Rose Pickups is shutting down.

[StratDaddy67]

I just wanted to comment here about Rose Pickups. Let me be clear that I understood there would be a wait (2 months was the longest I had read) I ordered from Ken in March of 2021. Prior to that I had emailed him and inquired about his pickups and what he made that would fulfill what I wanted. He explained that he could make me a set of “Blossoms” and stagger the poles to match the neck and explained why I would want it that way. I thought, What an Awesome guy! I ordered them under the impression that 2 months would be the time frame, which was also verified by several posts I had read about his work. After three months and still no pups I was fine. I wasn’t in a rush. Then around 3-4 months I saw where he was shutting down to catch up. I emailed him back to make sure my order would still be produced and he made it sound like my order would be ready soon. Two months later now pushing 6 months and still no pups. I contacted him again and for the first time I asked where my pickups were. His response back was not friendly, told me they were shipping out the next day, and that he was closing shop. I felt bad for asking him about them but when someone had already paid for the product like I had, at some point you start to get concerned if you will receive the product. I think anyone would agree that 7 mos is a long enough to wait without anybody giving them some sort of status or anything like that. I think he is probably a nice guy who just got fed up and aggravated with annoying people and then just started treating everyone the same way.

 

[TangerineDog]

I just came across this - looking to place an order with him.
I was fortunate enough to order from him before things got bad. Even with intercontinental shipping, I had the product after 2 weeks.

The Morticias I got are absolutely amazing! I don’t have them installed rn (I was gonna order another set and black covers for all of them. And the Tele equivalent!) but knowing they’re all I‘ll ever have in that tonal goodnes, they’re going into a guitar asap.

It’s a pity that stuff like that just has to happen over and over again...

 

[nickmsmith]

I just came across this - looking to place an order with him.
I was fortunate enough to order from him before things got bad. Even with intercontinental shipping, I had the product after 2 weeks.

The Morticias I got are absolutely amazing! I don’t have them installed rn (I was gonna order another set and black covers for all of them. And the Tele equivalent!) but knowing they’re all I‘ll ever have in that tonal goodnes, they’re going into a guitar asap.

It’s a pity that stuff like that just has to happen over and over again...

Yep. I sold my good friend a guitar loaded with the mariposas. He said he wanted to go order some more, a couple weeks ago. I had to break it to him that it’s no longer possible.

 

[gtrpickr]

I guess I am fortunate to have gotten a set of Robustas for my strat several years ago, they are some fantastic sounding pups.

 

[slowpogo2021]

I ordered his Korona Jazzmaster pickups about a year ago, March 2021. I waited several months to ask about it, and he was pretty brusque in response, said they were "being made" and would ship soon. I waited another few months to ask again, but didn't hear back. Never got the pickups, never got refunded, never got another response to an email.

 

[texaspete4]

I ordered a Tele set back in July 2021.
I guess I lit $108 on fire.
Feels pretty good.

 

[Dave Harmon]

Just read the whole thread and kinda reminds me of Uncle Spot.
But....the flip side of THAT is....I got exactly what I ordered from Spot in good time and was outstanding quality.
I still have it and that was abt 20 years ago now.

 

[ChristianRock]

There should be a way to take this guy to court. If he's no longer going to built the pickups that people paid for, he should return the money.

 

[texaspete4]

I've seen it more than once where dudes start a business, can't keep up with the orders, get overwhelmed, everyone's pissed off, etc...
I know it's too late now, and it's all over and moot, but -
It seems like the obvious solution for Rose pickups would have been for the guy to wind pickups at his leisure, and then put them up for sale on reverb, or his own website or whatever.
Then start the next set. Or don't.
But you're removing the part where you get buried under orders that you can't keep up with, and you avoid getting pissed off and burned out.
Seems super obvious to me. I guess it wasn't to him for whatever reason.
I hope he does something cool with the money I sent him.

 

[StratUp]

With sympathies to him for what jerks some people/customers can be (I know the routine to well), seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Whateva, to each 'is own.

 

[fattboyzz]

Guess he is tired

 

[Colnago1]

Why keep taking orders and peoples money if you can’t keep up or deliver product? Why not sell what you have and if you don’t have anything then you don’t sell it? Seems simple.

 

[sjtalon]

So many of these types of vendors whereas their sites take your quid when you order.

By rights, (and proper business practices) there shouldn't be a cha-ching until they have the order boxed up.

Texaspete is right on. Often, folks (dealers, manufacturers) have only themselves to blame.

I've found out long ago with being in sales/service most all my life, never feel sorry for a manufacturer, after all they are the ones in the wheelhouse.

 

[Antigua]

Is there any sole pickup making operation that has ever shut down with their orders 100% completed at the time of closing? The only one I can think of is Telenator. All the rest are stories of "what happened to X? I ordered a set of Vintage Hot Tamales several months ago and they haven't answered my emails."

 

[nickmsmith]

I've seen it more than once where dudes start a business, can't keep up with the orders, get overwhelmed, everyone's pissed off, etc...
I know it's too late now, and it's all over and moot, but -
It seems like the obvious solution for Rose pickups would have been for the guy to wind pickups at his leisure, and then put them up for sale on reverb, or his own website or whatever.
Then start the next set. Or don't.
But you're removing the part where you get buried under orders that you can't keep up with, and you avoid getting pissed off and burned out.
Seems super obvious to me. I guess it wasn't to him for whatever reason.
I hope he does something cool with the money I sent him.

Yep. That’s a great point. Making them as you go, and selling a limited amount is a great way to get people excited at the idea of scarcity, and making it an event when it is released.

Instead, we get this, when a pickup maker gets overextended, and ends up lashing out at the customer, publicly.

Very sorry to see it went down that way!

 

[Dick Blackmore]

Never heard or bought the pickups but they had good reviews for being vintage. As a one man shop, dealing with an Amazon expectancy that comes with shipping things these days… I do not ‘charge’ until I ship. It’s a safe way to deal with folks that do not want to wait for a crafted item. I also make it very clear in my policies that items ordered are not ‘in stock’ and are ‘made to order’ and I provide a ‘current lead time’.

btw mass production is the issue not ‘Chinese made’, there are lots and lots of quality items that come from true artisans in China. Crappy products were not invented by the Chinese and crappy mass manufacturing is also not a Chinese invention, they just happen to have cheap labor IF you want to mass produce crap. Blame the company not the worker.

 

[Groovey]

I’ve had a set of Mariposas with Buff bridge. In the box for few years now as I learn to polish bodies to a bowling ball finish. Hopefully this spring. Can’t wait to hear the sonic glory.

 

[JohnMac]

I have a Rose Bourbon/Buckeroo Tele set and a Robusta/Buff Beauty Strat set. Fantastic pickups. To bad the business went south and worse yet that so many paid-for orders were left unfulfilled.

 

[Ottokbre]

I got a set of Robustas with Buff bridge back in 2019 for a ground-up build I was doing. I don't know what the time was quoted at the time but it took over two months and two emails to get them.

Placed the order before I even started finish work. Probably about a month of sealing a swamp ash body, nitro color coat, nitro clear coat. Then another month to cure. Did the buff out and then they came. So the timing worked out for me.

Still love the pickups. Wish I nabbed a set of Tele pickups at the time too!

 

[Gferg66]

It has been 11 months since Rose pickups took my money also. Now that he has disappeared with everyone’s money, is there any known recourse to anything about it?