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Kalium Strings Alive and Well

#101
I ordered strings on 5/4 after corresponding w/ Skip Fantry on 5/1 as to what gauge strings I should go with. They have yet to ship and I followed up last week with no response. I have ordered a few sets over the years and never had them be non-responsive like this. Hope they arrive before my gigs start back up at the end of the month.
 
#102
Not sure how many people Skip has working for him but it's probably not many. And their bread-and-butter is not strings - but that's not an excuse for poor service. Still, when considering the project management triangle, what is important to me most is quality - which I probably won't get fast or cheap. Skip's strings last me an incredibly long time and sound great to me, which makes them the best choice in all areas: tone, longevity, and cost (over time). So, when I need to purchase them, I do so not needing them the next day. If I need a set now I go to Guitar Center.

Given that I had placed my most recent order this past weekend, I gave them a few days to get it shipped. Not seeing any tracking in my email I called Kalium. Guess who picked up? Skip did. He took responsibility for the delay and said I should see tracking by the end of the week. I'm fine with that - and was ecstatic I got to talk to Skip himself.

He was very friendly and willing to chat about anything - as he has been in the past - and shared with me some new speakers he's creating. I'm quite sure he would have spent more time on the phone with me but I had to drop for another call. His passion for what he does in evident and he reassured me he'll be doing this for years down the road. I asked that if he decides to retire to let me know so I can place a big, lifetime string order from him. :laugh:

Anyway, I'm looking forward to restringing my Conklin and wish I could sample a Quake or one of his other basses some day. We're on opposite coasts but would love to meet and see his shop.
 
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#103
[WARNING] Major issues with Kalium Music – Still no strings after 35+ days[/WARNING][WARNING]


Hey everyone,


Just wanted to share a warning about my recent experience with Kalium Music, in case anyone here is considering ordering from them.


I placed an order on March 3, 2025 for a custom stainless steel .160 bass string set (Order #45982).
Before ordering, I had a helpful exchange with Skip, who confirmed the strings were in stock and that I'd receive them in Paris by March 21–23.


After payment, communication completely dropped off. No updates, no tracking, and after repeated follow-ups via email and Instagram, I only got one reply (on April 3) saying the strings would ship "no later than tomorrow."
That was over five days ago… and still nothing. My order is still marked "Processing."


I've now had to consider a chargeback with my bank, and I've also let Dingwall know, since they were the ones who recommended Kalium to me directly on Instagram.


It's really disappointing, especially since Kalium has a good reputation for string quality. But honestly, if something goes wrong with your order, you're on your own.


Hope this helps someone avoid the same mess.[/warning]
 
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#105
Yeah, same here — I expected a bit of delay, but not total radio silence for over a month.
What really bothers me is that I reached out multiple times, and after one vague promise, they just ghosted me again.

I hope your order goes through smoother than mine — but definitely keep an eye on the timeline, and don't hesitate to follow up early if it drags.

Let me know how it goes on your side!
 
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#107
Razman said:
Not sure how many people Skip has working for him but it's probably not many. And their bread-and-butter is not strings - but that's not an excuse for poor service. Still, when considering the project management triangle, what is important to me most is quality - which I probably won't get fast or cheap. Skip's strings last me an incredibly long time and sound great to me, which makes them the best choice in all areas: tone, longevity, and cost (over time). So, when I need to purchase them, I do so not needing them the next day. If I need a set now I go to Guitar Center.

Given that I had placed my most recent order this past weekend, I gave them a few days to get it shipped. Not seeing any tracking in my email I called Kalium. Guess who picked up? Skip did. He took responsibility for the delay and said I should see tracking by the end of the week. I'm fine with that - and was ecstatic I got to talk to Skip himself.

He was very friendly and willing to chat about anything - as he has been in the past - and shared with me some new speakers he's creating. I'm quite sure he would have spent more time on the phone with me but I had to drop for another call. His passion for what he does in evident and he reassured me he'll be doing this for years down the road. I asked that if he decides to retire to let me know so I can place a big, lifetime string order from him. :laugh:

Anyway, I'm looking forward to restringing my Conklin and wish I could sample a Quake or one of his other basses some day. We're on opposite coasts but would love to meet and see his shop.
Click to expand...
Hey, thanks for sharing your experience — honestly, it's really reassuring to hear Skip is still around and passionate about what he does.

I totally get the value of quality over speed, and I actually chose Kalium because of the reputation for tone and longevity (and a recommendation from Dingwall).

That said, I placed my order back on March 3rd (Order #45982), and aside from one message from Skip saying it would ship by April 4th… I've had no tracking, no update, and no replies since then — even after multiple emails and DMs. It's now been over 35 days, and with an important gig coming up, I'm honestly getting a bit stressed.

Since you were able to get through to him and he sounded open, would you mind maybe passing on a quick word? Just so he knows I'm still waiting and not trying to be aggressive — just really hoping to receive the strings soon.

Thanks a ton either way, and glad your order is going smoothly!
 
#108
yorai said:
[WARNING] Major issues with Kalium Music – Still no strings after 35+ days[/WARNING][WARNING]


Hey everyone,


Just wanted to share a warning about my recent experience with Kalium Music, in case anyone here is considering ordering from them.


I placed an order on March 3, 2025 for a custom stainless steel .160 bass string set (Order #45982).
Before ordering, I had a helpful exchange with Skip, who confirmed the strings were in stock and that I'd receive them in Paris by March 21–23.


After payment, communication completely dropped off. No updates, no tracking, and after repeated follow-ups via email and Instagram, I only got one reply (on April 3) saying the strings would ship "no later than tomorrow."
That was over five days ago… and still nothing. My order is still marked "Processing."


I've now had to consider a chargeback with my bank, and I've also let Dingwall know, since they were the ones who recommended Kalium to me directly on Instagram.


It's really disappointing, especially since Kalium has a good reputation for string quality. But honestly, if something goes wrong with your order, you're on your own.


Hope this helps someone avoid the same mess.[/warning]
Click to expand...
I ordered some extended range guitar strings on 3/20, he sends a tracking number, post office hasn’t received it. He always answers the phone, says he sent it, but no product movement in over 30 days. Is he ultimately sending the stuff to you guys?
 
#112
Bobby White said:
Did you receive the product?
Click to expand...
I ended up receiving them before 5/30, so about a month after order. Strings were/are great and had there been communication I wouldn't have been worried. I reached out twice after ordering and receiving order confirmation just to see if there were any issues and never received any correspondence until I got a automated shipping notification on 5/21.
 
#113
Hey everyone,

Just a quick update: I finally received my strings today!

Of course, because just waiting wasn't enough, I also got hit with a "fun" extra charge of €25 in taxes for delivery to France... 🥲

Anyway, despite everything, they're here — so I'm happy I’ll finally be able to play them soon.

Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences and support here — it really helped not feeling alone through all this mess.

Good luck to everyone still waiting on their orders — hang in there, they do eventually show up!

I'll stick around here anyway if anyone wants to keep sharing updates or chat about it.
 
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#114
I also had an order recently that was delayed but still arrived. Skip may be having some issues currently but he does make good eventually. I understand if someone would be reticent to part from their hard-earned money with stories like these, but for me the strings are good enough to wait for. My tastes in strings are pretty specific, and Kalium fills a niche for me that no other maker does.
 
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#115
I placed an order about 7 weeks ago (small order, 2 sets) and haven't received it, or any tracking info. I finally sent an e-mail last week but haven't received a reply yet.

I don't mind waiting, but would like to at least hear something back or get an estimated date.
 
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#117
It's been about two months now and there's still no update on my order. I've reached out to Kalium a few times regarding my order without any response. I need new strings so I ended up finding someone else to order form. I sent one last email to Kalium requesting that my order be cancelled/refunded in order to avoid having to open a dispute to reverse the charges.
 
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