I odered a Ken Bebensee 10 YEARS AGO!!!! and I just recieved it last week. I had called and called him and never got an answer, but finally the bass arrived 2 weeks ago that I never thought would come. It is awesom, it is the first custom bass I have ever owned so I dont have much to go by as custom basses go. I do know that it is nicer than anything manufactured that I have owned. It has a zebrawood top and back with an ash core. The neck is wenge and purpleheart, with a pau ferro fingerboard. It has bartolini pickups and electronics and a chinese dragon inlay that goes grom the 3rd fret all the way to the end of the fingerboard. I think it was the inlay that made it take so long.
10 yrs!!!!!!!! I don't care if the bass is dripping in gold and inlay. That is a ridiculous amount of time to wait. I'm not sure bebensee intends to stay in business, or even cares but that must be the worst customer service ever. Now that you do have it however, enjoy it in good health. I'm glad you like it and I can see why.
........................................................... 10 years ??? ........................................................... Id have sent a hitman after his ass, screw that. DOT DOT DOT DOT DOT DOT DOT DOT DOT
10 yrs. You waited 10 yrs, without any responce from Bebensee. And your OK with this?? Unreal. Injoy the bass.
I ordered in in 1997. My father had ordered a guitar from that previous year and recieved it pretty fast, and I loved it so I ordered the bass. For awhile I called Ken ans kept in touch with him about it, but then he stopped returning calls, and my life got really busy and it got pushed to the back burner. I finally decided a few months ago that it was never going to come, but that I would try one last time. I called and threatened him with a lawsuit and then he finally called me back. He gave me a story about how he had taken deposits on 35 instruments and that he was a one man shop and couldn't get them all done. He said he had people calling ans screaming at him demanding there money back. According to him he is taking no new orders until he has all of those completed.
10 years.... You actually waited 10 years on a bass? 10.... A whole decade?? So, Did Ken TELL you this when you ordered it? The mind boggles! How does a conversation like that go? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Zebrawood: "Yes, ummm... Hello? Mr. Bebensee?" Ken Bebensee: "Yes, this is he." Zebrawood: "I'd like to order a bass." Ken Bebensee: "Wonderful! What are the specs?" Zebrawood: "Well, I'd like a zebrawood top and back with an ash core. The neck I want to be wenge and purpleheart, with a pau ferro fingerboard. It has to have bartolini pickups and electronics and a Chinese dragon inlay that goes from the 3rd fret all the way to the end of the fingerboard!" Ken Bebensee: "That sounds nice. Let me do a little checking here." (Sounds of papers shuffling, pencils scraping on paper and calculator buttons being pushed) Ken Bebensee: "Well, I'm a little backlogged on orders, but I should have it ready in oh, say...... ten years." Zebrawood: "Ten years?" (long silence) "Hmmmmm.. Ok, I guess that will be fine." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And it's that last part that just FRIES my coconut!!!!! My God, man!! Three words for you.. Patience Of Job!! Just unbelievable!!
I am guessing his basses must be awesome. However. This guy sounds like an a**hole. 10 years? ***? He took deposits on 35 instruments? 1 man shop? Hey jerk off - you took deposits - hire someone. OR don't take on work you can't handle. Taking money from people and then going MIA is absolutely bad business. That's just rediculous. 10 years, wow. Having to threaten a lawsuit to get a bass you paid for is just stupid.
On the plus side, if you paid for that bass 10 years ago up front you probably saved yourself a heap of money on today's price. Although 10 years, did he grow the fricken trees himself?
I bet it's already ten years old, and he just forgot to ship it out cause he was so swamped. Was it really really really dusty when it arrived?
10 years? did he had to harvest the trees himself or what???? ridiculous... did it cost likeif it was done 10 years ago? BTW tidy your room young boy you've got too much toys all over it!!!