#31
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Apparently their prices reflect what the market will bear. High quality usually reflects high prices in my experience.
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"To walk in the wonder, to live in the song" "The moment between the silence and the song" |
#32
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For the things that are specialized I don't have too much of a problem with their prices. If you want to complain, try the shipping charges to Canada.
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Fred |
#33
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Or to Alaska when I used to live there -- no such thing as ground delivery. UPS Blue Label (second day air) was the only option, and the shipping was often more than the item itself. I would often ask for US Snail, but many stores are only set up to use UPS or FedEx.
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#34
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I don't have a problem with StewMac's prices either, though if I find something as good for cheaper I do what I have to do. Their customer service has been great for me. Last issue, I bought some .020" x .100" plastic purfling for a Tele build, and they sent me .25" height. When I called, they sent me the .100" height and said I could keep the .25" purfling. Quick, and no hassles.
Usually, I generally side with the consumer as it is the responsibility of the merchant to give great customer service. Had you called beforehand to clarify the issue BEFORE purchasing, I may be more sympathetic. But since you apparently just buy stuff without reading the description, I can't say I feel for you. To make a stink about it afterwards, then come here to slam the company, is probably not the adult way to handle things. Aircraft grade Sitka spruce spar stock runs about $10/bf. So to pay a 1200% premium for the torrefaction process is probably something I wouldn't do. But consider someone has the overhead of something like an autoclave to bake the wood in an oxygen-free environment, then mill it to size and stock them, and the room to stock them... Now consider that someone has to print an order ticket, someone has to pull the item out of stock and bring it to shipping, someone has to package and weigh the product... Also, I don't know the customer service rep, but not all customer service reps for luthier supply companies are aspiring luthiers, or maybe even guitar players. And it's not like the highest-paying job in the world. There are too many horrible things going on right now that are way more important than a stick of cooked spruce. I live through each day with a heavy heart for things that happened 22 years ago, but I don't take it out on everyone, though the community here has been very supportive. Heck, I'll even spend the $20 and cut the billet to your specs and send it to you if we can end this crusade. |
#35
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By the way, what everyone is ignoring is that I complimented their excellent second customer service reaction and they agreed with me and corrected the name of the product.....soooooo....I wasn't wrong. As I said before, this isn't about the purchase, the $20 or even the wrong item (I only said that twice already), this was about their horrid customer service and their "don't bug me" attitude. Finally, I made a point to not come here and slam the company. In fact I went out of my way to *NOT* indicate what company it was. Someone else dragged their name into it. So you are completely wrong to accuse me of slamming the company.
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Fazool "The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter" 000-15 / GC7 / GA3-12 / SB2-C / SB2-Cp / AVC-11MHx / AC-240 |
#36
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Back to the OP. What you rec'd was "brace stock" or "brace wood," not "braces," unfinished, finished, whatever. It's just bad copy writing. You are right to be baffled by the unresponsive customer service. A rational response would have been to acknowledge the discrepancy and offer a return and refund of shipping. This stuff happens with online ordering all the time because most companies and customers are a bit sloppy. As for the larger situation -- an instrument supplies company with employees who clearly lack knowledge of the stuff their employer markets -- well, it's America. Many workplaces hire low-paid, inexpert help. Not great for the customer; good for profit margin. I often make an issue of this stuff, and it used to be that most merchants were interested because they wanted to do well and have good service, but it's generally a waste of time these days. I just return stuff. But to be fair, on small items I often explain that the item has virtually no value, while my time is in fac quite valuable, so can I please just get a refund without having to ship back a defective hunk of whatever? This is frequently OK'd. Note: I would never do this for something I intended to keep and use. In those cases, I explain my view and pay for the item!
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#37
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Like I said, my experieces with StewMac for such small items is that they sent me a replacement and let me keep the wrong item. Even sending back stuff, the package has to be opened and inspected, the item has to be added to the stock counts, and then re-inventoried. Let's say StewMac went and hired aspiring luthiers to do customer service. I think aspiring luthiers would rather build than be on the phone. So they have to hire laymen to do it. And maybe the guy needs a little more OJT. Or maybe he had a bad day, or a family member passed away. Maybe he's trying to make ends meet like a lot of us. We don't know, so why judge? |
#38
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If any normal human being reads this, and tells me that they think they're getting cut braces, I'll gladly eat my words:
[IMG]StewMac by Louie Atienza, on Flickr[/IMG] |
#39
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I think the reason for this is because most consumers don't really want to pay the extra wage costs that would be passed on by having better trained, more expert customer service reps/order takers. But as I've said in another of these recent multiple customer service threads, life is short. Perhaps the OP and others (including me) should get on with it, get over it Over and out.
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"To walk in the wonder, to live in the song" "The moment between the silence and the song" |
#40
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One is not buying, and they are not selling, "uncarved guitar braces" at all. They are selling a block of wood. That block of wood could be cut up to be anything you want, almost. It could be processed into guitar braces, mandolin braces, or even a guitar neck. "Uncarved guitar braces" suggests to me that I'm buying pre-cut, dimensioned, ready-to-glue braces for a guitar. They have not be shaped in any way, such as rounding their edges, tapering them along their length or scalloping. That's a different animal than a block of wood. Yes, if one reads the details of the item, it should become clear that one is not buying, despite the description, individual, unshaped ("uncarved") guitar braces: one is buying a block of wood that one could further process to create guitar braces. They are selling the raw material from which guitar braces could be made. I'm glad they changed the description to eliminate the potential for misinterpretation. A description such as "Brace Stock" might be more appropriate. If they sell other sizes aimed at specific instruments and needed to distinguish it from the others, "Guitar Brace Stock" might be appropriate. |
#41
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Hmmm, maybe if I,,,
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#42
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How anyone could or would complain about any company's prices is beyond me. If you don't believe their products are worth the price, don't buy there. If you want carved braces, buy braces not lumber. If you're tired of this thread, play your guitar.
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#43
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I originally did not understand the confusion, then through the process of people debating I finally understood what was going on. But Now you have linked an example of a sales page, I see no issues, the title of the page is uncarved guitar braces, that is simply a descriptive for people searching, but the actual item for sale is not uncarved guitar braces, its actually a piece of sitka spruce with a photo representing whats for sale, that is pretty self explanatory. Steve
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Cole Clark Fat Lady Gretsch Electromatic Martin CEO7 Maton Messiah Taylor 814CE |
#44
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he said;
The piece he got was 1"x1"x12", which is a mile from what stewmac sells. I got one in the mail yesterday and it is 2" tall and 20" long. a 12" brace is a pretty small brace. I bought some off of ebay for my first guitar, and had to turn around and buy one from stewmac because 16" wasn't long enough for an x-brace on a jumbo (not even close)
oops, he posted where he got it, must have missed the 3rd page on the list, sorry, I'm stupid, still seems like completely the wrong size though (what he claimed he got)
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disclaimer I don't know anything, everything I say is a guess, estimate, hearsay, or opinion. For your safety, don't assume anything I say is a fact. Research Last edited by LeightonBankes; 02-28-2018 at 08:18 AM. Reason: missed a page |
#45
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1" square ??? Are you sure it wasn't 2" x 1" ? As far as it being 12" long, are you sure it wasn't 20" long ? It makes absolutely no sense for a luthiery supply company to sell bracewood in 12" lengths. Assuming that you didn't make a couple of typos in the OP, and that what you received was indeed a piece of spruce which was only 1" x1" x 12", then that was obviously a massive slip-up on the part of StewMac's shipping dept but I think you should clarify the issue, and state explicitly whether they sent the wrong size, or whether you did make the typos in the OP. That listing has 6 reviews btw, and none of them are anything less than complimentary. |