Beedster

Meant to post this photo first

I should have posted this about a year ago, and to be honest it's with some trepidation that I do now. I'm not doing this to have a pop at the business or individual in question, which is why I've not put the title of the business in the thread title. However, it is honest albeit negative feedback about the quality of the product I bought and that business's response. I'll keep it brief; October last year I bought a Super Twin from BF. Used if for the first time, and in moving it across the stage by lifting it putting my hand in the port - which seemed a reasonable and intuitive thing to do - put a very deep cut in my finger, blood everywhere the whole evening. i contacted BF, and as those of you who read the recent BF thread may have picked up, I was not happy with the response, and perhaps some of my frustration about what I perceived as their complete disregard at the time for a customer who had just torn open his finger playing a brand new £1,100 cab came out in that thread. Having initially replied poorly, Alex eventually apologised, not for the cab but for his first response, putting that down to stress and various other issues. I decided not to post here or make a claim because frankly I didn't want to start a fight. However, I knew that it was the last time I would buy BF equipment. But the bottom line, and the reason that I'm posting here, is that Alex said that the issue in question was normal, that is a sharp metal corner piece overhanging the port. He asked for me to send back the corner piece, not the cab, by which stage I had filed it to a less sharp condition so little point. I'm selling the cab today having not played it for the best part of a year, and having just taken it out of the cover, realised that even with my having filed it back, it's still quite sharp and I reckon I could easily cut my finger again if I did the same thing. Frankly, I was unable to play bass for about 10 days, or at least unable to do so without opening up the cut. It wasn't major, that is I didn't need to go to A&E (I ended up supergluing it after a few days). As I said to Alex at the time it was no biggy in the grand scheme of things, but it could have been had we had a paying gig during that time. Alex indicated in his replies that he was happy with the cab design and QC. The photos are below, I'll leave you to decide, but if you cab has this design feature - and I suggest that you check - do not pick it up using the port. Alex indicated at the time that there would be a significant cost in having bespoke corner pieces manufactured to match the 9mm ply used in his cabs. Frankly, I think BF should foot this, as I've never come across this issue with Mesa, Ampeg, PJB or any other new cab I've purchased. Alex, i know we've exchanged words, please take this as constructive feedback. I imagine it would be easy for us to get into a war of words over this, is don;t see much point but I still have copies of all emails sent between us so can verify the above if needs be. Anyway, as I said, I've posted this with some anxiety not wishing to renew any hostility, but I think that if I don't and someone else experiences this issue, I'll realise I should have done. And if you look at the below and believe that I'm simply a whinger or whatever, feel free to say so

Mrs Beedster promotes stage and music events and everything is being cancelled a long way out now, to the point that her main job at present is refunding ticket sales. There’s a real sense of anger that well stage-managed productions with rigorous SD protocols for significantly smaller audience numbers can’t go ahead whilst nail salons, gyms and the like remain open

That has been my experience with Interparcel also, hope this gets resolved either way

Seller has cousins in the north of Scotland in the same business

Another from that hotbed of vintage Fenders, the Canary Islands

Far more drama here

Wasn't meant to be either really, but c'est la vie. I have to agree with Luke's point above that the description Alex has provided here today was way more useful to me than the marketing email I received, and I suspect the origins of this thread would have been slightly more constructive had the possibilities of the box been better outlined

I think much better without! A friend who works in A&E said that first lockdown they expected uplift in COVID patients, instead they saw uplift in DIY patients. Some of them arrive looking like they’ve been in a road accident apparently. Combined use of ladder and power tool appears to be an especially effective formula

We can start again Luke?

I can’t look at that

Where’s the romance

You doubt the data Dave? Go visit a COVID ward, speak to doctors and nurses who do the caring and put their lives at risk every day, and explain to them that it’s Ok, you’re in a band and you need to rehearse. And go to the gym for whatever reason. But the supermarkets are at mostly at fault, cos while you need to play and exercise, people don’t need food.

The thing is that so many people justify what they do - rehearsing - and criticise others - running. Reality? They’re all equally risky to you and others. Sorry

How do you know your singer doesn’t have the virus?

Absolutely, but singers push out more air, and therefore more droplets and molecules, and they’re indoors

I do quite a lot of work in sport, two early studies of Covid transmission suggested up to 10m dispersion for a runner and up to 20m for a cyclist. OK, these athletes are moving so they leave a wake of moving air behind them that makes the problem worse, But a key factor is the intensity of breathing, high oxygen demand produces higher inhalation and expiration rates and volumes. Both gyms and studios with singers are dangerous as the result, the latter more so because singing requires high oxygen demand plus higher rate of expiration than even athletes.