Mojo ticked me off

[geetarfreek82]

I live in Pennsylvania, they are from North Carolina. I know that when i order from them on a Monday the stuff will be there on Wednesday. My problem is that they always seem to be out of stock on half the stuff i need. (Like them being out of black butyrate bobbins for well over a month)

[Steve A.]

I do need to know about defects or misinformation though! I want everyone here to succeed!

I think that it might be worthwhile to look into a computer program or app which would help track complaints. When someone at Mojotone says that is the first time they have heard of a problem they might not be lying or they could just be forgetful. I have a hunch that these complaints are written down on a piece of paper that is never looked at again.

As for the pickup covers perhaps you could look into a source that does conform to the Gibson dimensions. It would probably cost more but you would be giving the pickup makers a choice. And let ReWind return his 100+ covers if they are still as new and apply the credit towards covers that will fit all guitars.

Just some suggestions to get you out of the hot seat, David... Good luck!

Steve Ahola

[zparts]

I think that it might be worthwhile to look into a computer program or app which would help track complaints. When someone at Mojotone says that is the first time they have heard of a problem they might not be lying or they could just be forgetful. I have a hunch that these complaints are written down on a piece of paper that is never looked at again.

As for the pickup covers perhaps you could look into a source that does conform to the Gibson dimensions. It would probably cost more but you would be giving the pickup makers a choice. And let ReWind return his 100+ covers if they are still as new and apply the credit towards covers that will fit all guitars.

Just some suggestions to get you out of the hot seat, David... Good luck!

Steve Ahola

Thanks Steve,

We do try and track complaints but you are right many can get forgotten mainly because the phone sales guys are back to back on phone calls and don't get a chance to record them. That's why emailing me about the issues directly to me will get things resolved quickly. Rewind, I just received a small shipment of new humbucker covers that are American made. These come from the same place Gibson gets their covers so I know they fit those funky new routes. They are more expensive though. If you call up my sales team they will setup an RA for the covers you don't want and credit the amount towards these. Unfortunately I can't change how the less expensive covers are in regards to shape. Hopefully this will help! Search Results

[überfuzz]

It's hard to get costumers, much easier to lose them.

[Chris Turner]

I think that it might be worthwhile to look into a computer program or app which would help track complaints. When someone at Mojotone says that is the first time they have heard of a problem they might not be lying or they could just be forgetful. I have a hunch that these complaints are written down on a piece of paper that is never looked at again.

As for the pickup covers perhaps you could look into a source that does conform to the Gibson dimensions. It would probably cost more but you would be giving the pickup makers a choice. And let ReWind return his 100+ covers if they are still as new and apply the credit towards covers that will fit all guitars.

Just some suggestions to get you out of the hot seat, David... Good luck!

Steve Ahola

This is what we use at my day job: SugarCRM

We used to actually track issues on sticky notes! lol Once we started to get bigger, we knew a CRM was needed.

[Steve A.]

Thanks Steve, We do try and track complaints but you are right many can get forgotten mainly because the phone sales guys are back to back on phone calls and don't get a chance to record them. That's why emailing me about the issues directly to me will get things resolved quickly.

You might look into alternate sources for the items mentioned here that you tend to run out of, just so your customers don't have to look elsewhere. I'm sure they will be more expensive that the ones bought in bulk from China but I think that many or most of your customers would pay the higher price at least until the Chinese stock was replenished.


Steve Ahola

[ReWind]

Wow. I was just directed to revisit this thread by a colleague. There's WAY too much for me to say right now. I'll be back to respond sometime later tonight after the post office closes and I can get to a stopping point in my day. This is my full-time gig, now.

btw - Steve, the butyrate at Mojo is not Chineese. I thought it was at one point too. I was wrong. I've confirmed directly with the manufacturer of the mold and injection molding facility. It's USA made, I'm positive of that. It's important to me to know for reporting origin of parts used in my products, as I'm applying for some small business funding grants.

[ReWind]

David,

Thanks for your attempts. I appreciate it. However, I can get those USA covers you have for about half of Mojo's dealer cost, even at 100+ pieces, for any amount I want. I also prefer a somewhat boxier/squared off look and have already made an arrangement to use Montreux PAF replica covers until my own dies are completed, so your trade offer is appreciated, but not something I'm interested in, unfortunately. I already have replacement covers on hand that I'm pretty happy with.

Let me propose an alternate solution… If you will see that Mojo puts up a disclaimer on the less expensive covers on their website and print catalog, explaining that they may not fit in recent year Gibson USA model guitar routes, I will be satisfied that Mojo did the right thing in the end and impressed with your ability to make a positive change. ALSO, I will eat the cost of the covers I'm presently sitting on or use them in my shop for guitars that come in where I can personally assure a proper fit, or sell them at my cost to a luthier who can use them in builds, etc.

It just wouldn't sit well with me to have these covers simply returned to Mojo for credit where they would be re-sold to the public and may cause the same problem for others. At least I'm aware of it and can work around it, to some extent.

Putting a disclaimer up on Mojo's website and catalog could also benefit Mojo, as it would be a good reason for a customer to upgrade to the higher cost USA covers Mojo is now carrying. Win/win for Mojo and Mojo's customers and I'll be satisfied as well, having helped to facilitate a proper solution for everyone.

Whatcha think?

James

[zparts]

David,

Thanks for your attempts. I appreciate it. However, I can get those USA covers you have for about half of Mojo's dealer cost, even at 100+ pieces, for any amount I want. I also prefer a somewhat boxier/squared off look and have already made an arrangement to use Montreux PAF replica covers until my own dies are completed, so your trade offer is appreciated, but not something I'm interested in, unfortunately. I already have replacement covers on hand that I'm pretty happy with.

Let me propose an alternate solution… If you will see that Mojo puts up a disclaimer on the less expensive covers on their website and print catalog, explaining that they may not fit in recent year Gibson USA model guitar routes, I will be satisfied that Mojo did the right thing in the end and impressed with your ability to make a positive change. ALSO, I will eat the cost of the covers I'm presently sitting on or use them in my shop for guitars that come in where I can personally assure a proper fit, or sell them at my cost to a luthier who can use them in builds, etc.

It just wouldn't sit well with me to have these covers simply returned to Mojo for credit where they would be re-sold to the public and may cause the same problem for others. At least I'm aware of it and can work around it, to some extent.

Putting a disclaimer up on Mojo's website and catalog could also benefit Mojo, as it would be a good reason for a customer to upgrade to the higher cost USA covers Mojo is now carrying. Win/win for Mojo and Mojo's customers and I'll be satisfied as well, having helped to facilitate a proper solution for everyone.

Whatcha think?

James

Hi James,

Thanks for your kind reply. I would be more than glad to put any information I can about these covers not fitting specific routes. Can you give me a specific model and year of Gibson guitar that seems to be causing this issue? I need to be careful not to put a vague disclaimer that may not be completely accurate. Nailing down a year, USA or Custom Shop, model, etc may be key here. We currently have a 2010 Les Paul Traditional that we use for testing prototype humbuckers and it fits our covers fine. Could it be a Custom Shop thing and not the standard USA factory stuff? The only thing I have noticed are the humbucker routes have gotten tighter over the years which has changed the way we assemble them. We bend the flange out in by hand and then we clamp it tight against the baseplate when soldering the cover on. I do get pickups from all over in my shop (some were made by very well known winders) and I install them in various guitars including Gibsons. I do occasionally need to clamp the pickup covers on some of them and reflow the solder until the cover flange out squeezes tight against the baseplate so they will fit into the rout. I haven't on the other hand experienced any issues with the corners on the covers being too square yet. I wish I had checked the 2013 R9 that came through the shop last week. Please anyone here who can help nail down the specifics, let me know and I will make sure it is stated in our descriptions properly. You know how it is with Fenders, you have that one model that throws a wrench in things.

[Spence]

I have some sympathy over this issue.
Gibson have clearly been trying to stop people from swapping out their dreadful pickups and putting in something decent.
However, I have been the victim of shoddy parts for years. Mainly covers that don't fit anything or that have stupid unheard of pole spacings. This extends to Fender style pickup covers too.
Many of us here will have a draw full of useless dogear neck pickup covers.
Parts suppliers are all guilty of passing this useless crap off on us and they've done it without caring a toss about us.
I don't want any of that crap and neither do I want humbucker bobbins with part of the bottom flat missing.
The solution is to supply parts that are fit and proper for the job. Parts suppliers know exactly the types and brands of pickups that we make replacements for.
Stocking and selling substandard junk is a waste of everyone's time and effort and just serves to put a super-fat grin on the faces of the big manufacturers.

[Spence]

I have some sympathy over this issue.
Gibson have clearly been trying to stop people from swapping out their dreadful pickups and putting in something decent.
However, I have been the victim of shoddy parts for years. Mainly covers that don't fit anything or that have stupid unheard of pole spacings. This extends to Fender style pickup covers too.
Many of us here will have a draw full of useless dogear neck pickup covers.
Parts suppliers are all guilty of passing this useless crap off on us and they've done it without caring a toss about us.
I don't want any of that crap and neither do I want humbucker bobbins with part of the bottom flat missing.
The solution is to supply parts that are fit and proper for the job. Parts suppliers know exactly the types and brands of pickups that we make replacements for.
Stocking and selling substandard junk is a waste of everyone's time and effort and just serves to put a super-fat grin on the faces of the big manufacturers.

[zparts]

Just know that I am doing the best I can to stock quality parts that people want to buy and trying harder to have good customer service for you. Over and out, peace..

[jason lollar]

welcome to the world of manufacturing pickups for fun and profit!
Lets say you had your own covers made instead of buying them- if Gibson changed the routing specs you would be in the same boat. when it comes down to it its up to you to overcome the obstacle, you dont bitch the supplier out for providing the right parts for you for years.
Fender did this about 10 years ago or more and all of a sudden flatwork was a little too big.
"Must be "the problem", mojo used to be in the pickup parts business, now with their own pickup production in full swing their letting the existing customer base down. Nice way to force/constrict the (pickup) market."
Seriously? Thats ridiculous- get real. If they were going to do that dont you think they would get out of parts supplying all together?- that would be much more effective but it wouldnt be long before someone else will take over with partsso they would loose all thier parts sales.

[ReWind]

Glad to help.

I've not had any trouble with Gibson Custom guitars and these covers, but then again Custom clients often opt for the higher priced covers. It is likely that Gibson USA has tightened up the neck PU routes, at least on some templates. Not a bad thing, really, as I've seen some with routes that "peak" out from under the ring, so a tighter route makes sense from a cosmetic standpoint. From what I can tell, this happened in 2010, but I don't know when in 2010. I'll start collecting serial numbers from any 2010s I find with the tighter routes, in an attempt to nail down a more specific timeline.

Here are some guitars I KNOW have had the problem:

2010 Gibson USA Les Paul Standard
2011 Gibson USA Les Paul Standard, Traditional
2012 Gibson USA Les Paul Standard, Explorer (no more detail on which USA Explorer, unfortunately)
2013 Gibson USA Les Paul Standard
2010 Ian Anderson Standard
Also, Gibson USA SGs with the "batwing" pickguard need the guard holes enlarged, probably all years, but I'm not sure.

I can say that the covers DO fit the following Gibson Custom Historic Reissue Les Pauls (at least some):

2007 Gibson Custom R8, R9
2009 Gibson Custom R9, G0
2010 Gibson Custom R8, R9 R0
2012 Gibson Custom R9

I've not had any problems with Agiles, Epiphones, Yamahas of similar design.


All of the above I'm talking about are the corners, not just the flanges. I grind off the flanges on all of the covers now, but I do worry that that could cause the outer plating (especially gold) to start flaking off prematurely. I's just a loud, tedious, and messy job, too. Since we are talking about the flanges, why not just have your manufacturer cut 1/4" or so off the bottom of the covers before going to electroplating? That would eliminate the flanges and make the covers a more standard (vintage PAF and modern Gibson) height anyway. They are very tall covers, as it is.

[ReWind]

welcome to the world of manufacturing pickups for fun and profit!
Lets say you had your own covers made instead of buying them- if Gibson changed the routing specs you would be in the same boat. when it comes down to it its up to you to overcome the obstacle, you dont bitch the supplier out for providing the right parts for you for years.
Fender did this about 10 years ago or more and all of a sudden flatwork was a little too big.
"Must be "the problem", mojo used to be in the pickup parts business, now with their own pickup production in full swing their letting the existing customer base down. Nice way to force/constrict the (pickup) market."
Seriously? Thats ridiculous- get real. If they were going to do that dont you think they would get out of parts supplying all together?- that would be much more effective but it wouldnt be long before someone else will take over with partsso they would loose all thier parts sales.

Jason,

With all due respect, (and no doubt, much respect is due!), if you are referring to my posts, I'd just like to clarify that…

I take ZERO issue with Mojo for the covers no longer fitting, nor with Mojo running out of stock on parts. I have NO problem with that. Those are understandable, and even expected, obstacles in this industry.

…but it's how a problem is handled that has become an issue, not that a problem exists. I took the normal and professional route of contacting Mojo privately and directly multiple times before voicing anything here, with the intent of saving others the same pain I went through before finding my own solution.

I DO take issue with Mojo failing to return my calls as promised for MONTHS and each time being told that I'm the first one to have this problem and I'm not installing the covers properly.

I just wanted to clarify, in case I had been mis-understood.

Best,
James