NOT GREAT NEW BASS DAY - EBMM Ray HH Matching Headstock

[CHRISDABASS]

Nino Valenti would make you a bass with any spec you like

http://www.valentibasses.com/

ive played 3 so far and they were all expertly built with excellent attention to detail!

His prices seem very reasonable too

[stingrayPete1977]

I'm not sure one bad (bodged by someone else in the uk) ray is an over view of the current QC at EBMM , mines mint as have been many other happy buyers on here. The unfortunate thing is that Gareth has ended up with it yet again!

I would not trade my Ray 5 for a Shuker or a Sadowsky as nice as they can be.

I'm not defending EBMM and this bass appears to be a stinker never mind the odd story behind it which needs an explanation and apology but why was it so cheap in the first place? The people suggesting a £1500 shuker should know that this should be over £2000 with the matching head afaik, sure no one pays list but it's £49 less than I paid for a H without the matching head, that was before the vat and price rise too!

Edited October 6, 2011 by stingrayPete1977

[stingrayPete1977]

Also String and Things are usually excellent too.

[Linus27]

My very first Stingray that I bought from The Bass Centre in Wapping had a dodgy neck. It would not settle or stay in tune. I took it back to the Bass Centre who got in contact with S&T and said if I bring it down they will sort it. So I drove down to see them and they agreed the wood was too soft and changed the neck over there and then and it was fine ever since. So it does seem that a few bad ones can get through but Gareths does seem to be a bit of a howler.

[TRBboy]

Really sorry to hear about your troubles dude, it sucks! Especially after such a long wait! Hope you manage to get it sorted out. Just keep on at them and don't give up! It's a basic breach of the Sale of Goods Act; the goods that they've provided don't meet the expected quality standards.

So you want a white bass with two MM 'buckers; do the right thing and buy a Sandberg Ken Taylor in white higloss (and save yourself a load of dosh!) If you don't like it, just give me a shout and I'll gladly take it off you for half of the new price!

[StevieD_FenderP2009]

Well there goes the chances of me ordering a Musicman bass. I was seriously considering ordering one once I start a new job. I even had a sheet all typed up with the specs I want etc etc but not now, I've heard to many bad things over the last year or so about Ernie Ball's factory. I'd be seriously worried that when I got it, it wouldn't be what I wanted after this.
Back to wanting an old Rickenbacker it is then...

[Musicman20]

Wow, what a busy thread. Great support guys, really appreciate it.

My main shock is this: S&T have not tried to contact me, not once.

I've told them I'm willing (almost) to be flexible. but now after almost 36 hours and not any progress im getting p***** off.

I have just sent a polite but firm email to EBMM Cust Service. If they didnt build it like this, there is going to be some strange outcomes to this.

All I want is a complete resolve, NOW. No waiting, no messing about. NOW.

[TRBboy]

Very poor customer service from S&T by the sound of it! Be persistent. Keep your cool, don't lose your rag, but keep on at them. Ring and ask for updates as often as you feel is necessary. Be aware that they don't HAVE to replace that bass with a new one, if they are able to get that one up to the required standard (although it will probably be easier and better for customer relations to give you a new one!).

If you feel that things are not going well and you wish to persue further action, I think there's some useful information about the Sale of Goods Act and the Consumer Protection Act at direct.gov.UK. It should give you some ideas about what to do if it all goes wrong.

[Musicman20]

Email sent to EBMM, and to their Cust Service chap Aziah on their forum. He has replied and apologised. He has sent it all to their export guys at EBMM.

Thing is, with the Distance Selling Regs, I have a 7 days return policy anyway. So, im entitled to an exchange or refund if I am not happy.

Cheers chaps.

Edited October 6, 2011 by Musicman20

[mcnach]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1317927222' post='1396433']
Not wanting to point the blooming obvious, Gareth, regardless of the reaction you might get in the EBMM forum, I feel you should really need to let Sterling Ball know that somewhere along the line Strings & Things send you a moody bass.

By telling us all here yes will get you a lot of support because a.) you're british, b.) we like you as one of our own and c.) we feel your pain. but all of the above is pointless because you are barking up the wrong tree and all our support won't get your bass sorted.

For once go directly to Sterling Ball, he says he doesn't like pm's then send one to Aziah and ask her to present it to his attention appreciating that you are addressing him alone and not wanting to make a big scene in public in his forum which is one of the things he detests, if he has any decency he would get his wheels in motion and by next week Strings and Things will be begging at your door with a new bass. That is if you do it this way and not go to the forum and say [b]"Outrage!! I have been sold a 3 legged donky!"[/b]
[/quote]


+1

This seems like a potentially productive way to address the issue.

[Stingray5]

Only just catching up on this thread, but having read it through, I can't really add anything to what's already been said.
But I'd go along with Grand Wazoo's post re contacting EBMM/Aziah direct, which I see Gareth has now done.
Hope they can add some serious weight to resolving this issue asap.

[Rich]

Gareth I've been reading this thread with increasing disbelief. I'm angry just from reading about it, god mate you must be incandescent with rage. It's a disgusting situation. Why they haven't grovelled a huge apology by now is a mystery to me. Sounds like terrible customer service.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1317935588' post='1396538']
The people suggesting a £1500 shuker should know that this should be over £2000 with the matching head afaik, sure no one pays list but it's £49 less than I paid for a H without the matching head, that was before the vat and price rise too!
[/quote]
My entirely custom spec Shuker 5 was 1500 quid. That's if you include all the diesel costs for all the visits I made, tyre wear, new shirt for each visit, celebratory bottle of Moet that I didn't actually buy, cuddly toy, teasmade, etc etc etc. 2 large for a basically mass-produced off-the-peg instrument is a joke IMHO. EVen if it is the list price that nobody pays.

[Sibob]

My buddy is selling a 30th Anniversary Stingray (obviously just a 'H'), pretty much mint, one tiny dent I think. A fair bit less than what you paid new.

I have to say I would also never buy blind, I have trouble buying a bass that I haven't tried at a gig, let alone one I haven't seen at all.
Glad Darren @ Bass Merchant is on top of it though.
It sounds like you should take the refund, follow up your issues with EBMM, and look elsewhere.

I tried a lovely Sadowsky Metro in The Gallery a couple of years ago, £1600 then, but lovely bass!

Si

[BluRay]

You might find that this can be sorted quite quickly, and to the original spec. From what I can gather about my looooong wait for my Ray, the delivery hold ups are not at the production end - rather that they deliver the basses in batched shipments. So you end up waiting ages for a whole order - lots of basses- to be fulfilled and delivered to S&T. So, stands to reason that if the issue is raised with the right folk that they would want to ship you a replacement without having to wait. Then you'll have got what you originally wanted. So might be worth holding out for a little bit?

[charic]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1317927222' post='1396433']
[b]"Outrage!! I have been sold a 3 legged donky!"[/b]
[/quote]

That's ridiculous, it's clearly a poorly made bass. Claiming that it is a mutilated mammal makes no sense

[sk8]

didn't think the distance selling regs applied to 'custom' items

[Musicman20]

In effect, its just a new item. Not really custom as such, just a matching headstock, which are availble quite readily if you dont mind the colour.

They are built to spec, yes, but not custom spec.

I have emailed a fair few people now. Im slowly getting to the end of my patience. I havent ranted on the phone to anyone yet.

Im not willing to wait another 2 months. By that time, its getting to the 9-10 month wait, which yes, could have been a custom bass.

There are a few shops with HH basses in stock, and they have HH basses in stock at S&T at the moment. I don't know why they just don't ring me, get it sorted, and help me out.

[JTUK]

As I understand it, Overwater offered a returns policy on a Custom jazz but my mate liked it so much, there wasn't much chance of it going back anyway.

Also, with Customs..you'll get little tweaks out of it as a matter of course, after the sale...but if you have to argue build quality, you didn't pick a very good luthier in the first place.

You can pay £2500 for a Custom build to you..and wait a year, or have to accept a compromise in a SH version that might crop up.
I've done both and the SH one with the supposed most compromises is now my fave bass....and all I did was change to scratch plate and bed it in. Gets the most attention at gigs, plays and sounds like a dream

For this, you need patience.... so stash that cash and wait one out.
Having the money in the bank means you can move as fast as you like.

Call it your belated 30th...

[dave_bass5]

Gareth, for your health and sanity i really think you should call Strings and Things rather than just waiting it out. There could be many reasons they haven't replied to your email and you have no way of knowing when they will.

[wateroftyne]

Also, save the shouting for when you have nothing left in your armoury. Going in guns blazing isn't going to help.

[dave_bass5]

On the subject of custom orders, when i was looking for a Fender P5 i found quite a few websites 9some were real shops) offering it but none had it in stock. I called a few and was told they could get me one but i couldn't send it back as it was a custom order. I never put it to the test as i didnt think that was right so went elsewhere.
Im pretty sure you will be ok though. The distance selling law is to allow you the same options as if you were to open the box in a shop and not like it.

[Musicman20]

I am definitely trying to keep a cool head, hence I was open to seeing what they currently have in stock available immediately, or even something that's due next month/next shipment.

Crazy thing is, I was looking into getting a 2EQ or Bongo HH. You'd think they would want me to be happy so I order again lol.

Can't believe as bad as the economic situation is, they won't just get on with it. It's stopping me ordering again!

[sk8]

just don't order! Walk away and relax!

[jimmyb625]

You could also try to PM 'Ming' on the EBMM forum, he's taken over from Pete Lumney.

As for Grand W's advice, personally I'd steer clear from sending PM's to Sterling, or starting any threads on the forum. You've been on there long enough to know why.

Edited October 7, 2011 by jimmyb625

[eude]

[quote name='jimmyb625' timestamp='1317980789' post='1396838']
You could also try to PM 'Ming' on the EBMM forum, he's taken over from Pete Lumney.

As for Grand W's advice, personally I'd steer clear from sending PM's to Sterling, or starting any threads on the forum. You've been on there long enough to know why.
[/quote]

I think it's awful that folks should be too scared to post anything on that Ernie's Balls forum slightly negative even with legitimate reason for fear of the repercussions from a pack of feral fanboys or how "the Führer" might react.
Not a healthy way to do business, smacks a bit of Nazi Germany if you ask me...