Schroeder Experience

[pedulla-2007]

I too have had trouble with other cabinet makers in the past, most recently I bought 2 Epifani PS112's new, unopened from an Epifani distributor with 2 different tweeters. Years ago I bought 2 Joe's Pro 15 inch cabinets with the handles in two different locations on these cabs. I have learned a valuable lesson here today, NOT to buy a cabinet unseen or untested.

 

[DaveDeVille]

At any rate, some customers can be "difficult" and I think thats the case here too,
as proven by the way the OP handles himself online.

.. i certainly don't think the OP has been difficult , or out-of-line at all .

...
The problem here is there is a group of apologists for a manufacturer
that shipped inferior product.

... agreed .

 

[bwoodman]

Here's the real deal with "George" - he hired a bunch of hacks after he left his original builder of his cabs - yes, he subbed out the cabs to an actual speaker cabinet builder - and he still owed the guy money! That's f'd up. I buy all my cabs from this individual and he's working on a new line of cabs now. George thought he had learned how to build cabs after hanging around the original builder, apparently this is not true. Then he started the marketing machine, selling to all the hot bass shops and the mighty GC. I figure he's got a lot of orders now - more than he can keep up with - and the QC is out the window. I would never buy a box from this guy - needles to say. This new cab release is still TBA, but I've been buying my cabs here for around ten years now.

 

[LilRay]

Here's the real deal with "George" - he hired a bunch of hacks after he left his original builder of his cabs - yes, he subbed out the cabs to an actual speaker cabinet builder - and he still owed the guy money! That's f'd up. I buy all my cabs from this individual and he's working on a new line of cabs now. George thought he had learned how to build cabs after hanging around the original builder, apparently this is not true. Then he started the marketing machine, selling to all the hot bass shops and the mighty GC. I figure he's got a lot of orders now - more than he can keep up with - and the QC is out the window. I would never buy a box from this guy - needles to say. This new cab release is still TBA, but I've been buying my cabs here for around ten years now.

WOW!

Can you back this up with fact? How would you have such inside information?

Please clarify,
God Bless, Ray

 

[::::BASSIST::::]

"Difficult"? Where in my communications was I "difficult" with Jorg? I should have demanded my money back immediately since the product was inferior. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and let him try and rectify the situation. He rectified by sending me more inferior product and when I pointed it out, he bailed out by saying keep both. That's being "difficult"?

The problem here is there is a group of apologists for a manufacturer that shipped inferior product.

This was my experience. Post your experience. Leave the passive/aggressive behavior for your stage show.

IMO your posts are often inflammatory and less then cordial.

However, I do fully sympathize with your situation.

 

[bwoodman]

WOW!

Can you back this up with fact? How would you have such inside information?

Please clarify,
God Bless, Ray

You bet. Call it right place - right time. I just happened to have been buying my cabs from a local pro audio shop here in So Cal and found out that George had an OEM deal going with this guy. Then I heard the story of how he pulled out of the deal - NG and NC (as it no good and not cool). When the time is right, you'll see an announcement of this new line of cabs.

 

[iriegnome]

My 2 cents... I purchased my first 2 cabinets well before R & L cabinets hit. My cabinets are fantastic. Blue carpet, excellent workmanship, great sound. A couple of years went by and I saw Jorg was expanding and doing some custom stuff as well. My request was a wedge style bass monitor in the Mini12+ version. We agreed and I sent my check. Now, I all ready had 2 and I was very excited about making my stage system complete. When it arrived I was so completely disappointed I can't even describe it. Awful cabinet. Nothing at all like my beloved Schroeders. I called Jorg, we talked, we discussed and I sent it back. Jorg gave me a refund and that was that. Jorg has been excellent for customer service and I give him 100% on his treatment of me and my situation. Nothing but the Highest praise for him. I still need a wedge cab to fill out my system and unless it would come out like my early versions of my other Schroeders, I will continue to wait. The new versions of the Schreoders are just not at all to my liking and that is just my own opinion.

 

[silky smoove]

bwoodman: I'm not calling you a liar, but Ray asked for factual evidence and everything you provided was anecdotal.

Regardless, if Jorg was using a builder when he first got started and the guy is going to do his own line of cabinets I'll be very interested to see them as I love what Jorg is currently offering from a form factor and tonal standpoint.

 

[TAZ]

Well apparently it does happen, because the POS I received from Schroeder had a completely different box construction to any other I've owned before and any other I've seen.

Instead of being a six sided box (I'm counting the front as one side here) with a panel in the back for access to the innards, the back face of the box was an entirely separate panel, screwed to the top, bottom and sides with no panel insert in the back for access, so there was a visible join running around the top, sides and bottom of the cab with some sort of visible gasket in it.

I probably would have ignored all the other faults - circular saw cuts in the wood, crooked corners, missing cup washers, cheap and badly fitted handles, huge visible voids in the ply and a very uneven and badly applied finish - if the carcass of the cab had been ok.

Mr Schroeder's reaction was to angrily tell me I was talking BS and to then explain to me in a very patronising manner why all these fault were not actually faults.

For instance, the cup washers on the back panel are "only fitted for shipping" so it doesn't matter if any are missing.

The cabinet would not have had voids in the plywood "if it had been made from MDF" *** Bear in mind here that my previous contact with Mr Schroeder had been to complain that the 410Light he sold me was not very light because it was made of MDF. In fact it weighed almost as much as a regular 410. For £860 (about 1600USD at the time) I expected better.

In the end he replaced the cab and the replacement was fine but the whole experience left a very sour taste in my mouth

To keep hearing of Schroeder's "Stellar" reputation simply heightens the sense of disapointment I feel at the poor quality products and very unhelpful attitude of the man.

I've now owned 4 Schroeders and I've only been happy with one of them and although I like his products I would not give that man one more penny of my money, but then I guess with his legions of adoring admirers he can afford to lose a few overseas customers.

Your testimony is certainly a sad situation. For what ever reasons the cabs are built by a different process, 2nds or degraded quality is a business killer.

To complete the quote you used... "I can not and do not speak for Mr. Schroeder but there is no logic to build and ship a product with consistent specifications and then have one (or two) that are hacked. I'm baffled on the 2nds concept all together. You just can not do that anymore in business... i.e General Motors."

The market is unbelievably competitive, mistakes like this can no longer be made in business. Norlin did the same thing with Gibson in the 80s to a point where Gibson was sold for the price of a house in San Francisco/Bay Area.

 

[BurningSkies]

"

The problem here is there is a group of apologists for a manufacturer that shipped inferior product.

This was my experience. Post your experience. Leave the passive/aggressive behavior for your stage show.

The problem here is that you expected a thread of just people who would agree with you and not those who had good experiences. Most of us are not Jorg Apologists. Thus saying things like 'I don't know what he's got going on now"...which says YOU had a valid experience and doesn't excuse any bit of it.

But don't expect those of us who have bought cabs from Jorg and had a good experience both with the gear and the customer experience not to mention it.

Again, my cab is also an older, blue-carpeted 1212 pre-R. Its build like a tank and completely square.

 

[ashtray9]

bwoodman: I'm not calling you a liar, but Ray asked for factual evidence and everything you provided was anecdotal.

Some of you TB'ers are scary critical of other members, all under the guise of being even-headed and just.

 

[Red Planet]

Absolutely. The correct course of action for Jorg to take would be to have ftroop13 send back both cabinets and supply a properly constructed cabinet to replace the original faulty one.

Jorg has always seemed willing to do this sort of thing. I'm surprised that hasn't been offered yet.

You misundesrstood me. I meant I agree with the OP. I would be done with Jorg at this point and move on. Money is extremely scarce around my houshold but at this point I'd take the loss and move on and you bet I would let everyone here know what went down.

 

[Red Planet]

Some of you TB'ers are scary critical of other members, all under the guise of being even-headed and just.

Agreed. I sometimes challenge what some groups at TB think and get roasted for it. Sometimes there is a notion here that X is how it is because we TB'ers all got together and decided that. When you are critical of something or challenge that kind of thinking, oh my (gasp). There are many players that have such a multitude of playing years (30+) that is what I call applied knowledge, not the stuff in a book, or on TB. 15 years in the MI business and a piece of paper plus 50 cents will get you a Cocacola IMO IME (well maybe not at todays prices).

 

[Chef]

this thread now closed: too many of you playing poorly together.