Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

As an accounting manager for 30 years, I'm well aware of that, and let me tell all of you, without sales nothing else matters. Forget the math & statistics, either you meet customer needs or they buy from someone else. The customer is not a nuisance, he is not 'in the way', nor are his needs and concerns a waste of your time. There is an arrogance present in many companies, as displayed in your post, that consumers, and voters know nothing. That somehow the upper echelon are the sole keepers of intelligence and good judgement. Well, guess what, we are the only reason corporations or the government exists. And they exist to serve us, we don't serve them.

If a company is out of touch with consumer demand, or can't get it's costs to a competitive level, it's going to have to change the way it does things or shut its doors. We have seen the results of our wise and experienced corporate and political leaders. They've done a wonderful job.

I see where you're coming from with that. Yes, companies do need to respond to customer demands and changing trends. One only has to look to the Detroit automakers to find examples of what happens when arrogance and contempt for the customer and the competition goes unchecked.

Now, that being said however, a company that mass produces products is going to produce for the lowest common denominator in their market. That means features and styling that appeal to MOST of their customer base. The other issue is the vast arrays of musical and playing styles out there. Just ask on a musician forum (like this), "what ____ should I get for ____?" You will likely yeild about 20 different answers.

This is where the custom shops come into play. If lots of custom shop orders are asking for a similar feature, or special runs that get put out with certain features get snapped up right away, then the company knows that feature is popular and may introduce it to their production models. If Seymour Duncan receives lots and lots of special orders for pickups with certain specs, I'm sure they think, "hmm, maybe we should introduce a line of these?"

Not to mention, you have an entire industry of boutique independent operators to fill the small niche markets.

Now, I have written Fender to tell them how much I like something of theirs that I purchased. I've received polite "thank you" replies.

 

[Left_Hand_Strat]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

As an accounting manager for 30 years, I'm well aware of that, and let me tell all of you, without sales nothing else matters. Forget the math & statistics, either you meet customer needs or they buy from someone else. The customer is not a nuisance, he is not 'in the way', nor are his needs and concerns a waste of your time. There is an arrogance present in many companies, as displayed in your post, that consumers, and voters know nothing. That somehow the upper echelon are the sole keepers of intelligence and good judgement. Well, guess what, we are the only reason corporations or the government exists. And they exist to serve us, we don't serve them.

If a company is out of touch with consumer demand, or can't get it's costs to a competitive level, it's going to have to change the way it does things or shut its doors. We have seen the results of our wise and experienced corporate and political leaders. They've done a wonderful job.

If sales are so critical then surely companies would make more lefties? it's still more sales.

I take it we are talking about things based on a capitalist model right? knowing just helps me to understand the full perspective it is not a political topic diversion just so you know.

 

[JaySwear]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

it's all simple supply and demand. lefties are far fewer in number, and even some who are lefty play righty just for convenience sake. then the companies have to decide how many models they're going to dedicate to this smaller demand, and then decide how many to make because not all are guaranteed sales.

(don't get me wrong, i think there should be way more lefty options out there. one reason i think warmoth is an awesome company; no upcharge for a lefty body.)

there was a small shop near my dad's house that was run by a lefty guitarist. he stocked a ton of really cool lefties and it sucked to walk in and see a badass guitar i couldn't pick up and play. guess it was a little bit of lefty payback! then again i think he's now out of business. probably partially due to the fact that he stocked stuff that just wasn't going to sell nearly as well as the next mom and pop store down the street.

PS: don't worry about Bones. he's just upset about those 1-3 bulldogs

 

[blueman335]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

This is where the custom shops come into play. If lots of custom shop orders are asking for a similar feature, or special runs that get put out with certain features get snapped up right away, then the company knows that feature is popular and may introduce it to their production models. If Seymour Duncan receives lots and lots of special orders for pickups with certain specs, I'm sure they think, "hmm, maybe we should introduce a line of these?"

Problem with Custom Shops is the pricing is noticeably higher than production models, and that's more than many people can afford to spend these days. The public probably can't run enough business thru a Custom Shop for a company to finally realize: "Duh, we need to make this a standard model so it can compete on a level footing with everything else in the market."

Companies have to be more in-tune to the public than that. If they want to succeed when the competition gets cocky and lazy, they need to be constantly talking to customers and potential customers for feedback on features, service, and new products. If you have a company that thinks they don't need to lower themselves and talk to the people buying their products, and instead create their products in a vaccuum, then they are in for a surprise one day. Someone else will take away their remaining customers. When you see your customers primarily as a source of irritation, you're in the wrong business.

Gibson has put a lot of R&D, tooling, labor, marketing, etc into absolutely ridiculous designs that have no chance of ever breaking even, things like the Reverse V, Zoot Suit SG, the Z V, the V2, the early 1970's SG's, etc. Ugly guitars that the public rejects. Indulgences & vanity like this help to keep Gibson's prices high. They know so much, they come up with these duds, and yet don't want to talk to customers first? Ask GM how well that strategy worked out for them.

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

Closest thing was when Michael Ciravolo, President of Schecter and Marc La Corte, Vice President were here for a Q&A, ironically enough EXACTLY one year from tomorrow!

I asked MC for a High-End SuperStrat (the C-1) with a Floyd and Passives.
Know what? His answer was wait until Jan 2010.

Jan 2010 comes and they introduced the C-1 FR Standard and C-1 FR Custom

What kills me is that I LOVE this company and their products, actually have Schecter merchandise that I wear daily yet, I haven't got a single guitar from them, every time I was ready to buy a guitar, no Schecter that I wanted was available and when they were, it was too late

 

[Markk]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

I once wrote to Gibson asking why with all the automation and cost saving measures they have put into effect couldn't musicians get a more affordable Les Paul with a bound body and neck and a real nitro finish for a street price closer to $1500.

I received a reply from Henry Juszkiewicz that told me to shut up and either save my money and buy what they produce or start playing Fenders.

Just as long as you don't think all Polish people are like that

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

If sales are so critical then surely companies would make more lefties? it's still more sales.

I take it we are talking about things based on a capitalist model right? knowing just helps me to understand the full perspective it is not a political topic diversion just so you know.

No, dude, it's NOT "still more sales."

Building a guitar in a factory does not mean somebody somewhere has to buy it. It means some store somewhere might put it in their stock and somebody might try it.

I know you wish you could try all the different subtle spec changes from one Mexican Strat to another, and I really wish that you could, but the point I've been making for this thread is that BIG GIGANTIC MULTINATIONAL GUITAR-BUILDING CORPORATIONS only survive by moving as many units as possible as often as possible at all times. Since most guitar players play right-handed, most left-handed guitars DO NOT GET BOUGHT.

Small companies like Vintage can only survive by picking up the big guys' slack...and they're not moving anywhere near enough units so they're more than happy to. That's your best bet.

That, customization, and custom shops.

Sorry guys, but there's nothing easy about building musical instruments and then selling them...every guitarist has different needs, wants and preferences. If yours are highly-specialized then you're going to have to do some work to get what you want.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

Just as long as you don't think all Polish people are like that

I actually have great respect for the Polish. Good tough hardworking people. Plus you guys make great sausage.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

yes Martin and Carvin
Martin - heck what you gonna say? thanks great guitar

and Carvin
was walking round the factory store in San Diego in 2000
and they had an old jazz box from the 50's on display

"why don't ya'll make those any more? Taht wold be cool in a custom build"
well we got the TL60......
not the same
flash forward to today
they got em

 

[guitarkid4143]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

surprisingly,i have yet to write/email one. i do have an interesting singlecut design in the works...

-gk

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

sounds like you dont care either!

oh well never ******g Mind then perhaps there are things on this planet i don't give a **** about, it's called business.

You can get any guitar you want built left handed if you're willing to pay someone the right amount of money to do it. That's the essence of the market economy. If you want something and you're willing to pay for it, you will get it.

Insisting that the world's biggest guitar manufacturer -- who already offers more left-handed models than nearly anyone else, mind you -- build cheap left-handed guitars for you on the off chance that you might buy one is ridiculously arrogant and selfish.

I play lefty guitars too, and I learned long ago that if I want something specific I either need to mod an existing guitar (which is dead simple if we're talking about Fenders) or get it custom built. In fact, if I were right-handed I'd probably be in the same boat, simply because there aren't any off-the-shelf guitars that satisfy every single specific need I have. I also learned long ago to stop worrying about what is and isn't available left-handed and just play awesome music with what I have, because when it comes down to it, left or right handed, a good player can accomplish pretty much anything he wants with almost any good electric guitar.

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

My local shop manager told me he can move hundreds of Squiers and MIM Fenders, but the $1000+ Fenders sit there on the wall for months - even years. When I was in the instrument section of the MoA Best Buy in Minneapolis, the clerk there told me the same thing when I commented on the 10 higher end Fenders (American Standards, Signature models, etc.) sitting on the clearance rack at the front of the store.

Point is, the generic, low to mid level instruments are the bread and butter for most of these instrument makers.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

My local shop manager told me he can move hundreds of Squiers and MIM Fenders, but the $1000+ Fenders sit there on the wall for months - even years. When I was in the instrument section of the MoA Best Buy in Minneapolis, the clerk there told me the same thing when I commented on the 10 higher end Fenders (American Standards, Signature models, etc.) sitting on the clearance rack at the front of the store.

Point is, the generic, low to mid level instruments are the bread and butter for most of these instrument makers.

+1. I bet Epiphone provides most of Gibson's cash flow, and probably has for years. In every Gibson from the 'Golden Years' the higher the price (Customs, Stds, etc), the less units they sold. Jr's, Specials, and other low-end models dominated sales. That becomes even more pronounced in a recession.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

Since most guitar players play right-handed, most left-handed guitars DO NOT GET BOUGHT.

Small companies like Vintage can only survive by picking up the big guys' slack...and they're not moving anywhere near enough units so they're more than happy to. That's your best bet.

That, customization, and custom shops.

Actually, the best options of all, which some left-handed players opt for, are to either: 1) play right-handed (a left-handed friend of mine does), 2) play a right-handed guitar restrung (Hendrix) or 3) upside-down (like Albert King and Coco Montoya). Then you have all the choices and don't pay a premium. Playing left-handed guitars left-handed is a lifetime of fighting an uphill battle.

 

[Jackson Distortion]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

I've never had the need or hankering to want to write my favorite guitar company. They make their guitars right the first time. :headbang:

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

Wanted to comment yesterday but I was a little drunk... :alcoholic

There are complicated mathematic models involved, based on sales statistics and availability and how fast things are moving. A little customer feedback doesn't hurt but, at the same time, the customer is NOT the professional here, he does NOT have access to the kind of data that the guitar companies obsess over to pay their bills.

a. I come from this field and I have to tell you - the models you're talking about are a lot more limited in their ability to predict something than you would ever expect... might look impressive for a layman (small chance) but someone from the inside should know how limited they are.
b. companies that make Gibson or FMIC tiny, companies that actually can hire the best minds of the business had crashed in 2008. I suppose that some companies think that they know better than you do, which is important, because it makes them bad listeners. Doesn't mean they know best.




Do you all think that size is an issue? I mean, it might be hard to get through to FMIC or Marshall or Boss. Should be a little easier with, let's say - G&L or Rivera. Or is it just the way a specific organization is?

 

[B2D]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

I've done it on a few occasions. Only once has a request of mine actually happened, and my letter probably had nothing to do with it by itself.

 

[Baltar]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

I doubt speaking to Fender would do any difference.

 

[Left_Hand_Strat]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

You can get any guitar you want built left handed if you're willing to pay someone the right amount of money to do it. That's the essence of the market economy. If you want something and you're willing to pay for it, you will get it.

Insisting that the world's biggest guitar manufacturer -- who already offers more left-handed models than nearly anyone else, mind you -- build cheap left-handed guitars for you on the off chance that you might buy one is ridiculously arrogant and selfish.

I play lefty guitars too, and I learned long ago that if I want something specific I either need to mod an existing guitar (which is dead simple if we're talking about Fenders) or get it custom built. In fact, if I were right-handed I'd probably be in the same boat, simply because there aren't any off-the-shelf guitars that satisfy every single specific need I have. I also learned long ago to stop worrying about what is and isn't available left-handed and just play awesome music with what I have, because when it comes down to it, left or right handed, a good player can accomplish pretty much anything he wants with almost any good electric guitar.

Look up TC Ellis, he's based in the UK but he has said that he is willing to do minimal budget builds.... may be an option.

But still its nice to have the guitar 'of your dreams' to play your awesome music on

 

[Left_Hand_Strat]

Re: Have you ever wrote to your favorite guitar companies...

I doubt speaking to Fender would do any difference.

Yeah bit like trying to tell the UK government that they are headed in the wrong direction on some policies, likewise the attituse of Society, hence why i am joining a Political activist group to try and make a difference. Yeah political point there so lets avoid developing it, but why did i say this? because sometimes to ignite change people have to move together in groups.

But yeah, we are talking corporations, the downright Depressing and most heartless of all businesses in my opinion. it's all the facts and figures, the streamlining the customer demand etc etc. Look at Toyota and the Toyota Production System and see how C*** that is then you will see what i mean....

What happened to the days where a customer or group of could write to a company and say hey we would like better quality or hey we would think X product would benefit from Y perhaps? and stuff like that.

It's like the miliatary going to a Automotive company and saying right we like X vehicle, But we need X,Y, Z, A and B specifications included on the design can you do it? and it normally goes ahead right? Look at UK 1950's and 60's family cars or even panel vans. they were big for household furniture and item movements, for the dogs, for that large family which could all be fitted in on a bench seat fitted Morris Traveller that sort of stuff, it was a case of the companies looking and what was truely required and needed, what the customer required. Now it's just gone down to sell out products and the same old repetitive BS we see nowadays.

i mean If i wrote to fender and asked them to release a new colour which doesn't appear on a number of models they wouldn't be bothered, likewise if they got a few more, but what if people saw this colour on their favourite fender guitar and went 'Oh yes, i will definitely buy one now!' then surely that user input helps????