Eden was just purchased by Marshall

[JimmyM]

Never was an Eden fan to begin with, but for all the naysayers, I'll just point out that people were saying Ampeg was doomed 3 years ago, and now they have the #1 amp on the market. From all the details spilled in this thread, it looks like a lateral move and it's very tempting to think that it'll be business as usual when Marshall "takes over," but you never can tell.

 

[sickest beast]

This could be good. Marshall has always been lacking in the bass department. Eden as a branch of Marshall makes a great deal of sense business-wise for Marshall Amplification.

Let's hope those bullet points are honest.

 

[p5string]

US Music owns the Marshall Distribution in America. This sounds like an organizational game. I think it is a way of "cleaning house"

 

[Metal Mitch]

If Marshall is moving offshore Eden production back to the USA, will they move Marshall production from China back to the UK?

 

[genericusername]

If Marshall is moving offshore Eden production back to the USA, will they move Marshall production from China back to the UK?

I thought it was just the cheapo SS Marshalls that were made in China/India/wherever.

 

[Bassflute]

This is all part of a bigger scheme. Marshall just recently ended their longtime North American distribution deal with Korg USA and their newer distributor is, guess what...

U.S. Music Corp.

So... I estimate that it's not that Eden gets rid of U.S. Music influences (e.g. offshore production and OEM products from Taiwanese vendors), it's that Marshall and U.S. Music (and all the brands within) will merely begin to operate closer and closer interchangeably as a team.

The bulletins are nice sales pitch for potential customers and investors. I don't think for a moment that they'd tell what really might happen in the future since it might not sound too promising. When U.S. Music acquired Eden did the bulletins say that Eden production will be branched all over the globe, particularly to Asia and to business entities owned by the U.S. Music conglomerate. Bargain product ranges made in China will be introduced, and some of the products will be bought OEM from Taiwan. Oh, and that David Nordschow will quit in a few years. I don't think so. We'll see what becomes of this....

Typical. Thanks for filling us in. Shell game. Can't recoup all the bad stuff that happened to Eden during the US music years, so now they're trying to hide the affiliation.

US Music owns the Marshall Distribution in America. This sounds like an organizational game. I think it is a way of "cleaning house"

Saving face is more like it. But they're 5 years too late, at least. Eden is dead in the water, no longer the major player it once was.

I thought it was just the cheapo SS Marshalls that were made in China/India/wherever.

Yup, and BOY are they unreliable. Most guitarist I know who have had them got rid of them. TERRIBLE bloody things. Marshall is NOT what it once was.

Good luck reviving this dead duck. My view of the situation - nobody cares anymore. Eden's long gone.

And good riddance after what they did to me and many other of their loyal customers.

Cheers,
Cameron

 

[will33]

It's the treatment of loyal customers like this that's going to be the hardest to overcome.

And +1 to the shell game/lip service. As far as I know, outside of the top tier products, the rest of Marshall's product line is all chinese. I don't see that changing any time soon and I wouldn't expect Eden manufacturing to come back here unless maybe, again, it's for top tier products only. I could see them further watering down the brand with a bunch of mid-level and budget gear that says "Eden" on it. What ever happened to the Nemesis line, is it still out there?

 

[SteveC]

Eden lost it when they first "sold out" years ago when they used to be a small Minnesota based operation. The good old days...

 

[bongomania]

Maybe the guy who invested in Acoustic USA will also license the name and trade dress of "Eden USA", to make high-end domestic versions.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

I used Eden gear back in the day. Since then I've experimented with lots of gear made by other manufacturers. Very happy with what I've got now. It will take much more than press releases to make me reconsider Eden.

 

[Mystic Michael]

What ever happened to the Nemesis line, is it still out there?

AFAIK, the Nemesis brand is now completely defunct...

A pity it is too, as it's some of the nicest, most under-rated mid-priced bass gear there is. I've owned two of the "NC" (original model) Nemesis combo amps - including the NC210, which I still have, and with which I will never part.

My most recent Nemesis acquisition: an RS700 head, lightly-used and in excellent condition. What a great head for a medium-powered rock club mini-stack! So glad I snapped up one of these - before they're gone forever...

MM

 

[Crabby]

I know Jimmy loves Ampeg gear to this day but I was completely turned off by their move to overseas manufacturing of gear that remained priced exactly the same as it was before.

I was a big Eden fan back in the day and a big SWR fan during their brief heyday. But there is just so much else to choose from now. GK continues to innovate, Markbass stuff has a huge following, Mesa has become a real contender in the bass market and there are boutique cabinet companies galore. It just seems like the bass playing world has moved on.

Not only has the golden sheen faded from the Eden name due to numerous takeovers, unacceptable customer service and the founder leaving the company, but the products themselves are dated and completely eclipsed by newer, more exciting gear.

I think it would be neat to see Eden return as a true top shelf brand in the bass gear world but they have a seriously uphill battle ahead.

 

[dsanders]

When Luke mentions that's he's talked with "important individuals from Eden's past" my mind goes straight to David. He's got a great cab with his DNA line. We've yet to see an amp though. I wonder...

 

[gwangi]

I hope that bring back the Eden 215 bass cab without the tweeter.

 

[MuthaFunk]

When Luke mentions that's he's talked with "important individuals from Eden's past" my mind goes straight to David. He's got a great cab with his DNA line. We've yet to see an amp though. I wonder...

I think they want you to think they're talking to David but I don't believe they are. I could be wrong but the ambiguity of the statement leaves me skeptical. I think they're playing on our love of the old Eden days and want us to drum up more threads and talk like this one to get people to check out the NEW Eden (which I don't think will change).

With that said, I will still be keeping an eye on Eden. I love my 1998 Eden WT400 Plus and 410XLT4 rig and I'll never get rid of it. I never experienced any of that poor customer service because my Eden never gave me any trouble in 10 years of weekend gigging. I've recently picked up a WT260 because it was the only micro Eden made that was made in the US (although it doesn't say that anywhere on the chassis). I'm very impressed with it. It seems to have what I've always expected of Eden products.

I hope they begin to innovate more and still keep true to their roots of high quality boutique level amps. The problem with that is the name won't call boutique prices anymore and they don't like to lose money so that may be a pipe dream.

 

[JimmyM]

I know Jimmy loves Ampeg gear to this day but I was completely turned off by their move to overseas manufacturing of gear that remained priced exactly the same as it was before.

Well now they've got $400 500w heads so hey...

 

[nortonrider]

I hope that they got paid good!
It's always been a dream of mine to start a company, sell it to a major corporation for big bucks, then retire to a life of sleeping late and having margaritas for breakfast.

 

[bassjam]

I used Eden gear back in the day. Since then I've experimented with lots of gear made by other manufacturers. Very happy with what I've got now. It will take much more than press releases to make me reconsider Eden.

My thoughts exactly as I read through this thread.I used and endorsed Eden exclusively years ago but have moved on to gear Im very happy with.As Tunaman,murphy,and others have said,they have alot to overcome.I wish them luck,but I doubt I be interested in their gear any time soon.

 

[jokerjkny]

Based on any statistical evidence?

Many guitarists that I've played with have Marshall gear and don't seem plagued by reliability problems. In fact, having grown up within 20 minutes of the Marshal factory in Bletchley UK, many of those guitarists have been able to nip into the factory to get their amps serviced and have described the individual attention they've received as quite amazing. Still, different experiences...

IMHO though, one thing that Marshall have never really grasped is how to make a truly world class bass amp, so let's hope that the Eden aquisition changes all that.

as a guitar player,

cant say i totally agree here. but given the ubiquity of marshall gear, they are easy to repair, tho many techs have told me, the marshall product isnt the most robust thing out there.

 

[calypsocoral302]

I hope that they got paid good!
It's always been a dream of mine to start a company, sell it to a major corporation for big bucks, then retire to a life of sleeping late and having margaritas for breakfast.

Add being fed grapes by a pride of beautiful, naked women and I think you and I are on the same wavelength!


On another note, I've written off Eden as irrelevant for some time, at least regarding their new stuff.

At least there are some nifty cabs out there from Dave's new company, David Nordschow Amplification (aka "DNA"), and word has it that he's going to unveil his new amplifiers at Winter NAMM.

They've been very hush-hush over at DNA for several months now, so I'm hoping for some big news pretty soon...