Dealing with Pickguard Heaven...

[Billy Low]

What I think many folks are missing is that I am not complaining about the product. I am certain that they have great product, or I would have never bothered in the first place. I have issue with the way I was handled. It seemed to me that it was too much of a bother for them to create a custom pkgd, yet they advertise custom pkgd's!!! Now for whatever reason, person on the phone was agitated. I would have prefered that she either not answered the phone, or told me that they could not process my order rather than all of the bull that I got.

Taking two weeks to answer is unacceptable for ANY business in this marketplace. With the state of technology the way it is, there is no excuse.

 

[MNAirHead]

What I think many folks are missing is that I am not complaining about the product. I am certain that they have great product, or I would have never bothered in the first place. I have issue with the way I was handled. It seemed to me that it was too much of a bother for them to create a custom pkgd, yet they advertise custom pkgd's!!! Now for whatever reason, person on the phone was agitated. I would have prefered that she either not answered the phone, or told me that they could not process my order rather than all of the bull that I got.

Taking two weeks to answer is unacceptable for ANY business in this marketplace. With the state of technology the way it is, there is no excuse.

Unfortunately this is the reality of a company selling pickguards for $45 shipped.. they really don't have margin to play 50 questions etc.

I'm not confident I'd pay more than $50 for a pickguard and would be offended if they wanted a credit card number to answer questions.

Running the math backwards, they're not making a ton on this deal.

I've sold $8 (shipped) car parts to nuts who wanted 50 pictures and step by step instructions on how to install it. I'm sure they were offended when I wouldn't send pix and offered to send them a manual.

Tim

 

[Billy Low]

Unfortunately this is the reality of a company selling pickguards for $45 shipped.. they really don't have margin to play 50 questions etc.

I'm not confident I'd pay more than $50 for a pickguard and would be offended if they wanted a credit card number to answer questions.

Running the math backwards, they're not making a ton on this deal.

I've sold $8 (shipped) car parts to nuts who wanted 50 pictures and step by step instructions on how to install it. I'm sure they were offended when I wouldn't send pix and offered to send them a manual.

Tim

Nobody asked them to play 50 questions! The woman on the phone played 50 questions with ME!!! Read the part about detailed layout! I had all questons answered, I was following up for PAYMENT! I had done exactly as asked, for a service ADVERTISED by the company! I did not do anything more than that! Assuredly, my product would've been double the price you are quoting...and I was prepared for that; per the web site!

This is not the case of a noob asking to buy the world for a dime. I am very familiar with the inner workings of business in this industry, and I am telling you that at no point in this day and age is this excusable. There is no apology that you can give for them for this. PERIOD! You do not treat people that are attempting to help you provide for your family in this manner. I am handing them money...I don't owe them a damn thing! They are in business to make money off of a service that they claim to provide. If you don't provide that service in the manner you advertise, do not ask for my business.

I explained that the young woman took issue from the very beginning when I stated my name. I followed instructions that she provided BEFORE submitting my order.

Please...make no more excuses for these individuals. This is clearly a case of poor customer service...AT ANY PRICE POINT!!!! Just because you sell a product lower than your competitor, it does not give you license to mistreat the customer and act an ass!

Understand that knowing what I know about how the product is made, they really aren't suffering in making these and charging the rates they do! BELIEVE ME!

 

[TolerancEJ]

I recently contacted Pickguard Heaven to inquire about a Bongo HH 6 Moonstone pickguard which EBMM decided to discontinue. Pickguard Heaven replied to me the next day. Not only did they confirm the can create it for me, they actually contacted EBMM to ask their permission and if they can have some of the Moonstone pickguard material. This is probably the closest to getting the original item as it can get... And the price quoted wasn't nearly as expensive as I imagined. (I don't own the bass yet, but when I do I'll be ready.)

 

[oddeotek]

I am sorry to revive a zombie thread but I recently had PH make me a custom pickguard for a Sterling SUB SB4. I had wanted a Split P bass route in the Fender sweet spot instead of the Music Man humbucker location. I sent them the old pickguard, a template showing the new pickup position and detailed instructions. What should have been a $39 job turned into a $71 pickguard PLUS $16 in shipping! I asked why so much and was told (by a woman with a snarky attitude) that those cheaper Indonesian basses vary so much that these have to be custom fabricated - this after I was also told that EVERY pickguard they sell is made to order. I cannot believe that they don't already have a template for a $279 bass that probably outsells the $1600+ Music Man ten to one. I just tried the old Sterling SUB SB4 pickguard on a Sterling bass at GC and it was an EXACT fit screw holes and all. The final insult was that the Pbass route was slightly crooked, even after they had the original as a template and the curves were not smooth like the original. I could have done better myself. That's what I get for not researching these guys first on TalkBass!

 

[jazzyitalian]

I build basses as a side thing. But I don't have cutting equipment for guards. So I do have to order custom guards from stencils I make. When I have to which is a lot these days.

My experience with Chandler has been good. Their pricing will give the first time customers sticker shock. But by no means are they any different than their competitors. They all are at $60 and up and it's just the nature of this business. They make custom pieces and when you see the word "custom" it should immediately render the thought of someone working from a beginning point that is far less automated, mass produced, or from a mold.

There is time put in these and if they spent an hour on it, then a $75 guard less the material, overhead, and shipping will likely set this at a $45 per hour job. That's not a heck of a lot to get for skilled labor.

It is what it is. 3-4 weeks yes. It's pretty common. Terrapin, Pickguardian, Dazbootman, Jeanie and the others are all doing it in that time frame.

But good choice on the company. Chandler is the real deal.

 

[cyclecamper]

I sent a nice constructive email saying tactfully "no offense.." and that their selection is incredible, but could they please post better pictures in a new window instead of a small pop-up. I closed with "no reply necessary. Best regards."

I got a really offensive rude reply calling me names, saying they had better pictures they send when people ask but that they wouldn't post them on the website. Then the jerk ranted about how I was harassing them and how he didn't have time...calling me names...blah blah blah but apparently had time to write a long rambling reply. Everyone has bad days, but what a total jerk, and definitely should not be allowed to interface with customers. I will certainly stop spreading their URL on Facebook etc. Really deeply offensive. And never answered my question about buying raw material. I can't print the words to describe my low opinion of them. This example is typical of their pics; I can barely tell what it is, nothing for reference sense of scale, no sense of surface finish, really frustrating:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
And since I make my own pickguards, their prices are horrible. My Vaccaro or particular Kramer, PRS, none of my guitars or basses are listed, so I'd be paying a lot for "custom" work...or paying way too much for material. I'd rather got to Guitar Fetish. Too bad, because Pickguard Heaven has nice selection, but they are just total jerks to communicate with.

 

[Ian Perge]

They're also the vendor to Mike Lull, which means...

a) Luckly, I won't be the one dealing with them on what would be an extremely Custom Order!

b) However, I did encounter the same slow & and confused / confusing email issues that others above have spoke of previously: I was also asking if they had pictures of materials not on the site* or larger pictures. Usually that lack of Customer Service would have lessened my order, but given that good chance I'd be placing an order for said "extremely custom order" W/O the "face" of Mike Lull placing it & the higher costs, I chose to get it done in one order... like going to the Dentist.

In the past, I ordered a Abalone Pickguard for a Music Man USA Sub 5 from Pickguardian, and Tony was fast in answering my emails & questions, and got it done it about 2 weeks. If placing an order myself, I'd most certainly use his services again!

*I mean seriously, how hard is it to take a picture of a material not on the site the next time an order of it is placed? That's like a waitress telling you, "We don't have a picture of a BLT" and then not taking a picture of yours when you order one!?! /"Seinfeld"

 

[McFarlin]

They use a scanner instead of a camera. I asked for a photo example of their brushed gold, and they sent me the image proving that the brushed gold scans as a weird, streaked charcoal. I guess this explains why the website shows photo examples for only about half of the materials they offer.
The communication was all informative and quick responses, and I asked a lot of questions.
A decent digital camera might be a good investment, though.

 

[mouthmw]

Just ordered a pickguard from Pickguard Heaven this week, they're the ONLY ones who make matte black/white/black pickguards like Ernie Ball did for their Stingrays in the 90s. So far, the communication was super fast - got the answer within hours, and the pickguard was just shipped (only 2 days after the order). I was willing to wait 3-4 weeks, so this was more than a pleasant surprise. Can't wait for it to arrive, will report here.

 

[mouthmw]

Got the pickguard yesterday, finally put it on today. Looks great, fit was a bit tight at the heel of the neck, and being an idiot, I sort of forced it downwards so I managed to scuff up my fingerboard (sideways) a bit and my last fret raised up slightly on the E string side as a result (d'oh! ).

Anyways, it looks great, it's that 90s ray look, IMO looks better than a gloss black on my USA SUB. I only blame my dumb self for not being more careful when putting it on.


here's the damage I did:

 

[squeakyd]

I had a less than satisfactory experience with Pickguard Heaven this year. They were about the LEAST friendly and accommodating outfit I've ever dealt with, and if I was able to find anyone else for my order I would have.
They insisted that my Aria (original) PG was custom work for them, and when I asked for some flexibility on the price (i.e., I haggled), I was nearly hung up on. Since my guard was broken from a fall and I love that bass, I gave in.
What I got back (actually pretty fast) was just *OK*, not any better than I could had some local woodworker do with my own material I'd say.
I really don't like to flame vendors without them knowing about it, but I won't use them again.

 

[PawleeP]

I have no problem with their prices, they are market-normal for custom pg's in exotic materials. However they have given me some ridiculously bad customer service, such that I have them in my bookmarks next to all the other custom-pg sites, but with the words "don't use".

I asked them if they had any larger pics of some of the patterned materials, and they said "there are pics of all our materials on the site". I said "yeah, but I wanted some larger pics". They responded "we don't have any pickguards around in the materials you want". I said "that's fine, how about just pics of the sheets of material?" They said "send us your existing pickguard and we'll make a copy in whatever material you want." I said "are you unable to take any photos of the materials?" They responded "we don't have any pickguards in those materials". I asked them if they understood the question I was asking, and they never responded.

That whole exchange took over a month, because they waited about a week before responding to each of my emails.

i'll make a custom aluminum pick guard but, i would need a good template and about 150 bux. p

 

[Jules65]

I will start by saying that I hope my experience with Pickguard Planet (associated with Chandler Music in Chico, CA) is the exception rather that the norm, though I have seen some similar comments as I searched the internet, and there are a number of good reviews for them too. I'm a very detail-oriented person, try to research as much as I can about what I need, and only then do I move forward.

On the good side, Pickguard Planet has a large variety of stock from which they can make just about any pickguard you could ever need. That's one of the biggest reasons I picked them to make a new Black/Red/Black pickguard to replace my stock Black/White/Black pickguard.

They initially indicated a trace of my original pickgaurd would serve to be able to provide a duplicate of my existing one, but they mentioned that if I send "the actual guard and we don't have a match, we can duplicate using your original as a guide". Because I'm as detail-oriented as I am (I mentioned that above, didn't I?), I figured I would send them my original pickguard so that it could be duplicated. My original pickguard is fully/completely shielded with adhesive foil, but I found out that Pickguard Planet only shields the control area for their standard costs, advising thet they charge an extra $10 "if you want the entire back of the guard shielded". It seemed a bit steep, but I agreed to that additional cost with the understanding that I would receive an exact duplicate of the original pickguard I provided them, including having the entire back of the new pickguard shielded.

Imagine my surprise and dismay at finding that after paying the extra $10 for full shielding, only about 1/2 to 2/3 of the back of the new pickguard was shielded, so not as promised, and I'm now going to have to shield the entire back of their pickguard myself (that they promised to do, and that I paid for). After finding this discrepancy, I decided I should also compare the profile and mounting hole locations of the new pickguard to my original one I had provided Pickgaurd Planet to make a duplicate of. While the new pickguard was "close" to my original, there were (what I consider to be significant) differences, as much as +/- 1/16" (0.06" / 1.6mm) in the profile/shape and mounting hole locations.

I contacted Pickguard Planet about the discrepancies I found, noting that I expected a better product for the price, and that I'm not completely satisfied with the product, but that I would keep and modify it as necessary. I made no demands, but hoped that as a matter of courtesy and customer service, Pickguard Planet would make apology for the sub-standard pickguard they provided, and possibly offer a partial refund that would at least also include the $10 cost for the extra shielding on the pickguard that they failed to provide. Instead, I received a rather short reply that simply said "We are so proud that you were able to make it work. GG" ... No apology, no offer of a refund, and never provided their name (only ever the "GG"). Poor customer service and business practice as far as I'm concerned.

In the end, if anyone ever asks me whether or not I would recommend Pickguard Planet, I would have to say "no", and the same for Chandler Music which is associated with Pickguard Planet.

 

[Mickey Raye]

I've ordered from them in the past and I honestly can say it wasn't 2 weeks, it was 2 months. I've tried to re order from them again and have not got any traction from them moving forward on it and it has been about that time frame already. So I can only conclude that they don't need customers or want customers. Very strange way to service the public.

 

[4StringTheory]

I will start by saying that I hope my experience with Pickguard Planet (associated with Chandler Music in Chico, CA) is the exception rather that the norm, though I have seen some similar comments as I searched the internet, and there are a number of good reviews for them too. I'm a very detail-oriented person, try to research as much as I can about what I need, and only then do I move forward.

On the good side, Pickguard Planet has a large variety of stock from which they can make just about any pickguard you could ever need. That's one of the biggest reasons I picked them to make a new Black/Red/Black pickguard to replace my stock Black/White/Black pickguard.

They initially indicated a trace of my original pickgaurd would serve to be able to provide a duplicate of my existing one, but they mentioned that if I send "the actual guard and we don't have a match, we can duplicate using your original as a guide". Because I'm as detail-oriented as I am (I mentioned that above, didn't I?), I figured I would send them my original pickguard so that it could be duplicated. My original pickguard is fully/completely shielded with adhesive foil, but I found out that Pickguard Planet only shields the control area for their standard costs, advising thet they charge an extra $10 "if you want the entire back of the guard shielded". It seemed a bit steep, but I agreed to that additional cost with the understanding that I would receive an exact duplicate of the original pickguard I provided them, including having the entire back of the new pickguard shielded.

Imagine my surprise and dismay at finding that after paying the extra $10 for full shielding, only about 1/2 to 2/3 of the back of the new pickguard was shielded, so not as promised, and I'm now going to have to shield the entire back of their pickguard myself (that they promised to do, and that I paid for). After finding this discrepancy, I decided I should also compare the profile and mounting hole locations of the new pickguard to my original one I had provided Pickgaurd Planet to make a duplicate of. While the new pickguard was "close" to my original, there were (what I consider to be significant) differences, as much as +/- 1/16" (0.06" / 1.6mm) in the profile/shape and mounting hole locations.

I contacted Pickguard Planet about the discrepancies I found, noting that I expected a better product for the price, and that I'm not completely satisfied with the product, but that I would keep and modify it as necessary. I made no demands, but hoped that as a matter of courtesy and customer service, Pickguard Planet would make apology for the sub-standard pickguard they provided, and possibly offer a partial refund that would at least also include the $10 cost for the extra shielding on the pickguard that they failed to provide. Instead, I received a rather short reply that simply said "We are so proud that you were able to make it work. GG" ... No apology, no offer of a refund, and never provided their name (only ever the "GG"). Poor customer service and business practice as far as I'm concerned.

In the end, if anyone ever asks me whether or not I would recommend Pickguard Planet, I would have to say "no", and the same for Chandler Music which is associated with Pickguard Planet.

Wish I would have found this thread before ordering from them. Had a similar experience with their customer service. They seem to have a difficult time understanding the situation from the perspective of a customer that's paying a decent price for something they want to like and enjoy on the guitar. When you like the product they send it's great, but if not then it's too bad because the customer is always wrong.