lack of resources (not enough people with time) will lead that there is not enough communication during the process. With better communication there would be much less mistakes in guitars and the productivity would be better. Then the profitability would be so much better and the prices could be lower. In the end the economical results would be better and the customers would be more satisfied. These was my opinions to this thread.

[Jacksonite]

I really think Jackson Charvel and the powers that be are trying really hard to fix the problems they have been having.

One thing, is I have been talking to the custom shop guys on getting some quotes, and they are being way more meticulous than what it seemed before.
They know there is a problem with that side. As far as the prices, well the USAs are the same for most part as they have been for the past 10 years retail wise.. they are up less than 10% from 1999 when I bought my USA Kelly...
the same guitar is only a little bit more

[RacerX]

Shreddermon, I was referring to Carbophos' first sentence, not the 2nd. I should have quoted just that part of it.