Where's the beef? (A slight rant)

[DinkyDoug]

Well...where's the NEW STUFF?!?!

All this talk about NAMM, to the point I feel like it's 1968 all over again and Charlie's breaking through the Mi Kong Delta...but Jackson's not posted anything about the new USA Charvels, or any new finishes yet.

Were the Fender reps just as surprised as anyone else when they unpacked the diplay axes as they hung them up for display?

What gives? Maybe I'm a little impatient, but I can't believe that Fender/Jackson doesn't give their consumers a little heads-up once in a while. Maybe throw a bone to the guys that support their product to the point that they do nothing but talk about Jackon/Charvels online in their spare time. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

We have to rely on the diehards on this board to post pics for us poor suckers that get to sit here watching other guys have fun! What kind of support is that from the manufacturers? I swear, if the music biz had to play by the same rules as the rest of the retail world, they'd be in BIG trouble.

It'd be like Ford announcing the new '05 Mustangs, but never getting the press release or pics out!

You know what? I just left for a moment, and it seems that all this anger was really just gas. I feel much better now. Where was I? Oh well, forget the rest of the stuff I was talking about, Long live Milli Vanilli! [img]graemlins/rant.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Boxcar Willie 84]

Re: Where\'s the beef? (A slight rant)

Uhh, chill...from what I've heard the neckplates on the NAMM guitars weren't even the final ones. They'll show more when they're ready.

[RP]

Re: Where\'s the beef? (A slight rant)

You know, though, there was a while that the Ford website didn't have any information on the 2005 Mustang even after the car had debuted at a few auto shows. We had to rely on car magazines, etc. to get pictures and information.

Since NAMM is a trade show, rather than a consumer show, those products might not be considered officially "announced" to the public yet, even though Jackson/Charvel's main public does know all about them.

[RacerX]

Re: Where\'s the beef? (A slight rant)

Good point RP! One couldn't miss the huge signs at the entrance to the convention that said:
"This convention is not open to the public"

[img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[straycat]

Re: Where\'s the beef? (A slight rant)

GET ON THOSE 60's GOOKS IN THE WIRE!!! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[JimmyApollo]

Re: Where\'s the beef? (A slight rant)

Originally posted by RP:
Since NAMM is a trade show, rather than a consumer show, those products might not be considered officially "announced" to the public yet, even though Jackson/Charvel's main public does know all about them.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">But what about the fact that Fender.com was updated the first morning of NAMM?

[RP]

Re: Where\'s the beef? (A slight rant)

Apparently Jackson/Charvel is allowed to run as a fairly autonomous company.

It seems clear, though, that J/C planned to update their website. They do have a spot that says to check back after NAMM for new products, etc. For whatever reason, they've not yet done that.

By the same token, none of the online stores have added any new product, either, even the ones like GuitarAsylum that has a pop-up saying they'll have NAMM info "soon".

Personally, I'd like to see about making an order, but until the stores note that they're available for order, I don't want to bother them (or end up getting info about last year's Charvel "Standard")

[RP]

Re: Where\'s the beef? (A slight rant)

Well, I know it's only Wednesday, but I really figured we'd see somebody update their sites by now.

Even an email to one online store inquiring about making an order for a new Charvel didn't get a response.

I know I'm impatient, but when someone posts something like "Be sure to check back after the 19th" or "All of the latest and greatest gear from Jackson's busy team of designers will be posted here once we get back from the show, so keep checking back!", you do kind of expect to get an update on those sites by now.

[StukaJU87]

Re: Where\'s the beef? (A slight rant)

GET ON THOSE 60's GOOKS IN THE WIRE!!!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Never mind the m-60...I want the .50 cal. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Morgan Ringwald FMIC]

Re: Where\'s the beef? (A slight rant)

Guys,

The only new Jackson guitars that were finished before the show itself were the new JS30 guitars. That means that they were the only ones we had photographed, and the only ones that we could promote. The others, while we knew about them, were still being built. As far as I'm concerned (as the FMIC "Press Guy"), a press release is worthless without a picture, especially when it comes to guitars.

As for the website, we've got two people who run the whole show and they're absolutely brain dead right now from cranking out the re-launch of fender.com. They've been taking a few well deserved days off, and will be back tomorrow to get cranking on the rest of the new gear ... as soon as we can professionally photograph it.

One side note: we are NOT in the music business. We make tools for musicians, and the musicians are the ones in the "music business". Slight distinction, but one that's very important for us to remember every day.

M-

[RP]

Re: Where\'s the beef? (A slight rant)

Personally, I'm less concerned about the Charvel site itself as we've seen the NAMM attendees' pictures and basically know the score on what's going on with the guitars (except for some confusion over some details here and there). My main concern is wanting to get a store that would let me order one.

But I suppose they aren't going to update their websites until they have professional pictures, either. And, there are apparently some who aren't going to return emails asking if a person can make an order (or when an order can be made if not now).

I guess all I really want is a timeline on when one of these things could be ordered and how long until it's in my hands, and so on.

(And, if it were me, and I have been a PR flack in the past, I'd change the wording on the website to note that it could be some time before there's an update. Saying "after we get back from NAMM" does imply that it will be soon after NAMM. If it's going to be several weeks, people are probably going to stop checking back by the time the site is updated. But that's just what I would do. My PR experience was in minor league baseball, though, so timing was much more critical to the operation).