It's Official - FMIC/Jackson is on Crack !

[MEX3]

I thought Postal reported that the Jackson Custom shop was dead dead dead. They had guys going over to help out on Fender stuff because there was nothing to do on the Jacksons...
Speaking of Postal, is he still around here? I thought he was a good source of info.

[RacerX]

i also seen second hand used Korean RR3's at 600€!.

Ah, no such thing...

[Brooke]

I agree that the price hikes are (somewhat) related to demand exceeding production capacity. It's basic economics: demand is high? Then you can charge more for your product. And that may also have had (somewhat) something to do with the QC issues. So hopefully the latter is/will get better.

The only part that I disagree with, though, is the "wait a couple of years and prices will come back down" theory. Not gonna happen. The best you can hope for under that scenario is a couple of years worth of no price increases.

Yes,,but the demand for guitars is not that elastic. It's drops off quite quickly after a point (I would assume anyway). Who's going to pay double for a guitar?

Surly allot less than 1/2 of the people,,,so that would equal a loss in profit.

Me = confused.

Think I'm just going to pick up a string through Rhoads, and wait until the price hike is over..

[Psychotron_666]

The price raise has really been bugging me lately. I have no way of getting enough money to buy any USA Jackson, and really thats the only thing I've been GASing for. I guess Ebay is my friend lol

[guitarzan2]

I thought Postal reported that the Jackson Custom shop was dead dead dead. They had guys going over to help out on Fender stuff because there was nothing to do on the Jacksons...
Speaking of Postal, is he still around here? I thought he was a good source of info.

Exactly !!! Between the continual price hikes and the history of screwing up Custom Shop orders, nobody is ordering custom pieces. There is NO backlog at the Jackson Custom Shop. They have priced themselves out of business. FMIC is a big company with a big shop with lots of employees. Current business practices are just plain dumb and don't make any sense financially.

God, I thought USA Dean prices were getting stupid when they got to $3K but get this, Dean recognized their USA prices were getting out of control since they were actually contracting out their USA production to US Masters. Dean saw the problem, recognized it and now has Dean Zelinsky and Jon Hill opening a new Custom Shop in Chicago to build in-house USA models. It will be interesting to see how they are priced. Dean Zelinsky told me personally that they were trying to keep costs down and would be making their own pickups in house and building some USA bolt-on models.

Even Dean is having an almost impossible time selling $3K custom guitars. The limitted 200 Dime DFH USA guitars got priced around $3500 and I ended up getting one after the initial interest in them brand new for $1995.

But seriously, who else out there is a legitimate option?

[Digitised]

yeah, but consider this; they can spend the money to increase production without such a price hike, or they can keep the staffing and equipment the same, but double the prices, make more money, and the backlog will take care of itself eventually. from a monetary standpoint, i understand it. i don't like it at all, but i can understand it.

sully

Theres some very good reasons why they wont increase capacity -

1 -Some of the core builders have been there for 25 years and those kind of skills dont transfer easily or go down well with the customer to know that their custom was built by an intern.
Plus all the training would slow down current production.

2 -This current backlog is 2 years of the 'old prices' which doesnt yeild them a great return on investment capital if they splash out a few million and shut down half the building for 'expansion' this would slow production and also not be useful long term since jacksons do not have the sustained high demand that the more mainstream brands have.
They could expand and get all orders done by next christmas, and then they have a huge factory with just a few orders trickling in...

Basically you only expand when business is growing, not just when your lagging behind on orders.

[Digitised]

The only part that I disagree with, though, is the "wait a couple of years and prices will come back down" theory. Not gonna happen. The best you can hope for under that scenario is a couple of years worth of no price increases.

Well inflation aside they cannot expect to sell CS models for $10k if nobody is buying them. The prices have to come down, they will be forced to compete with other firms, there are plenty of companies offering custom shop work for VERY competitive prices.

I cannot predict too far down the line, but unless jacksons become the must have guitars again, the prices will plummet from ridiculous down to just slightly more than sensible.

They will never be as cheap as the old days, thats just a classic example of disequalibrium.
Im judging $3500-4000 is the most realistic price for a CS, if jackson could turn the clocks back they would probably have done it this way.
The marketing/sales division were crazy to keep the prices so low.

[Nova]

I admit the Jackson CS's are really expensive right now, this Death kelly with the skull from Guitar asylum is like 6000 bucks! Its gorgeous but totally unrealistic I mean....and also those RR with cutaways also from guitar asylum...

But Jackson arent the only ones about smokin's crack b4 fixing prices for CS

Take the exemple of ESP

you take a LTD Mh-1000, its worth like a lil less than 1K (like 900)

you send a Custom form sheet to ESP, asking for the SAME SPECS than the Mh-1000 but for a lefty, and they reply you that such an axe, hand made by ESP, would cost 6600$

I mean, fuck off

[Learn Guitars]

Well, after a number of custom shop guitars that I am still extremely happy with, I stepped down from ordering more (and I had concrete plans to order several more customs). Several of the guitars I ordered would cost twice as much, or more, if I ordered them today. I definitely think the new prices are way out of hand. I have gone elsewhere for my next several guitars and they cost me MUCH less than current Jackson prices and will be every bit as good. If Jackson is going to charge 6 grand for a custom guitar, it should be something truly amazing. It should have McNaught quality diamond grade quilt, exotic woods, inlays more unique than sharkies, etc. It should not look like a standard optioned USA Select with a graphic on top. Jackson has proven to me with some of my guitars and others like the spalted maple soloists, and the spalted/pink ivory Death Kelly that they can build truly awe-inspiring guitars with natural woods. Jackson, please for the love of all that is holy - cut out doing so many cheesy skull, eyeball, and boob graphics. I don't want a $6000 guitar with a graphic that looks like something I would've gotten airbrushed on a t-shirt in the mall when I was 8 years old. Use the abilities of guys like Pablo and have them build some guitars that have killer tonewoods and beautiful looks!

Scott

I know wht you are saying. But am rather insulted to have the effort I put into these NAMM guitars compared to some cheesy shit you would get at a Tshirt booth in your local mall. I don't look at guitars with out graphics and think, those lazy bastards didnt put cool graphics on that high priced guitar, but rather put some unstable figured wood on it instead. I also own quite a few guitars with nothing but killer woods. I hardly feel my graphics effect the tone. It is a matter of taste and dont find it nessecary to insult the individuals choice.
I put a lot of thought into my art and am happy to have the chance to put my Tshirt painting skills to use. There are some people who appreciate the unique art that other artists associated with J/C ,including myself, put alot of effort into, with out any great pay. Appreciate the fact that you have the opportunity to not buy them. I don't expect people all to have a taste for art on guitars, but at least respect the work and effort that the individual puts into the guitar for those that do. I for one am thankful to have the chance to share my art with everyone, regardless of their tastes...Im not pushing my shit on anyone.
If you don't like it, don't buy it. You do have a choice, exercise it with out insulting the hard work of others involved.

[anuske9]

You do have a choice, exercise it with*out* insulting the hard work of others involved.

FTFY, Mike.

I'm not gonna get into this, but does anyone know if Jackson is going to show off some natural wood guitars at NAMM?

[Learn Guitars]

Adam.
There will be a wide variety of instruments including some natural woods as well. Nothing more beautiful than mother natures art.

[anuske9]

Sorry for such an obvious question, I was just trying to see where Scholomance was coming from.

[TheAmazingBlob]

Yep, the custom shop prices are absolutely insane. I can get a really nice USA built guitar with a flame top, MOP inlays, binding, stainless steel frets, custom shape, etc., for less than $2500 from Gutierrez, and not much more from Ran. From Jackson it would cost at least twice as much, and what are you paying for then? The word "Jackson" that no one can read from 25 feet away anyway?

Don't get me wrong, I love my RR1T, but the custom shop prices are beyond ridiculous.

[Axewielder]

It's funny, over in Ibanezland they have transparent natural finishes coming out of their asses, but on jemsite they are whining about not having enough graphic finishes to choose from. It's always greener on the other side I guess.

[[NEX]]

I admit the Jackson CS's are really expensive right now, this Death kelly with the skull from Guitar asylum is like 6000 bucks! Its gorgeous but totally unrealistic I mean....and also those RR with cutaways also from guitar asylum...

But Jackson arent the only ones about smokin's crack b4 fixing prices for CS

Take the exemple of ESP

you take a LTD Mh-1000, its worth like a lil less than 1K (like 900)

you send a Custom form sheet to ESP, asking for the SAME SPECS than the Mh-1000 but for a lefty, and they reply you that such an axe, hand made by ESP, would cost 6600$

I mean, fuck off

Guess you dont know the difference between a custom shop and a korean run. specially for a MH-1000 since its a carved top, leftie and you probably added a ebony fretboard and transparent finish. Even though its expensive (ill take it for 1 1/2 grand less, and if my dealer get me that) the ESP custom shop is in high demand these days.