Jeannie's pickguards ~ buyer beware!

gforcemusic · #1 04-19-2010, 08:12 PM

Hello all,

Please read before buying a pickguard from this 'company'...
I just recieved the guard I ordered from Jeannie's pickguards for a Lakland 55-02. It did not fit properly. They sent a template to me beforehand to ensure it would fit....no problem with the fit of the template. After recieving the guard and seeing the problem, I called to let them know, and to re-order a proper fitting guard, and was met with hostility and complete irrational behavior by Roger (the guy who designs and cuts the guards)...I have NEVER been treated this way, and will NEVER deal with them again. I was nice, understanding, and communicative....but this guy went off on me because I was trying to explain why the guard didn't fit...he was literally yelling at me about how Lakland changes their stuff all the time, how I am not understanding that he can't and won't cut another guard for me, and went on to brow beat me in regards to my intelligence and inability to understand anything....all while he would NOT allow me to get a word in edgewise. Please think twice before dealing with these unstable people....

screaminglucy · #2 04-19-2010, 08:15 PM

apparently the indonesian skylines are all over the place...i just purchased a guard from them and he was quite adamant that it may not fit if its indonesian....mine is korean so no big deal for me

gforcemusic · #3 04-19-2010, 08:21 PM

Hey SL,
Mine is an early Korean 55-02, which I expalined to him before placing the order...he is just a highly unstable cat who wouldn't let me get a word in. But I kept calm and professional...even apologized for upsetting him simply for trying to explain what I am looking at, but he wouldn't let me.
Know where else I may get a proper fitting guard??

bongomania · #4 04-19-2010, 08:24 PM

If the template fit well, then there is no excuse for the guard itself not fitting well. It doesn't matter one tiny bit whether Lakland changes things all the time, or whether the Indonesian ones are different from the Korean ones, because he had the template that supposedly fit just right.

So if the OP isn't lying about the template fitting well, then the response from Roger seems pretty insane.

FWIW I had a not-so-great interaction with him as well, but in my case it was just that he seemed kinda dense, not that he was nuts or mean or anything like that. He refused to accept metric measurements, and refused to cut a simple rectangle of pickguard material in my measurements (even in inches). I had to order a rectangle from a template he happened to have, and then cut it myself to the size I needed (an ordinary, non-oddball size, and again--it was a rectangle).

gforcemusic · #5 04-19-2010, 08:29 PM

Hi Bongo,
Well, I checked the fit of the template a dozen times (you know, repeatedly admiring how cool it's going to look when I get the actual guard)...so, not like there was any apparent issue....but he was adamant about that template being the correct one for my bass, but that thing did not fit right!
I live about 15 minutes from their shop, and he refused to allow me to bring it by....

Gecko 5 · #6 04-19-2010, 08:37 PM

Roger has a reputation for being "abrasive".
With that being said. I've purchased two pickguards from him.
Both fit great.
If you go to www.laklandowners.com.
Roger has a forum on the site. I'm the one that got him on there. I've spoken to him on the phone. He likes to talk, but I personally have never had a problem.
I've heard of others that did.
Don't know what to tell you.

Stereo Joe · #7 04-19-2010, 08:41 PM

My experience with Roger was similar to Bongo's. I ordered an orange pearl pickguard for my japanese jazz bass. I communicated with Roger through email and he seemed great in the first email, but his responses to subsequent questions were confusing and irrational. He was never hostile toward me, but was curt and a little defensive. He also didn't seem to understand my questions.

Anyway, the pickguard he made for me was very high quality, so in the end I was happy with the transaction. I had to modify the pickguard slightly, but I expected that because Roger didn't have a template for an MIJ '62 Reissue jazz, so I ordered the closest shape he had.

Roger would definitely not be my first choice for a custom pickguard in the future, although he does have some pretty unique and hard to find colors (orange pearl, for example).

BigOldHarry · #8 04-19-2010, 08:44 PM

Hmmm - I am *very* glad to see this thread - I was about to order a pickguard for my 4-94 from these folks. No mas.

thanks!

gforcemusic · #9 04-19-2010, 08:49 PM

Hey Gecko,
This was waaaaay past abrasive....
I mean, i said very little, but tried to explain why the guard wasn't fitting...he was not having any of it. My impression is that he doesn't want to go the extra inch to help, and doesn't dig Lakland. I started this thread just to give people a heads up as to what they may encounter with this guy....didn't mean to go off on a rant.

snappytom · #10 04-19-2010, 08:49 PM

I did not talk to Roger but did trade a few e-mails .... no problems.
Ordered a new guard for an Indonesian Lakland Duck Dunn and it fit well, needed to adjust a few screw holes but nothing major or unexpected.

Gecko 5 · #11 04-19-2010, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gforcemusic

Hey Gecko,
This was waaaaay past abrasive....
I mean, i said very little, but tried to explain why the guard wasn't fitting...he was not having any of it. My impression is that he doesn't want to go the extra inch to help, and doesn't dig Lakland. I started this thread just to give people a heads up as to what they may encounter with this guy....didn't mean to go off on a rant.

No man...its cool, and unfortunate.
Like I said, your story is not the first. Probably not the last.
Unfortunately, when it comes to Lakland, Rogers the guy

I will watch this thread. I'm sure many more will chime in.
What was the outcome of this whole thing?
Is he going to make it right?

gforcemusic · #12 04-19-2010, 09:12 PM

Hi Gecko,
No, he isn't going to make it right...not as far as I'm concerned, as I will not get the guard I wanted. In the end, he literally threw the phone down and his wife picked it up and said they would refund what I paid...which is fine, but they make CUSTOM pickguards for Pete's sake!!! They can't make a correct pickup route???.
What I did get though, is a headache over an expensive piece of plastic

It really isn't worth any more of my energy, but if the guy had not been so offensive from the beginning of our phone conversation, I wouldn't have started this thread.

Gecko 5 · #13 04-19-2010, 09:15 PM

Sounds like you have good reason to be pissed.

gforcemusic · #14 04-19-2010, 09:25 PM

You know, yeah...I am upset, but it is just a piece of plastic after all...and It seems as though Roger has some personal issues that have nothing to do with me or Lakland.
I am out the shipping charges for both ways though, even though the guard not fitting is obviously their fault....
Oh well.

dave_bass5 · #15 04-20-2010, 03:33 AM

Ive had two orders from Rodger and had issues with both.
The first was a black pickguard for my Skyline Duck Dunn. I was surprised at the loud hum i got when i put it on. It was of course missing the conductive foil. When i asked him about it he said the plain ones come without the strip but the pearl ones do have it.
Not a big deal although i thought it a bit odd he said if i sent it back he would put some of the tape on it for me. Im in the UK. I would expect a replacement pickguard to at least work without any modifications or extra expense.

I ordered a Pearl white one for the same bass a few months later. And again, no strip and it didn't fit. It took me ages to file it down (and i had to buy a file). Same bass so it should have fitted.
He's replies were very short and sharp, i got the impression he was annoyed or just didn't care.
Ive since been shopping elsewhere and wouldn't use him again, mainly as its not practical to get any mistakes sorted out.

Im sure its not the norm for him though and i guess being in a different country is part of my problem.

sound of bass · #16 04-20-2010, 03:58 AM

My motto is, and always will be...If you want my money, kiss my ass for it! If the service sucks its over for me.

sound of bass · #17 04-20-2010, 03:59 AM

My motto is, and always will be...If you want my money, kiss my ass for it! If the service sucks its over for me. Plenty of places to get plastic.

patton63 · #18 04-20-2010, 04:18 AM

I thought I was the only one who had a bad experience with Roger. I "bought" a pickguard he had listed for a Lakland DJ4 on Ebay. Read all of the information, sent payment through paypal and waited. After nothing showed up for a while, I emailed and he said that I needed to send him my pickguard so that he could make one for me. Well, since he listed a specific pickguard for sale on ebay, I was surprised by his response and pointed out that nowhere in any of the communications we had or on the ebay page was it listed that I needed to send him the guard. At that point, he flew off into a tirade, cancelled my order, and refunded the money I had paid through paypal.

In the end, I got my money back and maybe there was a miscommunication somewhere, but I was really surprised by how he responded. Needless to say, I didn't place a replacement order.

Mrdak · #19 04-20-2010, 04:39 AM

I had the same kind of experience with the guy. And this was after i had already bought 2 different guards from him. Spread the word... he's a chump.

Darkstrike · #20 04-20-2010, 04:50 AM

Wow, scratch that guy off the list.

Was pretty close to ordering a guard for my Roscoe Beck off of him.