(Jan.2023 announcement no.1)
Greetings Moollon family and friends.
Andi here.
It’s the lunar new year over here, and we’d first like to wish everyone a very safe and pleasant 2023, and best wishes for a successful year ahead.
We specifically have been needing to write, as 2022 turned into a very difficult time for Moollon, to say the least. Not only in addressing the ongoing delays that everyone has been experiencing, but also the critical reasons behind a lot of it all, and if/how YJ will be able to keep the company going.. And with the unfortunate need for a price hike last year, we honestly had hoped it would slow down orders somewhat so we could catch up and stay on top of things, but to be sure the first few months after that proved to be nearly as busy for new orders, with newer challenges to address.
In short, it’s been tough as a small company.
When the pandemic hit, dealing with less consequential parts like preferred string sets could be handled by offering alternatives, but as Moollon assemblies require numerous custom or hard-to-obtain components that can’t simply be outsourced to a cheaper or more convenience solution, an impossible bottleneck resulted on multiple fronts.
• Wood
Being the little guys on the block, working with local importers to select the best pieces from stock became much more difficult, especially since larger factories would have priority. Supply would come quite infrequently, and that which could be accessed for selection and purchase was not optimal, especially when it came to makassar ebony and swamp ash, the latter of which is very difficult to find here that isn’t already going to the big guys.. And the burden for what could be obtained became another challenge, as the price of alder had effectively tripled, all other woods used (maple, swamp ash makassar ebony) also significantly going up in price.
• Minimum order quantity requirements.
The tortoise pickguards for J-Vs took three years to come out due to being less pieces than the big guys, the minimum acceptable vintage-spec/alloy trussrod order tripled from 1000 to 3000 pieces, a quantity of pieces that (heaven forbid) may even outlive the brand itself. You have to count the cost, even when the wood for orders that should have been done already isn’t available.
• Emotional and physical toil.
Which leads us to reason for even greater delay in the 3Q/4Q 2022. When there’s nothing you can do to even have the parts ready to assemble builds as they were placed and the emails keep coming, things break down. I for one was in touch at least weekly, but YJ had been undergoing severe depression since summer (while working to at least resolve supply chain issues), which is why my autumn/winter email responses regarding progress and estimated time of delivery was not only spotty, but unfortunately my word was not reliable. It was hard to be sure of the status of anything, and I'm sorry for letting so many individuals down with what I had conveyed at the time.
YJ was juggling so many things at once while doing his best to be practical and optimistic with build times estimates, yet some issues popping up during assemblies (subsequently) threw many out of whack, and in late 2022 it could have turned into something much worse, before a solution for the supply chain could be met.
Thankfully both personal and logistic steps were taken so the man and the operation can continue, and I have been assured that we’re back on trajectory for builds to be done at a reasonable pace from here on out.
When it comes to each order in progress it’s still a question of time, and I know that’s not the answer that anyone wants to hear, but the good news for 2023 is that we can be grateful there will still be a Moollon, and there still will be a YJ behind the builds to get them done.
YJ shall finish everything he started.
(Jan.2023 announcement no.2)
“So why did that fellow get his before mine?”
A very reasonable question.
Limited wood supply (as described in announcement No.1) directly affects body/neck production. YJ has in mind to build each order closest to in sequence that he can, and he has always stood by that, even though we regularly get requests from customers to pay YJ more and have orders “cut” in line… Which is still not an option.
But as more than a few individuals have noted both online as well as when understandably needing to vent their frustration in our email exchanges, sometimes the waiting gap has been wider than anything reasonable, some upwards of 6 months or much more, when other customers’ orders placed much later seemed to have somehow popped out of the shop sooner.
Here’s what’s going on.
Moollon is not an assembly line.
It’s one individual, who has to work with what’s available as soon as they’re available.
YJ does intentionally (and regularly) make a sizable number of necks to keep on the rack to fit bodies when the time comes, but if a perfect fit for a finished neck and a finished body can’t be done (and neck pockets on lacquer-finished bodies can actually change size over the course of several months to a year), then a new neck will have to be done, and hopefully it will be a good match…because if it isn’t then more necks will need to be done. YJ will not compromise the neck fit. And who wants a gaping crevasse where there should be none?
And if a body-neck combo can be selected in advance for a matched build (always a prerequisite for matching headstock orders, obviously), then the perfectly snug neck pocket fit will have to be a given, as long as all other factors given the OK: wood integrity, acceptable weight balance, preliminary fretwork, etc. And then lacquer work is done, the bass subsequently being assembled and completed.
Knock one thing out of whack, and a bass’ assembly will take that much longer. Cheap parts aren’t arriving from abroad so that one or more stages can be affordably (and swiftly) fudged…It’s always been ONE man, ONE suite of expensive components, ONE route of assembly, and setup by YJ in one shop.
Hardly opportune, which is every reason why Moollon isn’t a profitable business model and never will be, as many in the Moollon family already know. It’s simply what has to be done to get each one completed as YJ intends them to be done, 20+ year deficit and all.
At the time of typing this, late 2020 orders are being completed smoothly (with some early 2020 stragglers that YJ is working hard to get done as well), and if we weren’t very accurate or transparent with YJ original build estimate (not to mention additional estimates along the way), we truly are sorry for not being able to get the orders done as soon as estimated.
More than a few individuals are quite displeased with this lack of progress, and by all means we understand the emotions behind most of them: just get it done.
But if you are reading this as one who has placed a deposit and the time elapsed has already exceeded that of which we guessed at the time of ordering (counting from the day of deposit paid) and you don't want to deal with the wait any longer, then shoot us an email and tell us.
Your deposit will be refunded, no questions asked.
For some reading this, we feel it’ll likely be a necessary point of closure that is better for both parties, and YJ will be 100% open to accepting one’s decision to do so.
(Jan. 2023 announcement no.3)
“So how long until mine is done?”
Every time we’ve done a major announcement and have mentioned delays and the like, the first thing to come back to our email inbox is “well then how much longer for *mine*?”. And in this case (as based on the previous two announcements), the accuracy of an estimate is more difficult than ever, and I simply cannot say. I can only be sure of the fact that for the sake of those who have waited the longest, all 2020 orders need to get out the door ASAP, all while YJ works on them and everything after.
Many of our additional (inaccurate) estimates as quoted along the way have been broken, and we’d best just let YJ work his hardest to get things done, since QC and all necessary bits for YJ to give his okay on a final assembly are not things to be rushed, nor does YJ want to compromise with any of them. He’s not making a profit off of any of this, and is doing it because he loves what he does.
Again, everyone affected now has the option of a deposit refund.
(Jan. 2023 announcement no.4)
With the long waits on our end for the supply chain and required minimum count orders jumping, the good news amidst it all is that all four 3-ply pickguard colors are now available for all four Classic series bass models, the exciting bit being the J-IV and J-V now getting black guards for that delightfully dingy 1970s look we all (well, some of us) all love.
When ordered separately, mint, white and black are $50 (tortoise is $60) and shipping is $35 to most destinations.
Here are all four as done on an accidentally custardy Olympic White...PS: it’s a deadweight that your poor back won’t want as a bass, we can assure you!
Greetings Moollon family and friends.
Andi here.
It’s the lunar new year over here, and we’d first like to wish everyone a very safe and pleasant 2023, and best wishes for a successful year ahead.
We specifically have been needing to write, as 2022 turned into a very difficult time for Moollon, to say the least. Not only in addressing the ongoing delays that everyone has been experiencing, but also the critical reasons behind a lot of it all, and if/how YJ will be able to keep the company going.. And with the unfortunate need for a price hike last year, we honestly had hoped it would slow down orders somewhat so we could catch up and stay on top of things, but to be sure the first few months after that proved to be nearly as busy for new orders, with newer challenges to address.
In short, it’s been tough as a small company.
When the pandemic hit, dealing with less consequential parts like preferred string sets could be handled by offering alternatives, but as Moollon assemblies require numerous custom or hard-to-obtain components that can’t simply be outsourced to a cheaper or more convenience solution, an impossible bottleneck resulted on multiple fronts.
• Wood
Being the little guys on the block, working with local importers to select the best pieces from stock became much more difficult, especially since larger factories would have priority. Supply would come quite infrequently, and that which could be accessed for selection and purchase was not optimal, especially when it came to makassar ebony and swamp ash, the latter of which is very difficult to find here that isn’t already going to the big guys.. And the burden for what could be obtained became another challenge, as the price of alder had effectively tripled, all other woods used (maple, swamp ash makassar ebony) also significantly going up in price.
• Minimum order quantity requirements.
The tortoise pickguards for J-Vs took three years to come out due to being less pieces than the big guys, the minimum acceptable vintage-spec/alloy trussrod order tripled from 1000 to 3000 pieces, a quantity of pieces that (heaven forbid) may even outlive the brand itself. You have to count the cost, even when the wood for orders that should have been done already isn’t available.
• Emotional and physical toil.
Which leads us to reason for even greater delay in the 3Q/4Q 2022. When there’s nothing you can do to even have the parts ready to assemble builds as they were placed and the emails keep coming, things break down. I for one was in touch at least weekly, but YJ had been undergoing severe depression since summer (while working to at least resolve supply chain issues), which is why my autumn/winter email responses regarding progress and estimated time of delivery was not only spotty, but unfortunately my word was not reliable. It was hard to be sure of the status of anything, and I'm sorry for letting so many individuals down with what I had conveyed at the time.
YJ was juggling so many things at once while doing his best to be practical and optimistic with build times estimates, yet some issues popping up during assemblies (subsequently) threw many out of whack, and in late 2022 it could have turned into something much worse, before a solution for the supply chain could be met.
Thankfully both personal and logistic steps were taken so the man and the operation can continue, and I have been assured that we’re back on trajectory for builds to be done at a reasonable pace from here on out.
When it comes to each order in progress it’s still a question of time, and I know that’s not the answer that anyone wants to hear, but the good news for 2023 is that we can be grateful there will still be a Moollon, and there still will be a YJ behind the builds to get them done.
YJ shall finish everything he started.
(Jan.2023 announcement no.2)
“So why did that fellow get his before mine?”
A very reasonable question.
Limited wood supply (as described in announcement No.1) directly affects body/neck production. YJ has in mind to build each order closest to in sequence that he can, and he has always stood by that, even though we regularly get requests from customers to pay YJ more and have orders “cut” in line… Which is still not an option.
But as more than a few individuals have noted both online as well as when understandably needing to vent their frustration in our email exchanges, sometimes the waiting gap has been wider than anything reasonable, some upwards of 6 months or much more, when other customers’ orders placed much later seemed to have somehow popped out of the shop sooner.
Here’s what’s going on.
Moollon is not an assembly line.
It’s one individual, who has to work with what’s available as soon as they’re available.
YJ does intentionally (and regularly) make a sizable number of necks to keep on the rack to fit bodies when the time comes, but if a perfect fit for a finished neck and a finished body can’t be done (and neck pockets on lacquer-finished bodies can actually change size over the course of several months to a year), then a new neck will have to be done, and hopefully it will be a good match…because if it isn’t then more necks will need to be done. YJ will not compromise the neck fit. And who wants a gaping crevasse where there should be none?
And if a body-neck combo can be selected in advance for a matched build (always a prerequisite for matching headstock orders, obviously), then the perfectly snug neck pocket fit will have to be a given, as long as all other factors given the OK: wood integrity, acceptable weight balance, preliminary fretwork, etc. And then lacquer work is done, the bass subsequently being assembled and completed.
Knock one thing out of whack, and a bass’ assembly will take that much longer. Cheap parts aren’t arriving from abroad so that one or more stages can be affordably (and swiftly) fudged…It’s always been ONE man, ONE suite of expensive components, ONE route of assembly, and setup by YJ in one shop.
Hardly opportune, which is every reason why Moollon isn’t a profitable business model and never will be, as many in the Moollon family already know. It’s simply what has to be done to get each one completed as YJ intends them to be done, 20+ year deficit and all.
At the time of typing this, late 2020 orders are being completed smoothly (with some early 2020 stragglers that YJ is working hard to get done as well), and if we weren’t very accurate or transparent with YJ original build estimate (not to mention additional estimates along the way), we truly are sorry for not being able to get the orders done as soon as estimated.
More than a few individuals are quite displeased with this lack of progress, and by all means we understand the emotions behind most of them: just get it done.
But if you are reading this as one who has placed a deposit and the time elapsed has already exceeded that of which we guessed at the time of ordering (counting from the day of deposit paid) and you don't want to deal with the wait any longer, then shoot us an email and tell us.
Your deposit will be refunded, no questions asked.
For some reading this, we feel it’ll likely be a necessary point of closure that is better for both parties, and YJ will be 100% open to accepting one’s decision to do so.
(Jan. 2023 announcement no.3)
“So how long until mine is done?”
Every time we’ve done a major announcement and have mentioned delays and the like, the first thing to come back to our email inbox is “well then how much longer for *mine*?”. And in this case (as based on the previous two announcements), the accuracy of an estimate is more difficult than ever, and I simply cannot say. I can only be sure of the fact that for the sake of those who have waited the longest, all 2020 orders need to get out the door ASAP, all while YJ works on them and everything after.
Many of our additional (inaccurate) estimates as quoted along the way have been broken, and we’d best just let YJ work his hardest to get things done, since QC and all necessary bits for YJ to give his okay on a final assembly are not things to be rushed, nor does YJ want to compromise with any of them. He’s not making a profit off of any of this, and is doing it because he loves what he does.
Again, everyone affected now has the option of a deposit refund.
(Jan. 2023 announcement no.4)
With the long waits on our end for the supply chain and required minimum count orders jumping, the good news amidst it all is that all four 3-ply pickguard colors are now available for all four Classic series bass models, the exciting bit being the J-IV and J-V now getting black guards for that delightfully dingy 1970s look we all (well, some of us) all love.
When ordered separately, mint, white and black are $50 (tortoise is $60) and shipping is $35 to most destinations.
Here are all four as done on an accidentally custardy Olympic White...PS: it’s a deadweight that your poor back won’t want as a bass, we can assure you!
