Custom shop vs Custom select

[neilli]

In my opinion, a year on average for a Custom Select and 2 (or more) years for a MB are both ridiculous waiting times.
I'd suggest to hire more staff if they have so much work.

Yeah, the wait times are on the longer side, but I'm told ESP are no quicker (and they're a lot more expensive), and for god's sake don't even think about ordering a Ken Lawrence! But yeah, I have to agree that they need more staff - if they've had to shut down MB orders because they're too backlogged, it would seem very obvious that they're understaffed.

[neilli]

... I wanted one thing: basically a stock SL2H with a maple fretboard on a Limited Run. You know what I was told? That it's a "woodworking change" and I would have to go full Custom Shop.

As I understood it, the woodworking change thing was just a bit of a catch all at the time - they wouldn't take orders for custom pickup configs or whatever, because it was a 'change', even if it was just a single hum (i.e. not doing work and saving parts cost). But in your case, they probably didn't have a 24 fret plain maple fingerboard in stock, so it'd have to have been special ordered. Likewise now they don't offer the EMG SA, but they do offer h/s and EMG humbuckers, so not sure just what dramatic failure that would cause to the ordering system LOL

[Aso]

Yeah, the wait times are on the longer side, but I'm told ESP are no quicker (and they're a lot more expensive), and for god's sake don't even think about ordering a Ken Lawrence! But yeah, I have to agree that they need more staff - if they've had to shut down MB orders because they're too backlogged, it would seem very obvious that they're understaffed.

I have a ESP custom shop NV and a Jackson Masterbuilt currently that I ordered close to each other (October for the ESP. December for the Jackson). We will see which shows up first but I have already seen photos of the Jackson where it's almost ready for paint. ESP Japan is like a total black box. Unless they have questions you hear nothing and even my dealer seems to have little insight. ESP quoted 8 months and we are past that. My money is on the Jackson MB to be done first.

[synapsistheory]

I ordered my Jackson custom select last month(August) and was told it would take 10-12 months. Cool. We'll see when it actually gets here but I'm not really worried about the wait time like so many people are. It's a Jackson custom order...of course it's gonna take time. I put ZERO money down on it so no sweat off my back. That gives me more time to put money aside for it. Carvin/Keisel don't take as long because they're not as popular of a guitar company. Everyone loves Jacksons. Everyone wants Jacksons. How many of us on here currently have a CS on order? I bet a bunch! Not too mention the many artists that want a CS or MB. 10-12 months seems pretty reasonable given the volume of custom orders they probably get. Could they use more employees to speed up the process? Sure. But for me personally, that's none of my business. I'm not worried about that, though I can see why some would be frustrated.

Patience, my friends. Patience. Your own Jackson CS will be worth all the wait.

Rock on...

[xenophobe]

Carvin/Keisel don't take as long because they're not as popular of a guitar company.

That's not really a valid statement, imo. Kiesel is fully staffed and has a new production warehouse and a streamlined CNC workflow. Kiesel doesn't have a dealer network they need to satisfy orders from, they deal direct to customer. Jackson doesn't have their own paint booth and Fender products get priority, so a Jackson could be sitting there waiting for weeks or longer just to receive paint when the paint booth has down time. Jackson is also understaffed and backlogged and is not a priority at Corona. Jackson never had a CNC facility at Ontario, if they did wait times would likely be similar to Carvin, at the time when full masterbuilds were taking less than a year to deliver.

[pmilo]

Kiesel doesn't have a dealer network they need to satisfy orders from, they deal direct to customer.

That particular aspect reminds me of a legendary custom guitar maker from back in the 80's. Starts with a J...

[PowerTube]

As I understood it, the woodworking change thing was just a bit of a catch all at the time - they wouldn't take orders for custom pickup configs or whatever, because it was a 'change', even if it was just a single hum (i.e. not doing work and saving parts cost). But in your case, they probably didn't have a 24 fret plain maple fingerboard in stock, so it'd have to have been special ordered. Likewise now they don't offer the EMG SA, but they do offer h/s and EMG humbuckers, so not sure just what dramatic failure that would cause to the ordering system LOL

At the time, I think I was under the assumption that they could just use the maple board from a DK2M. I mean, it's the same exact scale length and the same radius.

Either way, their "custom" options seem way too strict to me.

[neilli]

Well yeah, but the DK2M was Japanese so they wouldn't have the stock in the US factory.

It can be very frustrating (god knows, I've been through it) but Jackson still offer a fairly wide array of options under custom select. Probably more than someone like Suhr or Anderson do for each model.

[CaptNasty]

Ordered a Custom Select Dinky in late Jan 2018. Was quoted 4 months. Recieved the guitar late May 2018.

[xenophobe]

I won't ever order another Custom / masterbuild. I love my last order, but yeah, never again. I won't order a Custom Select until 7 string is an option. It's wrong that they don't offer them. I wonder what Jackson would be like under a good owner.

That particular aspect reminds me of a legendary custom guitar maker from back in the 80's. Starts with a J...

Hasn't been like that for a long time.

[Aso]

I won't ever order another Custom / masterbuild. I love my last order, but yeah, never again. I won't order a Custom Select until 7 string is an option. It's wrong that they don't offer them.

This I agree with and just don't understand what about seven string guitars makes Jackson not offer them as Custom Selects. It's not like added extra string is that much extra materials or work.

[PowerTube]

Another thing that amazes me is that they're still using an old fashioned paper form that you turn in to a dealer. I know it's available in PDF format, but in this day and age, they should have an online "guitar builder" where you can pick exactly what you want and submit a down payment. Kiesel has the online form but not a builder; you have to know what you want when ordering.

Honestly, if they were to go back to every order being a custom it would restore the Jackson name.

[toejam]

Kiesel has the online form but not a builder; you have to know what you want when ordering.

You can also call them direct and order a lot more than the basic options available on their site.

[CaptNasty]

The Fender Custom Shop is the same way. You download their PDF design guide, print it, fill out your options and take the form to a Fender dealer. But the Fender Mod Shop (I think this is similar to a Custom Select) lets you tweak a base model and order it online.

[PowerTube]

You can also call them direct and order a lot more than the basic options available on their site.

Yep. The "Option 50" gives you a ton of further options.