Anyone else want to see Jackson/Charvel evolve and go "mainstream"?

[Grandturk]

Stylistically, I have a hard time playing bluesy on a really flat fretboard. I prefer the round ness of my strats, LP's and SG for bluesier stuff.

[Newc]

I don't want everybody else on the face of the planet owning the same types of guitars as me.

I do. That's how businesses dominate a market. That's why Fender has Strats at every price range - from $100 Hello Kitty and Jr/Starter Kits to $10,000+ Custom/Boutique stuff.

You're saying that you'd rather be part of a "not-as-exclusive-as-you-believe" group of people even if it means said company eventually goes under?


And for the folks saying "If I want a non-Metal guitar, I'll et PRS/Fender/Gibson" - that's exactly what we're talking about as the problem. Why should you go with anyone else but Jackson for non-Metal guitars? We're saying Jackson should have a model for every mood - Jazz, Rockabilly, Punk, Metal, Fusion, Pop, Reggae, Blues, Country, whatever.

Does that mean I want business taken away from Fender and PRS and Gibson?

DUH, of course it does.

But that's what brand-loyalty is about.

I wanna see Jackson logos on every guitar. I wanna see the next Jack Black music-oriented movie done with Jackson guitars and basses, not Gibson. I wanna see Guitar Hero 4 and Rockband 3 featuring nothing but Jackson-logoed guitars, BUT I want them to be NON-METAL designs alongside the METAL-ONLY designs.

Why is that a problem?

[blackendvampire]

Well, My best suggestion, if anyone reads past 4 pages, is that the fusion comes back as the counterpart to the soloist. Make a retarded refined 27 fret, pointed headstock, scalloped frets from 12 to 27, deep recess floyd, dimarzio pickup machine. Yet suttle, so it doesnt look like a weapon, but just a nice everything instrument. The ESP Japan Kiko guitar is like that, especially just the single bridge humbucker and an angled neck single coil, looks great. The object here, to put caparison, schecter, ESP, and many others, out on the superduperstrat market. Make the thing affordable, yet high quality, keep the specs the same when you make a cheaper version of it, and just have 3 versions, USA, MIJ, and MIK, that would be three price points, 2000$, 900$, and 600$, all with the same look. Colours would also probably be good, but just somthing that anyone who wants a floyd guitar, would want instead of any other floyd stratshape guitar, its that simple. People are buying caparisons for outrageous prices, just because of the 27 frets on a couple models. And its not just the frets, it just looks like the ultimate guitar, somthing that would appeal to anyone. As for going back to basics, yeah make regular production versions of the adrian smith guitar, that would eat fender alive. I've never owned a fender strat, but I would deffinately buy a jackson strat, if it was just that, a strat with a jackson logo, floyd, and a humbucker in the bridge... and maple neck.

anyways, people can go in any direction with this shit, and really, no one is going to read it.

[Flatpicker]

Why is that a problem?

It's not, If Jackson was it's own company.

You are missing the point. Jackson is a FMIC brand. FMIC fills all those other niches you mention with it's other brands. Jackson fills a strategic role in the larger picture.
You don't cannibalize your own sales by doing what you are asking. It's not business sensible.

[AK47]

All I want is "Hope and Change" for Jackson.

[Flatpicker]

All I want is to get laid.
If my Jackson can help me with that, then I don't care what musical genre it is supposed to be considered.

[Joelski]

Jackson isn't going anywhere, especially with FMIC watching over it. Seriously, why would you want to be another face in a sea of Jacksons? If that happens, the next thing would be CS only; the law of supply & demand. You want to be like jake over there, pay up, suckah. I'm a fan, not a fanboy. Would I like one of everything? Fuck yeah! Do I want everybody up and down the street chewin' my flavor? Fuck no! Get your own identity and rock with it. How many people here only own Jackson guitars? Not very many, I'd venture a guess. It's all about individuality and if it takes a tele to be a successful chicken picker, fine, but don't change the "Bloodline" to follow a few dollars. That's a terrible business strategy with good odds of alienating a higher percentage of players than you acquire.

[Grandturk]

You know what they could do is use the Charvel brand to go after the custom strat market in the vein of Anderson, Suhr and Pensa (and others). High dollar strat style guitars. The Strat headstock keeps the guitar in the "classic" style that won't offend the more "vintage" minded folks.

Admittedly, the 25th Anniv strathead they relaunched the branch with didn't sell very well...

[Newc]

If that happens, the next thing would be CS only; the law of supply & demand.

Do what? You mean "the only way to stand out from the millions of Jackson owners is to get a Custom Shop Jackson"?

Just how far out do you think you stand? Are you the only guy in your town with a Jackson?

You want to be like jake over there, pay up, suckah. I'm a fan, not a fanboy. Would I like one of everything? Fuck yeah! Do I want everybody up and down the street chewin' my flavor? Fuck no! Get your own identity and rock with it.

This part I totally do not understand. "Get your own identity" - I agree - but do it with a JACKSON that suits your style of music, no matter what style you play.

How many people here only own Jackson guitars? Not very many, I'd venture a guess.

Well, as soon as I sell my Les Paul, and when/if I find a Charvel Classical from the 90s, I will.

It's all about individuality and if it takes a tele to be a successful chicken picker, fine, but don't change the "Bloodline" to follow a few dollars. That's a terrible business strategy with good odds of alienating a higher percentage of players than you acquire.

Oh yeah, that's a terrible business strategy - to cater to every possible market and thus rake in tons of cash from all corners of the globe. Yeah, that'd suck.



FP - Yes, I know FMIC won't allow it. Doesn't seem to be stopping me from ranting about it :ROTF:

[VitaminG]

Oh yeah, that's a terrible business strategy - to cater to every possible market and thus rake in tons of cash from all corners of the globe. Yeah, that'd suck.

but not many companies have been successful attempting to cater to every possible market. Gibson & Fender have never been able to break into the metal market (although their standards - the LP & the Strat have been played in metal, just as a Soloist, Dinky, Rhoads, et al can be used for almost any style), I haven't seen too many BC Rich or ESP jazzboxes playing around, haven't seen too many bluegrass players using D'Angelicos either. PRS have managed to partially crossover into metal without creating a "metal" line of guitars. Some folks just found that the PRS sound can work in that context & are happy to play a "pretty" guitar in a dark style of music. Why couldn't someone play a pointy guitar in a pretty style of music?

You're already outlined why the Sweetones bellied up when Jackson tried to create something outside their niche to chase another market. The Dominion is a notched back version of that guitar, a new shape with milder pickups, promoted by a popular metal guitarist, and they seem to be selling okay. So they've gone halfway to what you're proposing without chasing that AAAAA top boutique setneck market, or moving away from the marque they have created over the last nearly 30 years.

[AK47]

Jackson isn't going anywhere, especially with FMIC watching over it. Seriously, why would you want to be another face in a sea of Jacksons? If that happens, the next thing would be CS only; the law of supply & demand. You want to be like jake over there, pay up, suckah. I'm a fan, not a fanboy. Would I like one of everything? Fuck yeah! Do I want everybody up and down the street chewin' my flavor? Fuck no! Get your own identity and rock with it. How many people here only own Jackson guitars? Not very many, I'd venture a guess. It's all about individuality and if it takes a tele to be a successful chicken picker, fine, but don't change the "Bloodline" to follow a few dollars. That's a terrible business strategy with good odds of alienating a higher percentage of players than you acquire.

Thats the problem it seams like all Jackson players are now stereotyped as either long hair older guys stuck in the 80's or younger Death Metal Screamo kids or whatever they call themselves.

PRS and ESP for example have a broad base of players associated with their product and I think it would be great to see Jackson diversify a bit.

I cant stand the stereotype that is associated with Jackson guitars personally. I beleive that they are a guitar that can sound good doing anytype of music and am getting tired of the same old marketing "Blood Line" and airbrushed skulls over and over.

I am saying keep marketing to the metal dudes but dont alienate everyone else by not attempting anything new or risky.

Look at ESP they release tons of new crazy body shapes every year and most fail but the ones that stick are pretty cool. At least they are not afraid of doing something new.

[Flatpicker]

FP - Yes, I know FMIC won't allow it. Doesn't seem to be stopping me from ranting about it :ROTF:

Gotcha Newc. Rant away then. It's therapeutic.

[Newc]

but not many companies have been successful attempting to cater to every possible market. Gibson & Fender have never been able to break into the metal market (although their standards - the LP & the Strat have been played in metal, just as a Soloist, Dinky, Rhoads, et al can be used for almost any style),

Agreed, but the one thing you're forgetting to mention is the "but", as in "but Jackson's radical styling - pointy sharkfin inlays, pointy 6-inline headstock, Dinkified Strat body - simply do not have the open-accessibility that Gibson's Block and Trapezoid inlays or Fender's plain-Jane dot inlays and smooth-edged, rounded body shapes do"

You've already outlined why the Sweetones bellied up when Jackson tried to create something outside their niche to chase another market. The Dominion is a notched back version of that guitar, a new shape with milder pickups, promoted by a popular metal guitarist, and they seem to be selling okay. So they've gone halfway to what you're proposing without chasing that AAAAA top boutique setneck market, or moving away from the marque they have created over the last nearly 30 years.

I do believe the Morton has the potential to succeed in a Non-Metal arena, you just have to find enough Non-Metal players to open up to it as easily as they would a Gibson or Fender. Billy Gibbons could do it, but then he's well-known for using things no one else would go near - remember the fuzzy Deans?

The one bright spot of hope was the catalog shot a few years back of the guy for the Grand Ole Opry using a PC-1. Unfortunately, he didn't really have a "name", and so wasn't a big enough "billboard" like, say, Tim McGraw or Kenny Chesney.

I understand that an accomplished player of any style can ply his trade on any body shape. The issue at hand is that you cannot get many high-profile Non-Metal players to do it on a "Bloodline" Jackson model like the Rhoads or Kelly. It's not as much a question of compensating them financially for it, you have to have a model they'd WANT to play.

I'm sure that these players of whom we speak have tried out a Jackson at some point - every musician has an innate desire to try a different guitar - but I'm also sure they passed on it because of the "Metal" styling.


Hopefully both the Morton and the SLS3 will take off into the "mass appeal" direction with their "traditional" appointments - blockular inlays, 2 useable humbuckers, and the tuneomatic bridge. Though I personally would rather see them with a Floyd

[Newc]

Gotcha Newc. Rant away then. It's therapeutic.

Yeah, it's like an annual tradition for me, though I'm surprised to see someone else starting this thread instead of me

I think I've started 3 or 4 of them over the years

[Larz]

Is the Fender EVH/Wolfgang series crossing over at all? Who is buying these guitars?