Is Kalium having issues or is this normal?

[Jeff Roller]

I've got a creepy bass amp garage to go with it

 

[Gully Foyle]

And what would make you think that? Yup, you busted us. We just like to come on here and make up stories about Kalium and their crappy service.

I think it's weird too, but to me it seems unbelievable that people would use substandard strings in one particular context, because shipping time somehow outweighs decent performance on a product

 

[GK Growl]

I think it's weird too, but to me it seems unbelievable that people would use substandard strings in one particular context, because shipping time somehow outweighs decent performance on a product

If you read all the complaints it ain't just slow shipping times. Lack of order confirmation, lack of email/phone response, delivery times way outside of what should be considered appropriate, blaming USPS, etc. Kalium may have a huge selection of gauges and appeal to certain people needing that but to imply other brands are substandard is absurd.

 

[Gully Foyle]

If you read all the complaints it ain't just slow shipping times. Lack of order confirmation, lack of email/phone response, delivery times way outside of what should be considered appropriate, blaming USPS, etc. Kalium may have a huge selection of gauges and appeal to certain people needing that but to imply other brands are substandard is absurd.

I was referring to one particular case, not all cases. The bass vi strings daddario are pretty useless. Again, love many other brands of strings. I was speaking to one particular case

 

[bunkaroo]

Really liked the strings when I used to buy them....couldn't deal with a lot of what's mentioned here. C'est la vie.

 

[Systolic]

I just wish they had some competition.

 

[ixlramp]

According to DHL my shipment has been picked up. Two weeks after ordering.

Yeah that seems a common time for them to dispatch. I guess it *might* be due to you needing a string they don't currently have in stock so that it needs winding first, and maybe they have a queue of strings waiting to be wound. They have a huge number of types of string (hundreds) and as far as i remember like to keep stock low for freshness.
They really need to state 'up to 2 weeks dispatch time', like Octave 4 Plus stating 'up to 9 weeks'. They lack some obvious communications.

It's one guy making and dispatching everything, plus a few part-timers who work on top of other jobs, i suspect they don't make enough money yet to have a second full-timer. They added a part-time guy for customer service recently but it doesn't seem to have made a big improvement to order communication.

 

[morgan138]

Never had issues with Kalium (going back to when they were still Circle K), and I love their strings for my oddball baritone. But I usually order two sets at a time, because obviously getting a custom set from a small company is going to take longer than a pre-packaged one from an Amazon drop-shipper.

This does sound frustrating though, I hope everything works out.

 

[morgan138]

other brands are substandard is absurd.

A lot of other brands are "substandard" at doing what Kalium does: making high quality strings in a super wide range of lengths and gauges. None of the big/fast manufacturers are in the same league, at any rate.

Comparing the time it takes a small company like Kalium to assemble and ship a custom set with the time it takes a mega company like D'Addario to mail out a pre-packaged set doesn't make sense at all.

 

[Systolic]

argh, I'm at 2.5 weeks at this point. No word. Can't get a hold of anybody. Opened a paypal dispute.

 

[Obese Chess]

Well, time to order some new strings again, still nobody else making a .150 that'll fit a Dingwall AFAIK so here we go.

Can they get here before my shows on the weekend of the 23rd? LET'S FIND OUT

 

[flojob]

I need strings too, but I just cant deal with the uncertainty. I have kaliums on there now. Ive pretty much resolved to look for a more accessible replacement. I like the way they feel, but a bird in the hand...

 

[mmbongo]

Well, time to order some new strings again, still nobody else making a .150 that'll fit a Dingwall AFAIK so here we go.

Can they get here before my shows on the weekend of the 23rd? LET'S FIND OUT

Which month?

 

[laklandplayer]

I love Kalium strings but I can't hang with their awful web site and their sudden inability to fill orders... it's sad.
I settled on the balanced tension gauges that I like from them, and have been ordering single strings, as close as I can get them to match, from other manufacturers to try. I'm having surprisingly good luck with the tension and feel of Rotosounds and also Curt Mangan Strings. Although the Mangan's are a little higher in tension than I like, they sound awesome and are relatively balanced. The Mangan's have been on an Ibanez Cerro 5 for over a month and still sound brand new. I have some DR High Beams yet to try. I hope Kalium can get their act together before its too late.

 

[Obese Chess]

I sure would feel better about Kalium's Instagram being nothing but pictures of Chris on vacation if they could get orders out.

 

[ixlramp]

Just visited their Instagram for the first time. The guy with the moustache is Chris who is a business partner and part-timer who looks after the website stuff. Almost all those photos there are taken by him. Skip is in 1 photo in the first hundred.

 

[Obese Chess]

I stand corrected and will update my gripe.

Still a tacky look IMO but no shade at Skip if that's not his thing.

 

[tom-g]

They just lost another customer. I have five sets on order. Have sent several mails. No reaction whatsoever. This is no way to run a business.

 

[GK Growl]

They just lost another customer. I have five sets on order. Have sent several mails. No reaction whatsoever. This is no way to run a business.

Now hold on a minute. Kalium has been going through a lot lately. For example, that mustache on Chris, have you seen that thing? That requires a lot of time and maintenance. Plus, all those vacation pics, c'mon the dude deserves a vacation, especially with a mustache that high maintenance. Plus they are a very small operation, it couldn't possibly be their fault that an entire website was created allowing people to order a lot of strings in a lot of gauges and then expect said items to wound, packaged, and shipped out in a timely matter, if at all. I mean, do you really deserve an email reply with all this going on? They are trying hard, they really are. It's just that USPS keeps losing their orders, and their computer system had a glitch, and they moved locations, etc. Geez, I mean you would know all this if you would read their facebook updates (which I'm sure emails could be answered while they are typing) or watching one of their video updates (which I'm sure strings could be wound, packed, and shipped).

 

[Obese Chess]

Yup, if this set I just got from Payson holds up to the withering assault of my body chemistry and stagediving regimen as well as Kaliums did, I think that'll be it for me. If not, I'm gonna play with gauges again and see what I can get from D'Addario or Dunlop from their single strings line.

Really wish someone made coated strings for a Dingwall, but either way I do not have the time or energy to stress about Kalium anymore. Sucks because they're SUCH good strings.