Emmons D-10 Lagrande ll
Nashville 1000

[This message was edited by Mike Richardson on 29 February 2004 at 05:52 PM.]

The same thing happened to me when I bought my LeGrande back in the late 80's.

They were put on sale and the sale price was only available IF you paid in full in advance. Since the price was so good I bit.

It was not until I threatened to take it to the post office for fraudulent advertising did I get my guitar and this was almost a year later.

I've had my LeGrande II for just over a year and I can assure you it is going to be worth the wait.

I had to wait about 10 months, (longest 10 months since I stopped waiting for Santa !!!!!), so hang in there. Believe me, it is going to be worth it.

Keep us posted.

Michael
Emmons D10 LeGrande II
Peavey Session 500

Emmons Lagrande ll
Nashville 1000

[This message was edited by Mike Richardson on 01 March 2004 at 06:36 AM.]

I waited for a year and a month before taking delivery of my new 2003 Emmons Legrande III. My LGIII D10 was ordered with every bell and whistle I could think of, as well as a black sparkle custom Formica body. I went through my new D10 with a fine toothed comb after it arrived, and there were no flaws. It was perfect and great sound to match.
I can definitely feel your pain. During my year long wait I made it a point to fax and call Emmons factory on a regular basis. I received many of the same answers as you, them being that parts are on backorder or I would take delivery next month.
Now I must admit – a year is a long time to wait. Emmons factory does not manufacture any of their own parts they just put the guitars together. This puts all of the quality of the out sourced materials to Ron’s inspection for which he will reject if they do not meet Emmons standards. He rejects anything that is questionable. If a company cannot meet Ron’s specifications Rebecca, his wife, is on the phone calling around the country looking for another prospect company. I know for fact that Emmons has resolved many issues concerning the suppliers for cases, bodies and shipping boxes. Once they can locate a foundry that will constantly produce parts that meet Ron’s specs, Ron will be working around the clock to get guitars out at a reasonable time. This is to include hiring a crew to aid in the production line.
The only thing that I am afraid of is like the comment Bobby said, “Great steel builders, but poor business people”, and this I also concur. I only hope they can get settled on manufactures for their parts and start getting down to building one of the finest steels. Ron and Rebecca are working extremely hard to keep Emmons Guitars on top.

I selected my new CARTER from available floor models having diverse pedal/lever combinations, color/finish and pickup options; it was changed to my set-up while I ate breakfast and was in my van on the way home with me three hours after I bought it....... I played it on the job that night.

A few days later I received an e-mail inquiring whether there was any problems with the guitar......there wasn't!

I didn't receive a discount, and I'm not an indorser....I'm just a satisfied customer.

You have made the right choice of an Emmons steel...one way or the other, it is worth the wait.

Best regards,

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Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax

[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 02 March 2004 at 03:33 PM.]

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I almost fainted when I went into his show room because right there in front of me was a Plank Maple SD-10 just like the one I have comming.All I could think about was they sent Bobbe my guitar.

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but did not give me any idea when to look for my guitar.

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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/

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I find these wait times incredible! Are there any other industries that make customers wait up to a year for an item in this price range?

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I think folks like to brag about the wait time. You should hear some of the reso folks talk about their Scheerhorn orders.

"I ordered my Scheerhorn during the Eisenhower administration. I wish I could play it now, but boy it'll be worth the wait!"

Eddie Fulawka doesn't take down payments because he knows he can sell your guitar if you can't honor the deal.

It sounds like Emmons can sell any new guitar they make too.

Maybe builders with waiting lists,... most conspicuously Emmons, Franklin, Anapeg, and Zumsteel (and probably others)... should list some guitars on eBay and see what folks will bid up for them?

"Insert brand here black mica D-10, 8&6, factory warranty, pickup of your choice, ready to go. What am I bid?"

Possible?

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

We do. Additionally, eveyone who has ever purchased from us got their guitar on time or early.

All steel guitars built today (with one exception) are really production on demand.

You are ordering a CUSTOM CONFIGURATION. Except for "floor stock", a guitar will not be built until an order is booked.

We do, of course, maintain a large inventory of parts to build guitars.

All of these parts are available in-house, polished, and assembled into subassemblies (such as changers, keyheads, etc.) ready to go on a guitar. But, we don't know your setup, color, pickup choices, etc.

Because of the relatively low amount of time needed to assemble an order and the well known fact that eveyone who has ever purchased from us got their guitar on time or early, full payment up front has become the prefered method of payment used by almost all of our customers.

The only true mass-produced steel guitar made today is the Carter-Starter.

John Fabian
www.steelguitar.com

[This message was edited by John Fabian on 05 March 2004 at 10:34 AM.]

I made a small down payment to pay for materials and show my commitment to the deal. Of course, Jerry and I have known each other for decades, but I believe he's pretty on-the-spot about filling orders.

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You are ordering a CUSTOM CONFIGURATION

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This is basically what drove Fender out of the steel guitar market. They were simply not geared up to handle one-off jobs economically.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

[This message was edited by Herb Steiner on 05 March 2004 at 10:33 AM.]

A custom made guitar is still production on demand.

I've had two new Emmons in the last six years (during Jim and Joanne's administration) - Jim quoted a 10% deposit, I recall, but only asked for $200 each time. The same was true when I bought my Zum - Bruce asked for $200. These are token amounts, and there's little doubt that either builder could easily sell the guitar were I to pull out of the deal.

I've had to put down a little more for my new JCH, but I know that Jimmie has the cabinets made elsewhere, and he needs some money for parts; his output is tiny, as we know, and this is reasonable as far as I'm concerned.

I've just heard that a model bus manufacturer is to produce a highly-detailed 1/43rd scale model of a London Trolleybus as a limited edition. Strange as this might sound to all you 'normal' guys out there, this is something I've longed for since I was a boy. However, I've declined to order one because the distributors are demanding the full payment ($550) before they'll accept my order - and they haven't actually started to make them yet!!!!

Unacceptable.

Their website alone speaks of professionalism. NO stone escapes them in buisness practices.

There is NO way on this earth Carter would ever have achieved the success they have if they had not done the above. Let me sight you just ONE example of top notch professional business acumen.

Before I even made a firm decision to produce Atlanta's first steel show, Ann Fabian called me and wanted a booth. I have NO idea how Carter even knew about it. Not only did they want a booth, they wanted to know ALL the details of the booth, IE, lighting, location, AC outlets, security, etc, etc.

This impressed me to no end. NO other builder came close to this professional business attitude like carter. And this goes for everything they do. From almost immediate return of phone calls or emails, to delivery times heretofore unprecedented in the PSG business.

At the other end of the spectrum is the business that runs by the "seat of its pants". Some builders NEVER returned an email OR our professionally written letter asking if they wanted a booth.

They use the money they get from the next customer to buy the parts for the guitar they are working on. They always have an excuse of "why" something cannot be done when they finally do answer the customer's phone call or email.

In other words, the business is the king and the customer gets pot luck. Failure often to return phone calls and emails, etc, abound in this type of business. "My email is not working"; "my computer went down"; "we are waiting on parts"; "the guitar will ship next week" week after week after week, "sorry we did not receive your email". etc, etc.

Having worked for this type of business in intimate relationships, I can tell you this abounds in business MORE often than many people realize. Taking a customer's money and buying parts to use in another's guitar is a Ponzi scheme and it is immoral; and should be illegal. Robbing Peter to pay Paul is no way to run a business.

Yes, two extremes in business. And all the others fall somewhere in between. Hopefully with this forum exposing truth, the days of an unethical business practice will be a thing of the past in the future when it comes to the PSG business.

IMO, there is NO reason to charge more than a minimal deposit for a PSG. Let the cost of buying parts be born by the initial investment of going into business. Then from that point on, all money's collected from party B GOES to party B's guitar, NOT to pay to finish part A's guitar. Then hope you continue to get additional sales to build party B's and party C's from Party C and party D respectively, and so on.

A deposit should ONLY be to weed out "shoppers" and insure good faith. NOT to finance the business' current overhead.

Finally, IF a builder cannot stock parts (only buying parts necessary to build one PSG at a time); and that business has an average turnaround time of a year or more to complete a guitar; THIS information should be volunteered up front. Or that builder is NOT not a reputable builder IMO. EVEN if they build the best.

I paid 100% up front to take advantage of a sales' price in good faith. ONLY after I threatened to sue did I receive my guitar.
And this after phone call after phone call with the typical, "we are waiting on parts", etc. This is just not right.

"I did not come in on the last load of pumpkins!"

I do not have a feel for how long it takes from start to finish to build say a D-10 standard 8 X 4. But lets say at worst case it would take a month. Actually I believe it could be built much quicker. But lets say a month.

Why in heaven's name should it EVER take a year? Something is wrong in Denmark. And that something better get fixed yesterday or that business is not going to be in business in the future. Not with the ability of buyers to "compare notes" like on the internet and/or forum.

A word to the wise Mr builder.

Bob

[This message was edited by Bob Wood on 05 March 2004 at 04:43 PM.]