Following the delivery of more than 5,000 guitars to customers worldwide, Litejam is introducing significant improvements to its manufacturing, quality control and after-sales support. The company says the changes reflect lessons learned from its early production and a commitment to addressing issues experienced by some of its first customers.
Litejam is being open about the challenges it has encountered and the steps it is taking to improve the product and customer experience.
The Litejam Guitar offers a new approach to learning, practising and enhancing live performances. Its fretboard features more than 150 flush-mounted LED lights, connecting via Bluetooth to a free app that helps players learn scales and chords. A separate Performance Mode allows users to display visual patterns along the guitar neck, adding another dimension to live performances.
Combining a conventional electric guitar with an integrated RGB LED fretboard, the product has attracted players around the world. However, following the first 5,000-plus shipments, some owners reported problems relating to setup, manufacturing consistency, the neck and the LED system.
“We were so focused on the user experience that we took our eye off the Quality Control ball,” said Bank Apisak, Founder & CEO of Litejam. “We should have spent more time on the details. It’s hard to admit, but it’s true.”
What Litejam found
Litejam commissioned an external industrial design team to examine reported problems with the neck and LED components. Its investigation identified several areas requiring attention, including the clearance around LED holes, contamination from glue and debris, alignment and manufacturing tolerances, and the contact between electronic components and the wood.
One of the underlying challenges is the difference in how materials respond to their environment. Wood naturally expands and contracts as temperature and humidity change, whereas the electronic components housed within the neck do not behave in the same way.
In response, Litejam has introduced substantial changes to its printed circuit board (PCB) development, manufacturing procedures and quality control processes.
Supporting existing owners
The company has already sent dozens of replacement LED necks to customers who were among its earliest supporters.
However, Litejam recognises that simply dispatching a replacement component is not always enough to resolve an issue. It is therefore moving away from its previous approach of ‘Ticket raised > Part shipped > Case closed’ and adopting a more comprehensive support process:
Listen > Diagnose > Resolve > Verify > Follow up
Depending on the circumstances, this could involve arranging assistance from a local technician or providing a complete replacement guitar, according to Irene from Litejam Support.
Support closer to players
Litejam is also developing a regional service network to make assistance more accessible to guitar owners. The planned network covers the USA, Europe, the UK, China and Thailand, with services including troubleshooting, repairs, refurbishment and replacements.
Some elements of the network are already operational, while others remain under development. Further information will be shared as the rollout progresses.
“If something isn’t right, we will listen, understand the problem and find the right solution,” added Apisak. “That’s the brand we want Litejam to be.”
Litejam has also acknowledged the contribution of its early Kickstarter supporters, including Andrew from Layered Praise Project. By openly documenting his experience, Andrew helped the company better understand the product from the perspective of its customers.
What’s next?
The ‘Better build, better support’ programme will continue with the forthcoming release of Part 02, entitled ‘Replacement necks: Supporting our Litejam Guitar customers’.
The next update will explain why the replacement-neck programme became necessary, outline how it operates and share the lessons Litejam has taken from the process.
News and progress reports will be published on the Litejam website blog at www.litejam.com and across the company’s social media channels.
