Double Bass Mooradian bag "disintegration" and Customer Service

[Don Kasper]

My Mooradian Bass Bag, (in black, about 15 yrs old?) has recently begun to deposit very small, black, particles on all over my bass with each use. It's as if the material was disintegrating, on a granular level.
I emailed Mooradian a few days ago, and just received an email response from the Owner, (Peter Hoffman) who confirmed that this is a known issue with certain bags, and that they have since sourced a more durable foam and material to minimize this degradation.
I was impressed with the transparency of his reply.
My bag is (way) out of Warranty, (+3 yrs.) but he did mention that there might be "repair or replacement options."
I've responded to him just now to see what those "options" might be.
I'll see what the next step might be, and let you all know of the outcome.
I have been very satisfied with his bags (2) over the past decades, as have others.
Thanks.

 

[Tom Lane]

I think there's an antibiotic for that...

 

[Don Kasper]

I think there's an antibiotic for that...

Please, Tom.... This is no time for levity. A disintegrating Bag is no laughing matter.
(jk!)

 

[Don Kasper]

This is no time for levity. A disintegrating Bag is no laughing matter.

I was WRONG!!!!

 

[bherman]

after 15 yrs of use, I'd probably thank him for honesty and buy another....

 

[bengreen]

Sent my bag in for refurb a few months ago: 20 some years old, open seams, broken pocket zipper, missing handle, bottom of bow pocket in tatters....

Cost about $120, and only that much because installing new bow pocket involved tearing open and remanufacturing area underneath it. Came back looking brand new. Good folks.

Only wish they were closer. Dimensional weight charges really add up crossing the country.

 

[Carl Hillman]

"It's as if the material was disintegrating, on a granular level."

That might not be Mooradian's fault

 

[brianrost]

I went to the factory (I'm local and they allow drop-off and pickup) to have a torn seam fixed and they redid all the seams. Cost: $0.00 despite being about 10 years old.

 

[misterbadger]

I have the same problem with the Mooradian bag for my Merchant Vertical bass. Got the same response from the owner when I called. Yeah, it's 15+ years old, but I expected better - like my Joe's House of Sandals bag, which is 40+ and doing great.

 

[sean_on_bass]

I was WRONG!!!!

I grew up with this stuff...if its good enough for a farm animals private parts then why not my face?

 

[TomB]

I went to the factory (I'm local and they allow drop-off and pickup) to have a torn seam fixed and they redid all the seams. Cost: $0.00 despite being about 10 years old.

Just curious, with Jim gone, who's the owner now?

 

[charlie monroe]

Just curious, with Jim gone, who's the owner now?

Per the very first post, the current owner is Peter Hoffman.

 

[brianrost]

Bassist/luthier Jim Mouradian had nothing to do with Mooradian bags, other than having the (almost) same last name.

 

[TomB]

Bassist/luthier Jim Mouradian had nothing to do with Mooradian bags, other than having the (almost) same last name.

How about that. I've been mistaken about that the entire 25 years I've owned one. It still starts and runs fine every time !

 

[msw]

The original owner and designer was Ron Mooradian. He lived in Cambridge MA and the business was in his basement. Ron was a very good Tenor Sax player who had a talent for making and sewing things. I believe his first bags were leather like Joe’s House of Sandals bags. Peter Hoffman has owned Mooradian for a long time. Everything said about him and Mooradian Covers in this thread is 100% true. They repaired one of my bags at no cost to me and fixed a few things I wasn’t expecting them to. The work was done by Peter’s daughter while I waited . Peter is a terrific guitar player and at one time had a great bar band with his wife; Heidi and The Secret Admirers.

 

[turf3]

I have the same problem with the Mooradian bag for my Merchant Vertical bass. Got the same response from the owner when I called. Yeah, it's 15+ years old, but I expected better - like my Joe's House of Sandals bag, which is 40+ and doing great.

Well, it's the foam rubber padding breaking down. I think data on long term durability of foam rubber probably aren't that readily available, given 15 year or 30 year life span expectations. Even with accelerated testing you're going to be waiting an awful long time to find out whether choice A or B lasts longer.

 

[Don Kasper]

Mooradian owner Peter Hoffman has made me an "offer I couldn't refuse..." - a hefty discount on a new bass bag. (He also offered to repair the old bag, but I think the shipping fees from LA to BeanTown, twice!, would be massive.)
So, I've placed the order for the new bag, (in Silver/Grey!....yes, to match my hair), and it should be done in about 3 weeks.
I now need to donate the old bag, as it is still 99.99% functional, except for the fine, black, powdery residue that is deposited with every use.
Great Customer Service. IMFO.
Thanks.

 

[robobass]

Man, replacing the foam seems like it would cost as much as making a new one. When you are a small manufacturer you have to sometimes place too much trust in your suppliers. I'm sure they bought foam which was claimed to have the highest longevity, but were given something else. I bought my Moo in '95 and have made many thousands of subway trips with it. It still looks new. No loose stitching. No broken zippers. Nada!

 

[Don Kasper]

Here 'Tis!
(Still opening up after being stuffed into a medium-sized box for 5 days.)

 

[Tom Lane]

Sweet! Always good to know a vendor stands behind their product with their money! Promise me, though, that when you leave this bright silver man-sized object on the top of your car's roof that you'll call me so I can persuade you that it's time to move to easier gigs in the "home". Hopefully, that'll be a few decades from now.