JEM decision

Iconoblast said:

I regret selling my JS2400. I was damaged by my son. I need that damn mirror one. JS3? Dream, but NTB. SS frets. Too pretty to play!

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I've talked with Joe about this. There is a disconnect between the artists and Japan. Japan has trained everybody that it's up to the artist to ask, the artist thinks it's up to Japan [and in all honesty the artist is more right]. The artist doesn't care if they make a lefty anytime they want, they've already approved the specs on the guitar for it to be built in righty so as far as they're concerned they can built in in lefty also, but Japan is only going to make lefties when they feel demand is high enough to sell them. And to be perfectly honest, they rarely even think about it. The only lefty run they've ever made I didn't have to badger them for years over were the JEM30's, they just did them, but they screwed up and didn't do a JS at the same time. They've always done both together.

I've talked at length with artist relations about taking the lead in getting lefty runs pushed, and to management here in the US about the need to get a lefty JS done because it's been a decade since the last run, but more importantly to keep 1 lefty version of each in the catalog at all times. It took 15 years of badgering to get them to put a lefty Prestige into regular production. They do not sell well, L's are 10% of the population, but Ibanez has made it's bones on niche markets and leaving lefties out just isn't acceptable. So currently you have 2 lefty Prestige in regular production, Nita just did an L, and the 5 year run of lefty J Customs has wound down, maybe you'll see another in 5 years. But they're WAY overdue for a lefty JS, and when they do one they'll do the PIA at the same time.