USA Custom Select - your thoughts?

[neilli]

So now these have been shown at NAMM, I guess the secret is out - Jackson now offer two 'tiers' of custom order. The usual, bells and whistles version, and now a more limited and cheaper version where you can make some changes to a standard USA Select. You can't change the pickup config, body wood, neck angle or have a rev head. But you can change the fingerboard wood (ebony, rosewood or maple), colour (inc. matching head), hardware colour, logo colour, inlays (sharkfins, dots or none), oiled neck, ss frets and a few other things. And they're promising a quick turnaround....

I think it's a good idea, but I'm surprised (bummed) that they're not offering a rev head or allowing hum-single or single hum. But there's still potential to come up with some cool guitars without breaking the bank.

[xenophobe]

Interesting, but I hope it doesn't drive up the prices of customs or push their orders into further backlog.

[Ward]

Cool that they are looking at some options to change things up and reduce wait times.

But unfortunately if I was going to make changes I would want different body wood, different pickup configuration, and a reverse head.

So I think it's a good idea, but it isn't anything that appeals to me with those exceptions.

[Spiderman]

Interesting, but I hope it doesn't drive up the prices of customs or push their orders into further backlog.

+1

I would typically go rev head, but have to say it would be nice to be able to order a maple board with SS frets, oiled neck, and gold hardware in the lower-tier option - especially if turnaround is significantly shorter than the standard custom shop wait. It would be nice if quilted maple tops were included in the lower tier. I can see some nice limited runs coming out in the future with these options available.

[xenophobe]

Yeah, it's too bad they won't do rev headstocks or 1 hums without going full custom. Gotta acknolwedge that they realize there's a problem and they're trying to fix it... and this could be one of the ways to do it... offering a customized Select that goes through regular production instead of being bogged down at the CS.

[Hellbat]

I'm in the same boat. A good idea, but would be nice if you could at least specify pickup configuration.

I guess it will come down to cost versus full custom and regular USA select, to see if it's a good value for a semi-custom or not.

[shreddermon]

Honestly, I think this is a great move. Long overdue, but better late than never.

Would love to see the full options list allowed and pricing involved. I would be seriously interested in possibly ordering one or more of these.

The one part that just doesn't make any sense is the "no pickup config changes" rule. I mean, why not at least allow the option to delete one or more pickups? Then folks could order single-hum or H-S guitars. Keep the guitar the same price - or even charge for the option - and Jackson makes even more per-guitar profit through less work (routing, wiring, etc) and parts (deleted pickups and/or switches).

[MetalDaze]

I think it's great. ESP was allowing this for a while on their Standard series (although it was never well advertised), but they've moved in the opposite direction. No changes unless you go full custom.

I can order a Soloist now in a color I actually want with a maple board, matching headstock, oiled neck, and SS frets? AWESOME. I'd really like to know how fast they can churn these out.

[Corpsegrinder88]

i like that idea. they did that briefly before right? in the 90's sometime?

[neilli]

They're saying 90-120 days unless you go Urethane or Sparkle.

Full customs are 2 years (ridiculous) but that's what they've been saying for the last 6 months or so. Maybe the idea is to free up some time for the Master Builders by taking the 'easy' custom specs and getting them built on the line? I loose track of who does what though..

[xenophobe]

Maybe the idea is to free up some time for the Master Builders by taking the 'easy' custom specs and getting them built on the line?

Those are my thoughts as well. Corporate did say they would reduce wait times for CS orders. This would probably help quite a bit. As everyone knows, more than half of the CS guitars they make are only simple changes or batch runs. Most people don't spec completely original builds.

[Devotee]

Time to order a Ferrari Red KV2 with maple board, black sharkfins and black headstock with red logo...

[Kisonen]

The whole thing sounds like Jackson Stars semi custom order guitars. Good idea if the pricing is right and the can keep build times below 120 days. Are these for single guitar orders or does it have be run of 10?

[Richard W]

I love this idea, similar to Suhr's Pro series.

[Nightbat]

so, drop the USA Selects down to $1500/$2000, Semi-Selects in the $2100/$2700, Full custom: Sky's the limit

As for cutting down CS backlog: I think april 1st came early this year
if they claim they can do a Semi-Select in 120 days, there's no way a CS would take 2 years, no matter how difficult