I want my guy, and only my guy to do the repair. He's got a backlog for a reason. If there are enough techs out there that are good 1. prices will come down and 2. We won't have to wait so long. Until then we're stuck.
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Markbass Amp repair?
- Thread starter BassSaxMan
- Start date
I want my guy, and only my guy to do the repair. He's got a backlog for a reason. If there are enough techs out there that are good 1. prices will come down and 2. We won't have to wait so long. Until then we're stuck.
so look brad...
eh, never mind. quitting while you're behind is not your way
Obviously not yours either.
Did you get those prices yet? I'd really like to end the speculation.
no, he's right...he was solely responsible for that. of all the people on all the internet forums around the world, his lone voice was heard above the din and caused marco to handle the limiter situation according to his words.
however, i, unlike you craig, was trying to be nice and not burst his bubble. shame on you!
again...
Maybe he can get on them about the repair network.
HEY!however, i, unlike you craig, was trying to be nice and not burst his bubble. shame on you!
again...
:scowl:
Brad,
You've made a lot of comments about marketing, manufacturing, amp design, loss leaders, etc.
Just exactly what training, technical expertise, and background do you have regarding MI design, manufacturing, marketing, or sales?
You've made a lot of comments about marketing, manufacturing, amp design, loss leaders, etc.
Just exactly what training, technical expertise, and background do you have regarding MI design, manufacturing, marketing, or sales?
Interesting question.. shouldn't you be asking the folks who are coming up with actual numbers? Though I guess they already tooted their horns.
I guess you want an abbreviated resume:
Electronics repair/computer tech, USAF 1977-1980. That's where I received my initial electronics training. SAC.
Computer repair tech and network engineer, private sector beginning in 1980. Dealing with wholesale distributors from that time on. Managed a repair shop during that time, trained techs, supervised and performed repairs and ordered parts from manufacturers and distributors including electronic components.
Working closely with musicial instrument builders for around 15 years. Sales and marketing from around 1995 on. Sales Systems engineer dealing with mult-imillion dollar software sales from that same point on. Wholesale mortgages from 2001 on.
I've been a working musician since the late 1970's and have dealt with stores on a wholesale and retail level for the majority of that time. I've been involved in product negotiations from a wholesale POV too.
My point, which has flown over several heads and continues to do so is still not that MB sold the LMII at a loss, people keep reading that though I didn't write it. My point is that the LMII, >>>WHEN INTRODUCED<<< (for the time challenged), came in WAY UNDER THE MARKET (some even agree with that LOL) when it was introduced and I offerred that ONE REASON might have been in an attempt to draw in customers to the new brand, they sold it WAY UNDER MARKET VALUE.
And IF they sold it WAY UNDER MARKET VALUE, the normal ratios of costs to selling price might not apply.
Thanks for the background, and fair enough.
I suppose that it it also possible that their marketing plan was long term based and that while the amps sold below market value at their inception, it may still have been profitable enough for the big picture.
I had read recently on the MM forum that Sterling Ball said he was instrumental in getting MB into GC. Also known is that GC does a lot of business for MM and that they are sometimes offered custom color runs on basses that are not offered to others. I don't know any of the real history of MB (seems like nobody does for sure) other than they built some amps for MM early on.
Perhaps GC is major stockholder, sits on the MB board of directors, etc.
What other brand of amp (or other MI gear) is exclusively sold at GC anyway?
I suppose that it it also possible that their marketing plan was long term based and that while the amps sold below market value at their inception, it may still have been profitable enough for the big picture.
I had read recently on the MM forum that Sterling Ball said he was instrumental in getting MB into GC. Also known is that GC does a lot of business for MM and that they are sometimes offered custom color runs on basses that are not offered to others. I don't know any of the real history of MB (seems like nobody does for sure) other than they built some amps for MM early on.
Perhaps GC is major stockholder, sits on the MB board of directors, etc.
What other brand of amp (or other MI gear) is exclusively sold at GC anyway?
delivered. I guess we can both wait for his response.
Brad,
I will concede that you can piss farther than I can. Yet, you continue to accuse others of speculation where you have done NOTHING but speculate. Of course, you being the one and only Brad Johnson makes your speculation so much more relevant.
I do not know the ACTUAL costs of MB boards. I do however, know the actual costs (in 2010, not 1980 when you did your work in the electronics field) of what compartments cost ... and no matter how you try to bully your point across. The facts are that the range of a components cost for every manufacturer are similar, it is how the component manufactures stay in business - by being competitive.
Now I will give you a scenario how these repair jobs were so outrageously expensive.
Manufacturing cost on the board is $50.00 (for ease, I will use US dollars). Repair facility orders 1 board. MB, as is customary in manufacturer to retail relationships, marks up the board 100%. The cost to the repair facility is 100.00 PLUS shipping to US (add another 25, more if you want to track the package). Repair facility gets the board and marks it up 100%. Now the cost to the customer is 225.00 US without the techs charges. An hour or two of tech charges can easily bring the repair up to 300-400.
There is a probable scenario. It does not mean it is the right way to do things. Threads like this prove it.
Brad, I am glad you love your MB gear and you go to such emotional lengths to protect their name. Every company should have someone like you in their corner
mike, i think you know that he will never be satisfied until you provide him with actual quotes from markbass notarized and signed by marco. even if you have a pdf file, he will accuse whoever posts it of doctoring it, so you will have to have marco sign it and include an original polaroid picture of him signing it with the sheet plainly visible so there can't be any hanky panky, and then have it all notarized by a notary of his choosing, and maybe, just maybe, he will believe it. otherwise i don't see much hope.
That's what I've been getting at... and they sold alot of other gear too.
That wouldn't surprise me. The last Musicman bass rigs were made by Marco as far as I know. My understanding is that he also made the Parsec amps that were available a while back. Very nice stuff and nowhere near the "value" of the LMII.
Anyone who can read will likely notice that I did not say I knew what we're talking about to be fact. OTOH that's exactly what you said... you knew. You said that in the last post I quoted even though I wasn't talking to you. You just had to make the point that you knew.
The fact is you don't know and that is abundandtly clear and now you want to get pissed at me for standing up for my side of this conversation?
Knock your self out.
Ouch.
I got my initial electronics training in 1977 in the USAF. I did not stop there, Mike. I guess that would need to be spelled out to you too. This kind of shot is exactly what I've seen you do when you get cornered on your BS... so sorry, it ain't working. I'm still amused by what you've presented as fact.
YOU DON'T KNOW MARKBASS' PRICING STRUCTURE OR MARKET STRATEGY ON THE LITTLE MARK II. Why is that so hard for you to admit? No one with the exception of maybe Jimmy expects you to.
How about the actual MARKBASS numbers? Duh.
There is nothing emotional about what I'm talking about. That's what clearly so stupid about this tangent. YOU are the one who got wound up and kept contending you knew more than you clearly did. Blame me if you must for that, I'm fine with that.
You know, I don't recall ever having a problem with having a civil conversation with you before... but if this is where you need to take this, cool. No biggie.
mike, i think you know that he will never be satisfied until you provide him with actual quotes from markbass notarized and signed by marco. even if you have a pdf file, he will accuse whoever posts it of doctoring it, so you will have to have marco sign it and include an original polaroid picture of him signing it with the sheet plainly visible so there can't be any hanky panky, and then have it all notarized by a notary of his choosing, and maybe, just maybe, he will believe it. otherwise i don't see much hope.
Let's just hope Mike doesn't make any sudden stops, Jimmy.
This post is so completely full of crap it's laughable. Everyone knows he doesn't have those figures. HE said he did and now he had to backpedal. Nobody made him tell that tale. Now here you are with the character assassination BS. Nice.
Neither one of you knows squat about the subject at hand... Markbass pricing. The more you post only reinforces that. Keep guessing and pointing fingers everywhere except at the real culprit behiund why this turned the way it did.
Ummm... we all know about Markbass pricing - we can go the store and see that.
The question is cost.
Mike and I may not know EXACT costs for these things - but I'm willing to bet we can get within +/-20% pretty easy... and that is because we know a lot more than squat about the subject, in fact we both have extensive and recent experience building/selling PCB based electronics.
Exactly. PCBs and the sorts of components that go into these amps are commodities. If you can make a guess as to the volumes a manufacturer is doing, you can get a pretty good estimate of the component + pcb cost of a product. This holds true for just about any sort of electronic gizmo a person can purchase.
Heck, there are even companies that specialize in tearing down products, adding up all the components in the thing, and estimating how much the BOM costs. One of these outfits releases a report for every new generation of the IPhone. Its really fun to read these things.
It would be really interesting to know the volume Markbass is doing. Low volume is the bane of cost efficient electronics production. There's a good reason that tiny little boutique amp makers charge a holy fortune.
Just some info that people may want to know about as far as MB amp repair. VST in Pasadena, Ca. They just became authorized for MarkBass. I've used them for amp and keyboard repair and lots of support issues for my Akai MPC and MPK. They are good guys. And they're local for SoCal. So maybe now I'll pick up that MB amp I've been gassin for.
Here's their link. https://www.vstservice.com/t-markbass.aspx
Here's their link. https://www.vstservice.com/t-markbass.aspx
As usual your bar is set low. Me, I like facts. Mike is taking an educated guess.
Let me, if I may rewrite your quote:
As usual your bar is set low. Me, I like facts. Mike is taking an educated guess
I have 1 question and 1 observation:
* Are these repair costs (which seem high to many of us) consistent with what other manufacturers would charge for similar repairs on this style amp?
* Noticed that MB rep Peter Murray responded today on a different thread in the amp forum but not here; other manufacturers who are very chatty when there is praise have disappeared when a problem or unpleasant topic has come up; wimps; I say if your business model is to make a proffit on out of waranty repairs, man up and call it like it is; if the forum is dead wrong about what it costs top fix these disposable amps, then say that too
* Are these repair costs (which seem high to many of us) consistent with what other manufacturers would charge for similar repairs on this style amp?
* Noticed that MB rep Peter Murray responded today on a different thread in the amp forum but not here; other manufacturers who are very chatty when there is praise have disappeared when a problem or unpleasant topic has come up; wimps; I say if your business model is to make a proffit on out of waranty repairs, man up and call it like it is; if the forum is dead wrong about what it costs top fix these disposable amps, then say that too
Agreed. GC hears their customers, and they do things about it. I've seen this on both ends of the credit card machine.This is good to hear. Given that GC is the US importer/distributer it is important that they meet their customer's needs, not just their bottom line.
