When you aren't making a custom order...MM doesn't do custom orders for us non-artist types. It's really simple.
At the time Brandt was in position to get that done through the factory. I don't think he could make that happen now though.
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EBMM: Why Isn't a Custom Order Really a "Custom" Order?
- Thread starter Bottoms_Up!
- Start date
When you aren't making a custom order...MM doesn't do custom orders for us non-artist types. It's really simple.
At the time Brandt was in position to get that done through the factory. I don't think he could make that happen now though.
I was playing with a guitarist who is actually an endorsed EB/MM artists. He got me in touch with his rep there and I was told flat out "we don't do customer orders". I thought this was pretty whack. I'm sure they do things for artists who are big enough. I guess it's just not worth it to them. No hard feelings, just thought it was strange.
I've custom ordered two Musicman basses through Guitar Center without any problem and at a better price than I was quoted from Bass Central. It's pretty simple when the options you want are actually available.
Wow. Things came together pretty quickly! How sweet is this??
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=686148
I even have a bunch of ReRanch products. My dream 'Ray will be a reality soon, and for short change.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=686148
I even have a bunch of ReRanch products. My dream 'Ray will be a reality soon, and for short change.
My experience is the same with EBMM. Have 2 Stingray MM's 80 and 90. I called them as well as email them a request to make me a 6 string stingray single pickup white with white pick guard,birds eye maple neck, white head stock and gold hardware . There reply was we don't do custom requests for the general public. I told them price is no problem just tell me what it is and when it will be done. They only make custom guitars for signed musicians or special product lines, and told me to go to Musicians friend and buy a prodution model. Well I guess I will get a custom model from another Manufacturer. OH ya I did I have a 5000.00 Zon 6. So my point is, even though MM makes great guitars you can still get a guitar from another manufacturer and when people start to go somewhere else and they just cant figure it out why sales are falling then they will start to cater to the small people like me. Good guitars, bad business model. Customer service is a whole other beast with MM
It has always baffled me that EBMM doesn't have a custom shop. Hire a dude and charge what Fender does. Problem solved.
Custom doesn't mean custom anymore.
It means "Choose from a limited menu of options, and if what you want isn't there, tough luck."
AKA: choose from what we think you want, or screw you.
It means "Choose from a limited menu of options, and if what you want isn't there, tough luck."
AKA: choose from what we think you want, or screw you.
Yes because 6 string basses are flying off the shelves and EBMM doesn't see this market trend.
I will not be surprised if the Bongo 6 is dead last in sales. If 6ers were such big product movers then we would've seen them offered with all the options available for the 4s and 5ers.
If you look at the post its not about the the bongo its about customer service its about someone who has a heap of cash and will pay what ever it cost to have something that nobody else has Ie: custom shop! can you get a fender custom shop bass?????yes. Can you get a custom MM?????NO. To me the bongo is inferior to the original concept of a MM IE: its ugly. That is just a personal opinion, I'm sure their are a lot of guys playing them but I couldnt bring myself to do it. That is why I wanted to get the original body style (stingray) in a 6. ERB's are an aquired taste and not all player like them, I like MM basses what is wrong with getting what you want. If they can make a bass for signed artists then why not for the guy that has the money to do what he likes. Busness is about making the customer happy. return buisness comes from these happy people. More money!!!! I hope this clears the air on my responce to the original post
All it clears up is that you have unrealistic expectations and an attitude that you can have whatever you want from whomever you want because you believe you have enough money to buy it. They don't have a custom shop.
You obviously have no concept of what it would take to make you a 6 string Stingray and no concept how a production line works.
You aren't entitled to a bass just because you dreamed it up and think you have enough money to have it built.
You talk about a repeat customer. Who wants a repeat customer who wants something that requires special tooling, custom parts that don't exist, a newly designed version of a bass, and headstock and everything else that goes into making what is essentially a brand new model. Why would anyone want you to come back? Why would they want to open the floodgates of every person with a checkbook to start asking for one offs "because they can buy whatever they want?" They have a 4-5 month backlog of orders as it is, so I don't think they are hurting without your business.
For someone so flush with cash, you apparently have no idea how business works. There are plenty of builders out there who can make you whatever you want in a six string bass. You aren't entitled to change a company's business model to satisfy your need.
You obviously have no concept of what it would take to make you a 6 string Stingray and no concept how a production line works.
You aren't entitled to a bass just because you dreamed it up and think you have enough money to have it built.
You talk about a repeat customer. Who wants a repeat customer who wants something that requires special tooling, custom parts that don't exist, a newly designed version of a bass, and headstock and everything else that goes into making what is essentially a brand new model. Why would anyone want you to come back? Why would they want to open the floodgates of every person with a checkbook to start asking for one offs "because they can buy whatever they want?" They have a 4-5 month backlog of orders as it is, so I don't think they are hurting without your business.
For someone so flush with cash, you apparently have no idea how business works. There are plenty of builders out there who can make you whatever you want in a six string bass. You aren't entitled to change a company's business model to satisfy your need.
Eh? I didn't know that Ernie Ball even *had* a custom shop.
I'm pretty sure the OP could get Valenti or someone to build that bass... unless it's vital that it read 'Ernie Ball Music Man' on the headstock.
Personally, I once waited 9 months for a totally off-the-shelf EBMM and finally bought a Godin instead, though I'm willing to bet that was the store's fault, not EB's.
EDIT: I guess I should have read the entire thread before posting :-\
I don't think so. Valenti uses off the shelf parts, so unless Warmoth or whoever has those parts it's not going to happen. Same with a bunch of other boutique manufacturers. There are very few true custom manufacturers who can just build anything you want.
No they don't have a custom shop, never adverstised having a custom shop, nor have they ever called their business a custom shop. You can order a bass from the available list of options.
As has been stated several times already, EBMM does not have a custom shop. When you are ordering an EBMM bass, you are picking from a list of options that are available on each model.
They're out there. They may not have their own proprietary electronics or hardware, but there are custom pickup and hardware makers, too.
There are a few, but the op basically wanted a custom Stingray. So that rules out all of the "builders" that buy pre made parts and simply assembly them, which is most of them. Michale Dolan is someone who comes to mind that could probably build any thing a person wanted -- he is the exception, though.
