SGD Lutherie - Customer experience poll

[Steve59]

Ordered the SGD 2-Band Preamp (Wired)Item #*2BPMM
Item came when expected, easy to. Install and sounds great!

[cassius987]

The 2-band preamp is wonderful. Best voicing of a preamp I've heard since that thing Leo helped with way back when. Hm...

[bassguitarthund]

I did not vote because I have never bought anything from him. However, from reading his posts on here I have come to really respect the man. If I ever buy custom pickups, I guarantee it will be from him!!

[MPU]

My "business" with David has been some parts swapping and help from David about everything what pickup making includes. We also have some schematic swapping going on. He's also ordering some parts for me. David is one of the most helpful person I've been talking to. Keep up the good work, David!
Marko

[Zoomie]

I asked him to put together a simple (not so simple for me) wiring harness for my Franken Jazz project. He got back to me quickly, then followed up when he was mailing. I think that the whole process took less than two weeks to arrive at my door.

As I suspected, his soldering prowess is far superior to mine. Excellent service, timely receipt of the item, and killer quality. I can't ask for more than that. Thank you, David.

[sprocket123]

Originally Posted by mmbongo

My Brubaker Brute with SGD Neo's

Wow , beauty you got there

[sprocket123]

Yep David s a knowledgeable person , helps people , never made business with him yet .

The guy s alone , surely their will be some leadtime to orders , but he seems also there to help , will get some stuff from him later on

[RED J]

Originally Posted by jgroh

Im not trying to defend him because I havent ordered anything from him...yet...but as a small business owner myself (which includes me and uh...yeah, thats it) sometimes it IS difficult to estimate lead times. I have to wear so many hats, dealing with clients is time consuming enough and it can become overwhelming at times to just have enough time to actually PRODUCE the product. Maybe this is a lesson learned and he needs to make people explicitly aware that lead times are a fluid thing and it could alleviate some of this.

I can echo this too, I make my living as a sole proprietor, and what you said is dead on. When you wear all the hats, something is going to slip sometime.

I haven't done business with David, but IMHO the amount of information, skill and knowledge he shares for free on this and other forums, says an awful lot about his character.

I know there are a few people, and I can honestly say very few, out of the hundreds I have dealt with who would dog cuss me, and I really did mess up, but not intentionally. Any self employed or business person will say the same. Nobody hits 100%.

I think the above poll shows a pretty typical curve for customer satisfaction. (not having done business, I didn't vote ).

[Clammy]

When I was looking for a Bart to replace the DiMarzio X2N-B in my custom Moser Arachnid Ultra, David PM'ed me and told me about his pickups. We talked, and I described what I was after, and he suggested his ND3-HB. I'd read a lot of great reviews of his pickups, so I decided to take a chance and order one. It came in a reasonable amount of time, for a fair price, and David was always communicative. The pickup itself has really exceeded my expectations. It's given me the sound I had in my head. It's the best sounding bass pickup I've ever used. I highly recommend SGD Lutherie pickups.

Cheers!

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by jgroh

Im not trying to defend him because I havent ordered anything from him...yet...but as a small business owner myself (which includes me and uh...yeah, thats it) sometimes it IS difficult to estimate lead times...Maybe this is a lesson learned and he needs to make people explicitly aware that lead times are a fluid thing and it could alleviate some of this.

Indeed. Effectively managing customer expectations is a HUGE issue for any small business - and especially for a sole proprietorship. In fact, all other factors excluded - assuming consistently acceptable quality of product & service - management of customer expectations alone can either make or break one's business.

It amounts to a complex dance - striking an often delicate balance between industry norms, pressure from competitors, the desires of one's customers...and the need to carve out a reasonable amount of space and time for oneself in which to enjoy a reasonable pace of work - and to enjoy a decent quality of life along the way.

It requires a blend of toughness, the willingness to set limits - and stick to them - especially the ability to say "No"...coupled with sensitivity, responsiveness, tact, and the desire to please. Many a company that excels at all the business functions - including provision of the core product or service offering itself - yet sucks at managing customer expectations, has ultimately gone under because of it - and for no other reason.

MM

[ClassicAmps]

Originally Posted by MysticMichael

Indeed. Effectively managing customer expectations is a HUGE issue for any small business - and especially for a sole proprietorship. In fact, all other factors excluded - assuming consistently acceptable quality of product & service - management of customer expectations alone can either make or break one's business.

It amounts to a complex dance - striking an often delicate balance between industry norms, pressure from competitors, the desires of one's customers...and the need to carve out a reasonable amount of space and time for oneself in which to enjoy a reasonable pace of work - and to enjoy a decent quality of life along the way.

It requires a blend of toughness, the willingness to set limits - and stick to them - especially the ability to say "No"...coupled with sensitivity, responsiveness, tact, and the desire to please. Many a company that excels at all the business functions - including provision of the core product or service offering itself - yet sucks at managing customer expectations, has ultimately gone under because of it - and for no other reason.

MM

I would tend to disagree with managing customer expectations, industry norms, and all that "business speak" aspect, this is the norm for (real) custom shop stuff.

Small business (pickup) custom gear makers (I hate the word boutique) are not doing business in the same manner as Guitar Center, Zzounds, Sam Ash, Fender, Gibson, etc and all that accompanies that.

Buying from a small business custom shop is a "commission" of work, IMHO a customer's expectation shouldn't be that a given shipping date ETA is etched in stone, it's an "estimate" for goodness sake.

Seen all to often these days, like when folks are used to the getting their food in 32 seconds at McDonalds and the same souls gripe it up when they have to wait 10 or 20 minutes for food when they go to a real restaurant.

Just my opinion, no disrespect intended, YMMV

[Modulator]

Seven people vote "Bad" and none of them want to share their experience? Interesting...

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by ClassicAmps

I would tend to disagree with managing customer expectations, industry norms, and all that "business speak" aspect, this is the norm for (real) custom shop stuff.

Small business (pickup) custom gear makers (I hate the word boutique) are not doing business in the same manner as Guitar Center, Zzounds, Sam Ash, Fender, Gibson, etc and all that accompanies that.

Buying from a small business custom shop is a "commission" of work, IMHO a customer's expectation shouldn't be that a given shipping date ETA is etched in stone, it's an "estimate" for goodness sake.

Seen all to often these days, like when folks are used to the getting their food in 32 seconds at McDonalds and the same souls gripe it up when they have to wait 10 or 20 minutes for food when they go to a real restaurant.

Just my opinion, no disrespect intended, YMMV

No disrespect taken. But I do believe you've completely misunderstood the basic gist of my remarks...

The irony here is that, while you may take issue with my use of certain widely-accepted business terms in order to express certain widely-accepted business concepts, you and I are nevertheless in just about total agreement regarding the dynamics of life as a small business owner...

MM

[joeyl]

I bought the first or second set of neo Jazzbuckers when they came out. At this time David was not that busy and I think he gave me a month estimate, and I received them within that time frame. The pickups are great, and the bass they are in is my go to bass. They was some issue with the epoxy coating on that set, where it cured unevenly in the bottom part, but that was almost prototype at this point so I did not care.

I am hoping to try his new preamps especially since he said he was making a Wal type filter preamp. However I was dismayed to see the complaints about delivering his products and I can't really tell who is at fault. I would be surprised if it was David since he is a stand-up guy....

[SlowpokeJoe]

My order took a bit longer than expected but David was very helpful and informative before and during the sales process.

The pickup I bought had to have a custom cover made and I'll be surprised if David ends up selling more than 3 or 4 a year like these, so the extra time it took to get it made does not bother me.

We live in an electronic world of instant satisfaction, but quality is always worth waiting for.

Place your order with confidence, it might take a little bit, but it'll get there and it will be worth it.

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by joeyl

However I was dismayed to see the complaints about delivering his products and I can't really tell who is at fault. I would be surprised if it was David since he is a stand-up guy....

Don't assume. Sometimes it isn't an issue of anybody's "fault", in the commonly-understood sense of that term. Sometimes it's only a matter of inadequate communication of the vendor, and/or unrealistic expectations of the customer. As I've already tried to illustrate...

MM

[darkstorm]

I havent purchased anything from him yet. But might still. My experience in correspondences with him has been excellent. In some ways buying from SGD is like buying from custom bass maker. Patience is required.

[bass12]

I've never done business with David from SGD but I have done business with several other small, independently run businesses. I personally am always surprised if an item is delivered within the approximated wait time. If I need a "quick fix" I buy from a store or large manufacturer. In most situations, however, I have the luxury of being able to wait and I'm happy to do that (within reason) with the knowledge that I'm going to receive a truly special product and help support a small business in the process.

[bass12]

Originally Posted by darkstorm

Patience is required.

Patience, unfortunately, is something that seems to be in short supply in our modern world!

[Webtroll]

Only one purchase, and that was a modified SGD 2-Band preamp (I had him use pots with detents so I could feel the mid point despite the pre being boost only). The price was right and the turnaround was as advised. He was accommodating and punctual. I voted positive experience. (the preamp rocks btw, I replaced the pre in a Sub 4)