BP Response to thread on sevenstring.com

[Big Poppa]

Hey guys,

I just was forwarded a 7 page thread on Sevenstring.com that was very critical of our tops for the BFR's. It went in to the Fanboy tired rap and that we are elitist.

Three posters post here. Jeffrey used the top queston to rip us that is fine. Jaxadam ripped us as did Karl Hungus.....The funny part is that there is a thread on our forum at the same time where these guys are complimenting the tops shown.

I would like all of you (except for one) to be more comfortable here and will not attempt to defend any of this other than to tell you that the tops have been very nice. Even Jeffrey might agree. Our problem is that they are hard to photograph and it makes us look like we are cheapin out. Have you seen a bad photo from Pete? Trust me we send everybody the same quality. If I was going to drop our standards I would have shipped a thousand of these instead of 100. Why would we wait to fill orders if we were just going to toss them out?

Here is the positive that I take from the bashing over there. We are going to photograph each and every BFR prior to it leaving the factory. There will be a thread here where they will be posted along with the dealers destination. If you are interested in that BFR then you will know where to find it...if you dont like it then it will save you time and effort.

PS the allegations of deletions was not true. Remember if the original poster decides to delete the first post the thread goes away.

This internet world is really hard with words on a screen and bad digital cameras......

Have you heard or talked to a end user that is unhappy with thier top?

Please guys who get it dont post a defense, it just gives the whole fanboy fire.

If you want to post a photo of you top go for it

To those on the seven string forum that said we have slipped in quality I really hate to hear that because we have so many people at the factory that really care about the stuff we make. If you have an instrument that you feel is less than years past let me fix it.

Thanks

 

[ernie1966]

BP,

I'm very sorry that you feel you have to go to these lengths to defend the BFR's.
I gots me two of them and the tops are spectacular.

I just really thinks this sucks big time!

 

[AnthonyD]

*sigh*

 

[Big Poppa]

It doesnt suck it is ok. I need to communicate better.

Our job would be easier if more dealers posted here. OUr job would be easier if dealers took the time to shoot the guitars properly How easy would it be for Drum City Guitar Land to post...." Hey guys we have a crummy camera and dont know how to shoot them, we are really happy with these BFR's" Drum City is a great dealer but they didnt help us with poor pictures and while trying to defend the integrity of the product the whole thing blows up.

I hope that the photographing by us will help clear it up.

 

[phatduckk]

I hope that the photographing by us will help clear it up.

id assume its got to. each guitar will have an "official" picture. sure other pics will exist but people will have access to a set of photos that were taken the "right way".

+ its a recipe for a thread loaded w/ seriously rad guitar porn

 

[jazzbo jim]

Just what I need BP-a steady flurry of sexy axes for me to lust after and concoct schemes to hide the purchase(s) from the "council"...sheesh!

 

[ernie1966]

It doesnt suck it is ok. I need to communicate better.

You need to communicate better??!!!!!!

You are the most attentive guitar maker out there. Name one other maker who puts hmself out there and makes himself as available to his customers as you do.
No one even comes a close second.

I still find this whole BFR top-thing unbelieveable. I think I'll go ram my head into the wall now to make the world make sense again.

 

[uvacom]

Here is the positive that I take from the bashing over there. We are going to photograph each and every BFR prior to it leaving the factory. There will be a thread here where they will be posted along with the dealers destination. If you are interested in that BFR then you will know where to find it...if you dont like it then it will save you time and effort.

This is a fantastic idea! I've never heard of any other non-boutique company doing this, but it does seem like an ideal solution given the constraints involved in wood supplies and such. I'm not saying that to kiss ass, I swear.

There will always be naysayers no matter what you do. The best you can do is use what you can and ignore what you can't.

 

[DT1607]

So you will take photos of the ones someone has ordered? or just the ones that stores put in their inventory? or both?

 

[leftyguitarblue]

BP,
You don't even need to spend the time defending your BFR's. People have opinions and always will, YOU know you make quality instruments. I enjoy the hell out of them!

 

[midopa]

This is a fantastic idea! I've never heard of any other non-boutique company doing this, but it does seem like an ideal solution given the constraints involved in wood supplies and such. I'm not saying that to kiss ass, I swear.

+1 Sweeeeeeeeet. Looking forward to all the delicious guitar porn to be had...

 

[Big Poppa]

Dargie just called me fired up. He is in the trenches every day both in the factory and on the phone and email with dealers. Not one complaint or return from a dealer. Not one complaint or return from a consumer. We are swamped with re orders.

We are being so picky that we are driving our wood suppliers nuts and they seel to the other big name makers........

Some wont believe it and have never seen one in person but choose to judge us from a bad outdoor photo......What can we do?

These photos will be each and every one. We have no idea if they will already be sold.

Guys Im just trying to explain this thing.

 

[leftyguitarblue]

Dargie just called me fired up. He is in the trenches every day both in the factory and on the phone and email with dealers. Not one complaint or return from a dealer. Not one complaint or return from a consumer. We are swamped with re orders.

We are being so picky that we are driving our wood suppliers nuts and they seel to the other big name makers........

Some wont believe it and have never seen one in person but choose to judge us from a bad outdoor photo......What can we do?

These photos will be each and every one. We have no idea if they will already be sold.

Guys Im just trying to explain this thing.

thanks for taking the time...

 

[TimSz]

I'd just hire some goons to hunt down the bashers and punch them in the throat.

"BASHER, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!" *punch*

Whoever said violence didn't solve anything must have been on the receiving end.

<--- note the smiley implies a joke.

I think the guitars speak for themselves, but let the dumb sevenstrings.com boys have their cake and eat it too. They should also watch their throats.

*shakes fist ominously*

 

[leftyguitarblue]

I'd just hire some goons to hunt down the bashers and punch them in the throat.

"BASHER, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!" *punch*

Whoever said violence didn't solve anything must have been on the receiving end.



I think the guitars speak for themselves, but let the dumb sevenstrings.com boys have their cake and eat it too. They should also watch their throats.

*shakes fist ominously*

wow, you are angry tonight! and for once it's not because I brought up the lefty Petr..............nothing.

 

[TimSz]

Well, the no-talent assclowns are pretty cheeky bashing EBMM guitars over on their little page, but I don't see them coming over here to do anything of the sort.

Of course they wouldn't though. Everyone is a someone on the internet. It's easy to be Mr. Big (high fives for Paul Gilbert and Billy Sheehan!) when they're sitting behind the firewall and protection of cyberspace.

It bugs me that people are so misguided and bored that they have to resort to knocking good quality work. Why don't they pull their heads out of their asses and do a statistical check into how many ****** and ****** guitars go back to the factory because the QC team dropped the ball.

Idiots. I very rarely lose my cool, but I happen to hold my guitars near and dear to me. I've gone through the other brands and not been happy at all... it's taken 15 years and over 35000 dollars in accrued damages finding my EBMMs. I have the proof at my local guitar store in their computer.

They should get their sh*t together and move out of their mom's basement... although chances are they wouldn't have enough boxes to haul their collectible Star Wars figurines and other comicon paraphenalia.

I'll go to bat for Poppa, Dargin, Beth and all the EBMM cats any day of the week. Just try me.

 

[uvacom]

Of course they wouldn't though. Everyone is a someone on the internet. It's easy to be Mr. Big (high fives for Paul Gilbert and Billy Sheehan!) when they're sitting behind the firewall and protection of cyberspace.

Mr. Big, as in say you'd punch somebody's throat over the internet?

It's okay, man. Take a breath here, and chill out for a sec. You don't want to give people ammo to fire back about rabid, throat-punching EBMM fans.

 

[TimSz]

The punching in the throat is a joke. I suppose I should have rethought my phrasing before contradicting myself so gratuitously. Sometimes the brain and mouth work together... sometimes they don't.

I'd just like to see how many of these people have actually seen the BFRs and played them. It's easy to criticize when you know nothing. Hell, I have been known to let it slip out myself.

I wouldn't call myself a fanboy at all. I just think that it's unfair when people get wrongly shafted, and this is a perfect example. Uggh. When will people learn?

Thanks for pointing out my grievous error though.

 

[bovinehost]

carvin consistently turns out amazing quilts.
i've seen very few carvin figured maple tops that aren't absolutely gorgeous.
and they're almost $2,000 cheaper than the EBMM's!

I'd say, "Go buy a Carvin, then." I've said it before and I'll no doubt say it again.

Not like I was going to buy one of these anyways...

There were words before and after that quote, but I think that sums it up nicely.

Some people will choose a Carvin for its top over a Music Man for its overall quality. Some people will choose a P-bass for its history. The list of who plays what and why goes on and on. As has been said here many times, "Choice is good." Play what makes you happy.

As sort of the unofficial Head Fanboy and having been on these forums for a long, long time, I think I have some insight into why we're here and I do think - I've had to calm people down - that we, overall, can be rather seriously enthusiastic.

And as I've said many times, there are plenty of places to discuss other brands, aftermarket parts, etc etc - but sometimes I just want to grab somebody by the collar and say it again: "Hey Dumbass! This is the *&^$ing Manufacturer's Official Forum! What did you THINK people would say?"

Okay, I normally don't say it like that. But sometimes I want to.

I think we have to just accept that some people are never going to be happy. (I mean, they want Carvin quality from EBMM. I'd go so far as to say the vast majority of us don't really want that.)

And it's the nature of the internet. People say some mighty stupid things that get passed around as fact. To me, most of this bitching about tops is the equivalent of getting an email from my sister that said Oliver North warned Al Gore in 1987 that Osama bin Laden was a bad person. And he is. But North didn't say it, Al Gore wasn't on the committee - and so on. But people believe it. You correct it if you can, but you can't send an email to 8 million believers and expect them to give up their belief system.

My belief system says we, as a forum, do a pretty good job of getting information out there, and that's been proven time and time again when other forums pick up the news and spread it around. Facts. Actual facts. But then everyone has an opinion about those facts, which is, again, the nature of the internet. You do what you can. And you can't do much about idiots, no matter what business or subject we're discussing, and it's better to just stay away from them.

You could get some of it on you, you know. I've seen it happen. I've seen it happen to ME.

We have a good thing going here and we can control it. Other forums, hey, they're overall a good thing, too, but the law precludes us from beating liars senseless. I'm generally okay with that, although there are times.....

Dargie just called me fired up. He is in the trenches every day both in the factory and on the phone and email with dealers. Not one complaint or return from a dealer. Not one complaint or return from a consumer.

I don't blame him, either, for being fired up, but it's like in my old job - you first have to consider the source of the information and give it some kind of reliability rating. The BFRs (and their tops) have been a source of discussion here for a long time and the people who actually buy and play them seem to be pretty effin' happy with the entire concept.

The people who don't buy them or play them? Who approached the subject with their minds already leaning? Who are carrying some sort of EBMM albatross to being with? Well, what are you going to do?

It's easy to criticize when you know nothing.

Good call.

Let them think we're all fanboys, a cult of personality, blind followers, whatever they want to think - and, unfortunately, say.

What we KNOW is the truth. What they THINK is their own business.

Anyone want to see MY photos of my 20th SR5?

Jack

 

[bovinehost]

Hey Jeffrey, ask them if they've seen my bass.

Jack