Iconic Guitars announces layoffs and reorganization
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- Опубликовано: 18 янв 2024
- Iconic Guitars founder, Kevin Proctor announces layoffs and reorganization on January 19, 2024.
All existing orders will be filled and the business of Iconic Guitars will continue. We must take a brief pause to relocate from our current Carlsbad, CA location. There is a reason this is happening. Please watch the video for a full explanation.
We are very much looking forward to getting out from under this bad situation we have been working under and getting on with the thing we most enjoy, being Iconic Guitars.
Thank you for watching and thank you for you continued support. It is why we do this. 
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As if I needed another reason to hate B.C. Rich Guitars, this put the final nail in the coffin. Stay strong, Kevin. Tough times don’t last but tough people do.
The builders put their all into making those guitars. These are the ones I want to support.
It's so damned unfortunate that an iconic (no pun intended) name as BC Rich is again dragged through business decisions mud.
@SixStringTV sent me here. Trying to help spread word. Maybe people will buy some guitars from you to help. I can’t believe what happened. You’re an amazing brand and you will come back bigger and better - and hopefully you will be able to eventually hire some people back. I also hope you can sue BC Rich. They shouldn’t be able to place a giant order and then back out after you’ve hired people and moved to accommodate their needs. They need to be held accountable and help with your losses. I’m so sorry. Thanks for being transparent and explaining despite feeling emotional about having to let go of people and move back to a smaller facility. It’s gonna be ok in due time.
Kevin, thank you for the painfully honest explanation. I am sure all of us here watching you can appreciate incredible work your team has accomplished. Believe you will come out of this better and wiser. Looking forward to hearing great things about Iconic Guitars.
I am very proud to be a part of Iconic, guitars and I have builds from almost day one! Love the brand and love the people! Sorry for this Kevin Love you man and best wishes for all. I play one of mine everyday!!
That was a tough watch Kevin, but appreciate your candor and transparency. Look forward to seeing what comes next from Iconic; I’m sure it will be great.
Man this sucks. I remember years ago hearing from a boutique amp builder that they purposely avoided doing business with Guitar Center because they feared this exact situation. They'd take on all the risk of spending the money up front to build things that GC could then cancel at any moment. Being a small business trying to scale is just brutal sometimes.
Hey, love your lessons! As a fellow Hendrix/SRV nut, I found your lessons and you taught me a lot of the basics of blues soloing, hell probably 10+ years ago now. Thank you for all your work!
That's the whole Private Equity firm running a place stuff. Solely to line their pockets, no thought of consistency, good service or products. Same thing happened with Sears/Kmart along with other factors.
I’m Scott, the paint finisher at Iconic, and we sat in our meeting last Thursday and listened to a personal message Bob Taylor sent to Kevin describing exactly what you did above. Taylor removed GC as a dealer and the result had a major impact on GC, to where they came back begging.
We’ll see how this plays out…we’re down, but definitely not out.
You did the right thing, it’s what you had to do. BC Rich should be ashamed of themselves. Good luck to you & the team ✨✨
BC Rich is owned by Zoltan Bathory and trying to shame someone that shameless is an exercise in futility.
@@danmorrison8746 wow I don’t know the background, had no idea bc Rich was dirty like that. What did Zoltan do?
@@zz-.- He takes a picture with his Lamborghini and talks about how he bought BC Rich guitars that he saw as a kid in metal magazines... Prick.
@@danmorrison8746I’d check into this because I think yiur facts are completely WRONG
Thanks for your honesty and as a business owner I can feel your pain. I love my Iconic guitar and gig it regularly and thank you for such amazing craftsmanship. Keep your head up and reshape and keep going! 👍🏻
I own 4 ICONIC guitars.. Simply the best! Thanks Kevin!
Really Sorry to hear this, open up a smaller Iconic Shop and don’t touch OEM, everyone I know that did it almost closed. Keep the faith, stay strong. 💪
Kevin, you are ICONIC‼️
I am so sorry for this really hard season. Much love and support to you all. Praying for you to continue in wisdom and grace, and looking forward to seeing you and the team bounce back.
I gave this incredibly sad video a thumbs up, obviously not because of the message but because of the integrity and heartfelt honesty in the way you've delivered such bad news. I can only offer my moral support and encouragement and I hope that you and your entire crew are able to get through this with positive outcomes.
This video can be summed up by saying “B.C. Rich is putting us out of business”. Didn’t realize Zoltan owned BC Rich. Guess that’s why the whole FFDP band plays them now.
Really sad to hear it, and we all appreciate the honesty and courage to tell it yourself! I’m sure you guys will bounce back!! 💪🏻
Really sorry to hear this news, Kevin. My blue sparkle Iconic Evolution T is a real treasure that will never leave me. I cannot thank you enough for building the T style guitar of my dreams and I look forward to a bright future for you and the team.
BC Rich claims another victim. That brand is a cancer.
No its just a chain of shitty owners
Driving your own company into the ground is one thing but to do it to another is wrong in so many ways. Bill doesn't have the greatest reputation and now I see why. Somebody Please put B.C Rich out of it's Misery.
Sorry to hear Kevin. All the best for continued success, for you and the team ❤
This takes a lot of courage and integrity. It's a shame there are some shady people in this business. Iconic Guitars is clearly not run by people like that.
Its smart to do a video like this. It lets the world know you need some help. Lets hope the guitar community responds. At least people know there is an issue. Prayers for you to keep going strong.. Some of the big companies should give you some OEM business to get you through this rough patch... And I would be suing BC Rich and asking for them to fulfill the initial contract as well as punitive damages for grenading your company, lost jobs, stress, etc... A PO is their guarantee to move forward, if you invested in equipment, space, etc then you have been damaged... I follow you guys as I saw you on IG and live in North County...
As a small business owner myself, my heart goes out to you. 😔
You are an inspiration and a employees dream Boss! If i lived in the U.S.A id stop by and help out if i could.
Im still looking at getting a custom iconic guitar in the future when funds are available.
Speak soon iconic guitars👍
Gallatin, TN will welcome you with open arms Sir!
I would love to work with such passionate folks!
I have been employed with an automotive manufacturer for 20 yrs. And it drives me crazy the lack of care, passion, positivity, continuous improvement culture, 5s culture.. Etc.
That keeps us at a stand still.
Quality is crap and HR will not back us on accountability. Terrible!
Best wishes to you and your Team. And your Dream.
Yes it would! We've got Samick but guitars are just a small part of what they do. We need more custom guitar manufacturers around here. I would love to do this kind of work.
Wow! I am so sorry about the situation. Sad 😞
Thanks for your honesty Kevin - heartbreaking to listen to some of that - the integrity of Iconic as a company really shines through. Fingers crossed for the next phased to the best yet for Iconic. Love your guitars, hope to own a Cardiff one day - just building up my funds to place an order.
I think that most people don’t understand the human element of what is happening in the music industry. Thank you for highlighting the people who make it happen and who are affected by what is happening.
Thank you sir for your sincere honesty. I send all my love and respect to the Iconic guitars employees and families.
This is heartbreaking to hear, but I fully understand and support your decision to take measures that keep the brand going. Iconic is an incredible brand that does incredible work. So I'll be here anxiously awaiting for Iconic's re-emergence. I'll miss seeing you again at NAMM next week. All the best to you and everyone leaving Iconic.
I had my own business building highend custom mountain bikes back in the early 2000s. I had to shut it down at some point and it was a very painful time.. I can appreciate what you are going through. God bless
I’m very sorry to hear this . Hopefully I’ll see ya at Namm and give ya a big hug. Keep your head up.
Kevin, our industry needs more like you! Your integrity and dedication to your customers, your staff and the quality of your guitars is obvious. If you'd like to add a dealer in Michigan once you get things back up and running please give us a call, we'd be proud to carry your guitars here at MCG!
Get your guitars into MCG! Great store with a great customer base.
Gut wrenching. So sorry to hear your plight. Just keep in mind where you'd be if you had never launched this endeavor. I hope that you can rebound from this setback. The passion you and your employees have for this business will not go away. Be proud of what you've built and look to the future.
I just now realized after watching this video I own of these Iconic BC Rich USA Bich built 2nd in 2021. And was wondering who built this guitar??? It’s the most insane build of a bc rich I’ve ever seen. Baddest Bich built. Super stoked to own it.
Hang in there brother..... ups and downs.....ups and downs.... ride the wave, be grateful for the good-times and know that a lot of people are wishing you well.... I see that Metro, talk to George he had some bad days but riding pretty high right now....
You will become a force to be reckoned with, this is school, and you are getting a real Masters degree in business. I want to see our local guitar makers do well. We are San Diego County, our state might be going to shit, but we need to help each other succeed. The future has a long path of success for Iconic Guitars
Sending best wishes, Kevin! Really sorry to hear the challenges happening now.
Very heartfelt and honest message. Your character comes shining through and I know you will prevail in the long run. I wish you a strong recovery - a lot of people are pulling for you.
So sorry to hear this. Sounds like you have an amazing staff. Must've been brutal to have that conversation with them. When I have the budget you're on the list to purchase!
Wishing you and team the best coming out of this...
Sorry to hear about your troubles. Hope things bounce back.
I am sorry for your loss
This is my first time watching your content. My heart goes out having to do this, especially a week before NAMM. You did a great job In Keeping the positivity and not pointing a finger at a pointy brand who we all know is at fault.
Sorry to hear this 😔 I've played a few Iconic guitars here in the UK, always awesome quality! I hope everything gets sorted and you get back to what you love....building beautiful guitars.
Take a time out which you already know, Laying off skilled people committed to brand is not easy.
Just get back to building "Iconic" for now, & redefine any OEM Contracts moving forward
"That a default on orders, requires that the inventory purchased for those orders will be sent,
absorbed/paid by the contracting party requesting those runs"
Ugh. So sorry to hear about this. Good luck and I hope the next chapter is amazing.
When you talk about your troubles no one else can do it for you. Good luck to you and wish the team the best outcome possible.
I absolutely love your take on the classic/modern 7 string strat with the Solana 7 and I am a BC Rich fanatic, would have loved to own one made by the people at Iconic, especially the 7 string ironbird in the back...such a shame. Best of luck for the future.
This video went exactly in the direction I thought within minutes of starting up the video. There is benefits and an abundance of knowledgeable staff that can work when you’re based in Southern California the BIG BUT is that it’s brutally expensive to operate in California. TN is a viable solution to look at. Your guitars are incredibly l hope you can work it out.
I know the answer to this but can we buy the stranger things guitars that you have left over? Since they defaulted does that make them yours?
I’m sorry to hear about you troubles currently.
May God move in this situation and bless you all even more than where you were previously! Amen!
My heart goes to you.. i dealth with something similar but it was a smaller scale
Really sorry to hear this. I know of the brand but haven't had the pleasure to play any of them. This is really tough spot and I hope you're able to circle back and rebound.
Kevin, thank you for your transparent candor. Something that is sorely lacking in most businesses these days. You have only built a wealth of goodwill and trust with your audience through your words; but mainly through your great work and products. What happened sounds like it was out of your control. I've also been laid off for similar reasons in the past. It sucks, but it's life and good people tend to keep finding ways to stick together. And yes, that other company clearly has a track record for this sort of thing. Maybe those initials have another meaning. Be Careful, could work. I can think of some other word combos. Moving on, I thank you for communicating your heartfelt words. Not every person in your position would do that. You seem like a real one. Someone that would be great to work with. I, along with my fellow musicians, know that you will be back at full strength soon, doing what you love doing.
This is Scott, the finisher at Iconic. Amen, and thanks for those kind words.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an honest video.
Funny as l get at the 33.2 minute mark in the video that you mention Grover J. Yep, he’s operating in TN, the ONLY way Gibson could survive is that they are in TN. Mario Martin in TN, Lucky Dog, TN. I’m sure there’s others.
Wow, Kevin, I'm so sorry to hear this, I wish you nothing but the best moving forward... prayers for you and your employees to get back on track asap...
I've long been a fan of small business. Especially by those driven by a passion. Even against all sensibilities. The guitar industry is so competitive...and risky. Nothing big ever came without taking risks. And sometimes it sadly doesn't land as expected. But great success can be found after experiences like this. Very brave of you to go public with your story. You guys don't know me but I'm cheering you on and hope you recover form this bump in the road...Good luck...
This is Scott, the finisher at Iconic. Thanks for your encouraging words and support.
@@BlackMarketIII My pleasure Scott. Hoping you guys find your way soon...
Jeez. What horrible news to hear. Sorry to hear that man. Hang in there and very best wishes for the future. The world needs Iconic Guitars, beautiful instruments.
Sorry to hear this, Kevin. I became aware of you on Tone Talk. It's unfortunate that in business some don't value what they say they'll do and screw over other folks. Sadly, I think many people would've liked to see BC Rich really come back to its former glory, but at this point, I don't think that's meant to be. It seems every time it gets sold, a great game is talked, but then the follow through doesn't happen. Maybe you do an "inspired by" series of some of those guitars.
Every interview I've seen with Gary Kahler, he seems like such a good dude, I hope I have his energy at 85!
Midcourse correction are a sign that a company is adapting to market needs. The solution is to do what you are doing analyzing where they are in the market and plugin. Great guitars made by great people, hang in there and stay strong!
Sorry to hear about your situation. I think you guys make awesome guitars from what I can see. There's that certain beauty in your custom guitars that I don't see in other custom shops of similar price range.
Thanks for this video. In retrospect, it seems obvious to avoid risking the future of your business on one client, but that was probably less clear up front. Painful as this experience is, it will make you a better business owner if you learn from it.
Love you guys. I’ll definitely get an order for a Raider with you guys in the future.
That is difficult, but it can get better once you figure out how to get through it. Good luck.
Good luck Kevin and Iconic...loving my 2 Iconic guitars!
That really sucks knowing that another company did this......I think we as a fans of your marketing and products really appreciate the transparency.... I really hope people see this and this maybe inspires then to put in an order for a guitar from yall
So sorry to hear this. Blessings on you and your people. Your integrity shines through and this too shall pass.
Best luck to iconic guitars!!!
More than anything, this highlights two crucial aspects of running any business:
1) choose your partners wisely; and
2) always do as much due diligence as possible, then do some more.
Thats such a shame man. I just picked up a B.C. Rich extreme series shredzilla a few weeks ago after swearing them off 20+ years ago!!
I was so impressed with the neck, fit, finish and half off deal that I bought it on the spot. I was even considering a US made as my next guitar and my first custom shop order. Think I'll look at Jackson instead now.
I was sooooo excited to see the massive jump in quality from what was around as a kid and hearing that the new owenership was trying to bring back the Old School ethos of custom quality at everyman prices and rebuild the reputation that had been destroyed.
Sad to see this may not be the case after all. Condolences to yourself and the staff and families affected. Wasted opportunity for what could have been a beautiful thing.
At least this debacle is getting these guys out there. I never heard of them till this
It’s sad to see this video, but I just wanted to say that my pink Iconic Tamarack (my first custom guitar) is one of the best guitar I have ever play and I would like to have more iconic guitar in the future. I’m looking forward to see Iconic become much better and stronger and better when you guys are backed. Until then Stay Strong and keep Rocking !
Would you consider what Fender did with the Japanese Squires in the early 80's just to bridge the gap to another setup?
Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On!' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
Calvin Coolidge
This is Scott, the finisher at Iconic. To your point, a wise, bearded, Texan guitar player once folded me about the 3 T’s. Tone, Taste, and most importantly, Tenacity.
Much respect to you for putting this out and doing it in one take so there is no editing, just the unvarnished truth.
You can come back from this. It's a great time to find commercial space...and...to renegotiate on the commercial space if the building owner can swing it. Maybe even sharing space with another business there, or renting practice space to bands if you have it. I don't know your set up/space/lease agreement.
Running a small business can be so dicey when you're expanding. Then put CoVid supply issues on top of it.
Keep your ethics in tact. Keep the unfortunate lesson the entitled scumbags leading BC Rich have forced on you. I've heard this industry is a really dirty business, with some really morally bankrupt people, and narcissists, sociopaths, and psychopaths walk amongst us and they lie and easily as they breathe while looking you straight in the eyes knowing they have no intention to keep their end of the bargain.
You're earning the respect of players and others affiliated in this industry with this video. I wish you so well, and look forward to buying one of your guitars in the next few months. I wish I could swing it today.
Moving is *not* cheap. You do what you have to do to save your neck and your business right now. Many warm wishes to you and all your employees.
Sorry this is happening to your company. But this video shows the type of person you are. You all will come out on top!
Good luck, man!
Incredibly sincere
I feel your pain, and this too shall pass because your guitars are made by Iconic people and you. You got this Sir!
This was first introduction to your company. I am really sorry these things have happened to your company. Best of luck in your reorganization 🙏
it's tough not a lot of expendable income these days with everything (Electricity/Gas/mortgage/sundries/food) increasing in price. We can only hope on an economic turn-around.
Have you guys considered going direct to customers? Higher margin and you would probably have to build less guitars. Also you could offer financing get your money quicker.
Come to Tenn or Ga. We would love to have ya
❤️
As a bass player who has only used B.C. Rich Basses since the 80s this is sad to hear. I own between 30~35 Basses but nothing newer that my Beast and Zombie which are 2007ish. All the USA ones i own are from the golden era the 80s when B.C. Rich knew what they were doing. So Sad hearing this about the brand i love so much.
Wow! BC Rich are some real slime balls
Dave Friedman seems to be having trouble getting the Friedman brand out. I can see Iconic working well with Friedman.
This is agree with.
my understanding is that Iconic were building Friedman guitars.
@@davidyates8880 i also think that they didnt market themselves enough. With that what happened was the pricing of the guitars also caught a negative light because there wasnt enough to balance out the other side showing the quality and craftsmanship. The OEM stuff did create the overall problems.
@@anmolatwal I am very fortunate to own a Solana and it really is an exceptional instrument. The build quality is faultless and at the end of the day, it's still cheaper than a custom shop Fender and in my opinion it is a superior guitar. Unfortunately there's lots of people who will only buy a guitar with the usual names on the headstock, and that's always tough to overcome.
@@davidyates8880 i know right, while brands like luxxtone, iconic and wven xotic to some extent are over looked for fenders and suhrs which are great instruments but there are other great options which should not be ignored.
BCRich really needs an owner who would do justice to the bands legacy. I always wanted a BCRich Warlock but the design tweaks the new owners made are ruining it for me. Not being thrustworthy as a company and person is on another level of course.
I thought Neil Moser was brought on to build the US Custom Shop,BC Rich guitars.
I heard about this from my close Dave Friedman . I unfortunately have not played an Iconic Guitar. But will be first in line to play and purchase one soon because I believe you will push through this bullshit.
How will this affect the timing in which custom orders are delivered?
I was really pulling for BC Rich but can't seem to get the ball rolling. I'm gonna sell my Shredzilla Prophecy series guitar. I can't believe their horrid business model and lack of filling orders. I'm out. Sorry they screwed your company. Stay positive and move forward.
The layers aren’t involved or something? That’s weird.
Sorry to hear this Kevin. I lost everything due to trusting some I shouldn't have in a business deal (after building a multi-million dollar business) and not standing up for myself legally just so I could avoid endless confrontation in the courts. In hindsight ........wrong move. Hopefully there's a legal solution for you?
I want that purple one in the back 😮
so silly to hear people talk "economy not good", but the facts say otherwise. dogma is bitch.
I find it interesting that this is the second company (Vans aircraft is the other) who had a massive shift and reorganization. I think getting the word out is good because it shows the human side and the guarantee that all
Is not lost. It also is advertising, too. I don’t say this tongue-in-check.
You guys have killer shit. I have no doubt that in the future things will be brighter than ever. Just a matter of time. Sorry to hear about all the bs that’s happened, and you’re not a failure. Far from it.
such a dick move. I hope you can recoup at least some of the money by selling the abandoned inventory. I know a lot of us would love to help, even if it's just parts.