Sperzel? No thanks

[Mr M]

I want to share my experience with Sperzel and warn other people.

Well, I wanted to put the D-thing (Sperzel detuner) on my next bass. So that I'd be able to compare it with Hipshot Bass Xtender that I have on my another bass and write a review here as well. I've seen here in TB that many people were curious about it so am I.

So I've ordered it, with matching Sperzel ordinary tuning pegs from TK-instruments. Todd is a great guy but what he does is to pass the order to Sperzel. Sperzel directly sends to your address. It has been now 4 months since I ordered them and made the payment and guess what, let beside tuning pegs non-arriving, Sperzel can not even give a guess for delivery time. 4 months! I mean 4 months to manufacture a total of 4 tuning pegs... I'd ask how they produce it. I can understand that they work with guitar and bass manufacturers and produce hundreds of tuning pegs but is it that hard to put bloody 4 pieces into the manufacturing plan? I don't believe that I am overreacting. Todd is warning in his webpage that it takes some time to get orders from Sperzel but I can't see how it may take that long.

Todd contacted me, he is asking Sperzel about the situation but they even can not give a delivery guess. So I wanted to warn people if they are considering to order Sperzel bloody-things, or if you guess that your new born will interest in playing bass/guitar in his/her twenties, you may place an order now as it will probably reach you by the time they'd consider installing

[Zooberwerx]

Okay, so we're not really having a problem with the product itself but with the service, correct? Have you contacted Sperzel directly? http://www.sperzel.com/

I've seen more than a handful of cases where retailers unjustly place the blame on the manufacturers. Make sure you get the whole story from both sides. If Sperzel is unable to meet your needs in a timely manner, what kind of service can you expect in the future should you require parts?

Good luck and keep us informed!

Riis

[bassmonkeee]

Warning duly noted. Don't pay one person and get mad at someone else. Blame the middleman. Period.

[Aram Bedrosian]

Thanks for the heads up. I am looking into the D-Thing right now. It has been extremely difficult to find anything on the Bass D-Thing anywhere on the net.

Aside from the rare Ibanez bridges, does anybody know of a 3rd option other than hipshots and D things for detuners? Any help would be huge!


Thanks!

Aram

Ritter Basses
Hartke Systems
DR Strings

[Tiny Tim]

While I didn't order a d-thing my 4 left hand tuners came promptly after my order from TK-instruments. ymmv.

[lsvgshensel]

I would like to tell of my Sperzel experience. I recently purchased a very used 1988 Fender Stratocaster Plus (Sperzel tuners, Gold lace Pickups,Roller nut). As I started to go through this guitar I noticed that one of the Sperzel tuners was missing the knob and pin for the locking mechanism. I started to search the internet for Sperzel parts Thinking that maybe Ebay or somewhere else would sell me the parts I needed. No Luck. Finnally I found Sperzels website and got a phone number. I decided to try my luck. I called and Lori Sperzel answered the phone(Bobs wife), She was very informative about their product, and extermely helpful. She offered to send me the parts I needed( no Charge). I offered, and no shipping. I own 3 bass and 7 electric guitars I am considering changing them over as I can. I dont know what the problem is with your order, but things happen. You payed someone else and are mad a Sperzel. I think they offer a superior product, not only in form, but also function. I feel that is like saying a Volkswagen Bug and a Porsche 911 are both cars with engines in the back and get you around. Not even Close. When I compare the Klusons that came on my other Strats and the Sperzels its like night and day. Not only does the Sperzel tuner perform at a different level it looks like a million dollars. I would like to thank Lori ( I hope I spelled it right) for all her help, and say what a great company Sperzel is.

[Mr M]

I should update this. The machine heads has finally arrived 2 days ago after months of ordering it.

[PilbaraBass]

Originally Posted by Mr M

I should update this. The machine heads has finally arrived 2 days ago after months of ordering it.

I figured out what happened. You used "Constantinople" for your mailing address

[BuffaloBass]

K-I-S-S and play a 5'er.

[5th Tuner]

Hi Todd Keehn of TK Instruments here, just make a few of my own comments on this post here, since this obviously involves me, because I sold the keys to this customer...
Sometimes Sperzel does have back-order issues. And believe me it is a huge pain for everyone involved; Sperzel, myself, and obviously my customers.. I don't sell Sperzels that are in-stock because I prefer to offer customized Sperzels..
I also have no intentions of trying to compete with the huge companies out there that do stock 100's of sets of the standard 3x3 and 6-IL Trim-Lock sets in Black and Satin Chrome... So every order I do through Sperzel is "factory direct"...
This has been a HUGE service to small/home luthiers
and/or guitarists with unusual tuner color and configuration needs.
It's made me in the top 3 Google searches for Sperzel Keys.

That being said: I just want to say that the people at Sperzel are very nice people; I even consider them to be friends of mine... I have been dealing with them via phone for years and years, and have talked to almost everyone that works there... I have had many nice phone calls with Lori, Bob, and Ron Sperzel...
They are all hard working good people..
And they build a beautiful product too! :-)
Sometimes things just go wrong; and customers get their keys late...
Although, I can honestly say that it's almost NEVER Sperzel's fault. Often they deal with outside plaiting and anodizing houses that screw up a large batch of parts. Or, maybe a lathe or CNC machine breaks (machines actually do break down, believe it or not) and this knocks them behind a few weeks, sometimes months...
Rarely is it human error on Sperzel's part.. If it is; THEY ALWAYS MAKE IT RIGHT!

I guess my point in all this is; don't be so quick to post harmful words that really hurt someones living just because your order was late...
-Especially- when you don't have ALL the information.
These small companies are people that need to make a living just like you.
And Sperzel is one of the few small USA companies that has survived for quite a few decades (even in this **** economy).
They are just a small family business that makes a very cool product so you and I can have our guitars and basses stay in tune better and do cool instant Drop D tuning!

So please have a little sympathy/respect in the future for what it takes to get us these neat little products...
I'm quite sure that now that all the is time has passed; you realize how cool and how WORTH THE WAIT it was to have this great little Sperzel device installed on your instrument??

Perhaps a "THANK YOU SPERZEL" thread is a better then a "no thanks" thread??

[ryansalmond]

Duly noted. Thank you for letting us know.

[ryansalmond]

Originally Posted by Mr M

It has been now 4 months since I ordered them and made the payment and guess what, let beside tuning pegs non-arriving, Sperzel can not even give a guess for delivery time. 4 months! I mean 4 months to manufacture a total of 4 tuning pegs...

Originally Posted by 5th Tuner

...don't be so quick to post harmful words that really hurt someones living just because your order was late...

Four months? Quick? Are you joking? Can you imagine a customer not paying you until four months after he received the product?

[5th Tuner]

Originally Posted by ryansalmond

Four months? Quick? Are you joking? Can you imagine a customer not paying you until four months after he received the product?

Actually; at anytime, (-IF- my customers don't feel like waiting) they are always welcome to get their $ back on any Sperzel or HipShot back-ordered items.

If they want to cancel the order all they have to do is just ask.
However, if they do this; they run the risk of loosing their place in line when the parts become available again...

Most people just want their parts; especially if it's something as unique and rare as a D-Thing.. There aren't many alternatives to it's design... And I think that's why this went on so long...
If this were just a set of locking tuners they probably would have canceled their order.

The thing is:
Back-Orders just happen... Especially when it's a part that's not mass produced, or even made one at a time (such as the case with the D-things)...
And IF it's a unique/rare item then sometimes we just have to be willing to wait.

An example for me would be:
I LOVE the Axe-Fx II
I REALLY want one... but if I want to buy one, I've heard that there is a 7 month (or longer) waiting list...
This is a mass produced item, yet the waiting list is a loooooooong time!

But if I want one; I have to be willing to wait for an indeterminate amount of time to get one.


Anyway:
Sperzel is now making D's more often then they could in the past, so they are available more frequently then a few years ago.. Still not "mass produced" but more are available then in the past... Not saying there will NEVER be a back order on D's again! But chances are much better then 3 years ago when this thread was posted!

[darkstorm]

Thats rediculous wait. I wont buy from anyplace that charges cc before order ships. Or whoch cant ship within a few days of order. Unless its custom order. In which case mfg should keep customer informed. If its going to be a few months I need to know that up front, no excuses. In this case, spertzel should have informed distributor of the problem and customer in formed by distributor with no need to call to ask. Ive bought mailorder and online for decades. Only had shipping problem from two. I dont do business with the two anymore.