Question About Jackson Custom Shop

[Jake_Dreyer]

Hey,

I am going to order a Jackson KV7 with a tremelo. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will place the order. This is going to be my first CS guitar and I was wondering if there were any do's and dont's from anybody who has already gone through this process or who knows about it.

Thanks in advance, any information will be helpful

Jake

[neilli]

I've placed 5 custom orders so far, and here's what I've learned:

• DO - spell out EVERYTHING on the work order. That means everything to the smallest detail i.e. switch / pot positions, logo style, control route etc. Supply colour samples and diagrams if there's anything unusual. For example if you want a Kahler with a Floyd nut, you HAVE to tell them that, otherwise you'll get a Kahler 'behind the nut' string lock.
• DO - go over the work order VERY VERY carefully. Once it's signed off, that's what they should build.
• DO NOT - leave anything on the work order to chance
• DO NOT - assume any specs to be standard.
• DO NOT - expect the to be ready by the estimated completion date
• DO NOT - accept the guitar if they've built it wrong

Also, I'd strongly advise against ordering a neckthru guitar with a non floating Floyd. They're tough to get right and not having any option to lower the action by lowering the bridge is kind of frightening....

[Strangletooth]

I've placed 5 custom orders so far, and here's what I've learned:

• DO - spell out EVERYTHING on the work order. That means everything to the smallest detail i.e. switch / pot positions, logo style, control route etc. Supply colour samples and diagrams if there's anything unusual. For example if you want a Kahler with a Floyd nut, you HAVE to tell them that, otherwise you'll get a Kahler 'behind the nut' string lock.
• DO - go over the work order VERY VERY carefully. Once it's signed off, that's what they should build.
• DO NOT - leave anything on the work order to chance
• DO NOT - assume any specs to be standard.
• DO NOT - expect the to be ready by the estimated completion date
• DO NOT - accept the guitar if they've built it wrong

Also, I'd strongly advise against ordering a neckthru guitar with a non floating Floyd. They're tough to get right and not having any option to lower the action by lowering the bridge is kind of frightening....

Couldn't have said it better Neilli! Also, who are you ordering from? (if you don't mind) I would suggest Matt or one of the others on this board that have had a long relationship with FMIC/Jackson and lot of CS ordering experience, but Neilli's spot on with the list. Be very particular with any and all details all the way to the strings!

[Newc]

Don't go into this if you've just picked up 7-strings. Give it time and see if you're going to stick with 7-strings or not. I ordered a 7-string Warrior after having a DR7 for about 2 months. 18 months later when the guitar was finished, I had pretty much lost interest in 7s for everything but "chug-chugga-wugga", and sold the Warrior at a considerable loss. I do wish I had it back, though.

However, if 7-string is your bag, go for it.


But yeah, like Neilli said, spell out everything you can think of, including measurements for the knob position from the side of the bridge pickup. Do it in Photoshop if you have to - it would really help.


Of course the biggest and most important DON'T - DO NOT change anything once it's been sent, or your order will be pushed back another month at least, maybe 6.

Minor changes such as inlay material and design won't affect the price much (unless you're looking at exotic materials or custom shapes you designed yourself or that would otherwise take time to develop and implement), so don't waste a lot of time checking on price changes for this and that. That gets old and they have guitars to build, so know what you want before you fill out the form.

Personally I would suggest paying the whole thing off up-front once the price quote comes in so that your guitar will ship to the dealer as soon as it's ready. As I understand it, most dealers are setup with a "credit" system whereby the have to be paid-up with the manufacturer before they will ship the guitars. If your guitar is in the "waiting for the money" list, it's going to stay there until the dealer can pay it off. If you've got it paid off at the start (or at least well before it's done), yours may ship sooner than someone who's ahead of you.

Custom Shop pieces might be different, though, where those ship when done. Only your dealer can tell you for sure. Most dealers will say you only need half up front just to let Jackson know you're serious about the order, but if I had mine to do over again, I'd pay them off when I got the quote just in case, especially with the uncertain economy. If it's a bit more once it's finished, you can cover it more easily, and if it comes in less, you get the difference.

[AK47]

Couldn't have said it better Neilli! Also, who are you ordering from? (if you don't mind) I would suggest Matt or one of the others on this board that have had a long relationship with FMIC/Jackson and lot of CS ordering experience, but Neilli's spot on with the list. Be very particular with any and all details all the way to the strings!

Matt is no longer a dealer but Nick at Piney Hills is.


Most of the stuff on Neili's list has been mistakes that they made on my CS orders. LOL


On my soloist they had to build it two times and refinish the headstock three times and they still managed to get it wrong when I finally got the soloist in my possesion.


One thing to add to that list. DO NOT have a battery cavity routed out in the guitar. Control plates can be made with a built in quick change battery compartment. There is no need to route out the additional wood anymore it is a obsolete idea and I dont know why guitar companies continue to do this unless its a PC1 with no additional room for a battery compartment.

Spell everything out and one thing to watch out for is if you send them a mock up on the CS generator it shows a inlay on fret 24 so tell them if you want one there or not.

Also keep bothering your dealer to get you updates and pics if I had been on the ball I may have been able to get some specs on my previous CS orders correct.

I currently have a string thru KV2 on order and I sent specific instruction on the exact logo I want etc. I have never received a custom shop yet that did not have at least one mistake on it.

FYI I have ordered 4 CS Charvels and Jacksons over the years.

[neilli]

Also keep bothering your dealer to get you updates and pics if I had been on the ball I may have been able to get some specs on my previous CS orders correct.

Yeah, that's a very good point. Regular updates / progress pics are a great thing to have, and a great way to spot mistakes early on...

[guitarbumb]

Im a newbi to the custom shop ordering process, but i am looking to get one my question is, if i refered to a particular model jackson on the form are they likly to know what im talking about or is it best to take all the measurements from the guitars i like and put them down??

[AK47]

Im a newbi to the custom shop ordering process, but i am looking to get one my question is, if i refered to a particular model jackson on the form are they likly to know what im talking about or is it best to take all the measurements from the guitars i like and put them down??

depends on what you are talking about...

If you request a KV pro neck profile they may get it wrong but if you give them exact measurements they will still get it wrong LOL...just kidding...

But what are you specifically wanting them to do or worried about them getting wrong?

[guitarbumb]

at the moment all im really worried about is the neck profile and body shape as i want a neck the same as on the concept jdr models but with 27 frets and being a neck through body with floyd and extended cutaway. also pickup config bing an angled single spaced hummy in the neck and a hummy in the bridge, single volume knob and blade selector switch.

[neilli]

You can probably get them to supply the neck measurements from the concept guitar to use on the order. For the rest of it, I'd strongly suggest that you send them a mockup picture...

[Evil Homer]

puh, that sounds horrible.

Maybe you should go to the luthier next door

[guitarbumb]

puh, that sounds horrible.

Maybe you should go to the luthier next door

I dont see whats horrible about it its similar to the falcon just thinner neck and longer scale. would be an awesome guitar

[TVTiZtiK]

I dont see whats horrible about it its similar to the falcon just thinner neck and longer scale. would be an awesome guitar

I believe he was referring to the whole Custom Shop process being horrible

[guitarbumb]

ahh well that is rather horrid.

[RR05xx]

Hey, one other thing that you must do is to go over your order very carefully and make sure it is exactly what you want when you place it.

Yes, they will let you make changes after the order is in as the guitar goes into a cue (to a point anyway - they do eventually get to the point where they are going to build it), but they will also screw up the guitar as they are not good at making sure changes get documenting in all the places which they require in order to ensure that that guitars gets built to the last specs that your ordered.