Emmons Steel Guitars

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 18 Jun 2010 12:34 pm

Ray Montee wrote: I've felt the urge to purchase my last pedal steel during the past couple of years.........but even after traveling at considerable expense to Dallas and St.Louis, I've found none of the manufacturers'
personnel seemingly interested in my fist full of money.......and my burning desire to purchase a new guitar at the top of their priority list.

I can see your point, Ray. This is precisely why I have chosen Jackson steels over others. In the midst of being basically ignored at a lot of manufacturers' booths at the shows (the one that bears the title of this thread being among them), along comes David Jackson in Dallas at with an outstretched hand and an offer to go upstairs for a private viewing of their entire fleet of instruments. He treated me like a millionaire even though he knew I wasn't.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 18 Jun 2010 12:41 pm

Bad customer service will kill a brand faster than anything. If a customer likes you they tell a friend. When they don't like you, they tell a million friends.

Bo Legg · Post by **Bo Legg** » 18 Jun 2010 12:44 pm

Judging from all these posts I would have to assume that a person who purchases a PSG other than a Emmons is just doing so because they can't afford an Emmons.
A person should also put up with humiliating abuse just to own the Holy Grail of PSG.
If the p/p has "that sound" "that sound" "that sound" Why would you wait a year or more and put up with the abuse to get something other than a P/P?
Why would the Emmons PSG Company build anything other? Why would anyone want to buy anything other?
It's all bullsht in a bottle that most except as peanut butter but when you screw off the lid it smells.

mtulbert · Post by **mtulbert** » 18 Jun 2010 12:58 pm

I believe that your mileage will vary with all of these manufacturers on any given day. I was ready to buy a new steel a couple of years ago and I was so poorly treated by one manufacturer that my friends and I walked out of their room shaking our heads.

Then you read here about what great service someone else got from the same manufacturer.

It has been my observation over the years that the second generation either enhances the business or runs it downhill. As far as Emmons is concerned I am afraid that the later has occurred. I remember my first time in St. Louis years ago when I walked in their showroom and was glared at by I guess the wife of the owner. That did it for me. Over the years on the forum I believe that I have seen more complaints about customer service from this company than anyone else.

They almost strike me as a Ponzie company...They take your money and build the guitar for the guy right before you and then you wait until the payment for the guitar after your order is received. Personally I wouldn't touch these guys with a ten foot pole especially after what our friends in Italy went through.

If ever there was an example of lousy customer service and how not to it; this would win the cake.

My opinion only. Your mileage may vary

Mickey Adams · Post by **Mickey Adams** » 18 Jun 2010 1:11 pm

I Just sold a new Mullen to a gentleman...He has had a paid order for an Emmons for over 12 months...They wont answer his calls, or his emails...I took his order 2 weeks ago...He will have his guitar very shortly..Another tragic story...

Brian Henry · Post by **Brian Henry** » 18 Jun 2010 2:20 pm

In my humble opinion Lashley /Emmons Guitars are not the holy grail of pedal steel! Even Buddy Emmons the co designer plays a Zumsteel and a Sierra! After all this run around that Ivano has had to put up with, there is no way I would ever buy an emmons guitar.

Ivano Malavasi · Post by **Ivano Malavasi** » 18 Jun 2010 3:20 pm

In the Paolo's post, and in mine's, we never talked about "Brand charts" of any PSG, or even made bad comment about how bad Emmons build his guitars, (I repeat , in the last 15 years this is the 3rd one that I bought).
Actually, this last guitar that I've received reflects the "old standards".
Ok, they did "shameless" wrong in shipping me an instrument like that (actually it shouldn't have never been offered to a client).
Everybody have seen the pictures of my first one, so I really don't understand this kind of behavior (even if, thinking evil, the fact that I'm in Italy, could be the main reason).

Instead do not reflect any standard the way and the modality with which Emmons Co. have managed this matter.
No consideration for the client (never and then never a word of excuses and no explanations for their behavior).
I had to face every costs of the replacement (this, if I wanted or not, otherwise I would have never had the instrument).
I had their declaration in which they said the guitar was ready (august 2009), then stop of the communications.
Long waiting times with months and months of silence, and every request of clarification made by me, remained (and remain) outstanding.
It was like this problem was for some kind of "my" fault (my only fault was to not have accepted an instrument like that the first one).
Nothing seems to be under their responsibility (I was told that, even if they declared that the instrument had some mechanical and aesthetic problems, the fact to replace the guitar it was only a favour made by them, and that no other company in the world would have never done it !! )
Their way of acting was like so : the instrument is not-right-well built. Ok, you send it back, I change the part that are wrong, put together again, and re-send it to you. All the shipping cost are your business.
This it seems to me a not very fair thing, and that a lot of person in my shoes would be angry too.
Having seeing the defects of the first one, I would have never wanted back the same instrument reassembled. I wanted another one in perfect condition.
Then, last of their "gems", to have sent back the instrument incomplete, denying the obvious facts, as always (see pedalboard).

All this, I'm pretty sure, just to save something like a thousand dollars that should have been gone out of their pocket, just to answer to their mistakes.
A thousand dollars and a "I'm sorry" was a too high price for a Company with such a name ?
A week ago I asked them to comment some of their emails in which they made their declaration, and told them that I wanted to be refund at least of the price of the pedalboard. Like always, no answer.

Is not the matter of a Brand instead of another, here is about the behavior of the persons who hold the Brand.

This is the true negligence of Emmons Co.

Ivano

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 18 Jun 2010 4:18 pm

AAHH, some good ol' Emmons bashing. Next, somebody start a tuning thread.

Jimmy Lewis · Post by **Jimmy Lewis** » 18 Jun 2010 5:02 pm

The holy grail of any instrument is the one that fits the player best and he gets the sound that he is trying to achieve. Just remember this what goes around comes around.

Charlie Powell · Post by **Charlie Powell** » 18 Jun 2010 6:30 pm

Ray Montee wrote

I've felt the urge to purchase my last pedal steel during the past couple of years.........but even after traveling at considerable expense to Dallas and St.Louis, I've found none of the manufacturers'
personnel seemingly interested in my fist full of money.......and my burning desire to purchase a new guitar at the top of their priority list.

If one wasn't in their circle of picking buddies, you couldn't even get close to the 'sample' guitars on display.

Sorry you had this experience. My experience with Mullen at St Louis was different.. I knew none of them, had only been playing a couple of years, I was looking at one of the G2s, Mike asked if I wanted to play it. He was not pushy but very helpful.... End of the story was I bought it..

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 19 Jun 2010 12:33 am

I like small dogs, as well as big dogs.

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 19 Jun 2010 4:08 am

How about dogs that pee on your shoes?

Brian Henry · Post by **Brian Henry** » 19 Jun 2010 4:09 am

Buddy Emmons plays a Zumsteel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 19 Jun 2010 9:07 am

I don't mind if a dog pees on my shoes, as long as its MY dog.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 19 Jun 2010 9:37 am

i don't know what gambrell's problem is, but ivano's problem is a shame and he's still polite about it.
the emmons co. has lost me as a potential customer.

and if anyone is tired about hearing all this, blame the lack of consideration on the manufacturer's part.

Stephen Silver · Post by **Stephen Silver** » 19 Jun 2010 10:07 am

+1 for CI

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 19 Jun 2010 1:51 pm

Thats funny. Those of us who play ZB's think that ZB's are the Holy Grail of steel guitar. I guess one man's grail is another man's spitoon.

Jimmy Lewis · Post by **Jimmy Lewis** » 19 Jun 2010 2:44 pm

Kevin thanks for your post that's what I think also even though I don't play a ZB it is up to the player what the holy grail of instruments may be. As far as for Ivano's problem I think he was treated unfairly and that s a disgrace to not only the Emmons company but the business community as a whole. Kevin thanks for what you did. I am not a builder and don't claim to be one so I will say you are a great person in my eyes for doing this for him. That takes a great person with a great big heart to do that.

Ivano Malavasi · Post by **Ivano Malavasi** » 19 Jun 2010 3:07 pm

Jimmy, to hit the target : Kevin is a wonderful person and I am honored to have known.

Ivano

Carson Leighton · Post by **Carson Leighton** » 19 Jun 2010 4:22 pm

I personally don't think that what has happened to the boys from Italy will be cause the Emmons Co. to shut down.. I do,,however, think that because of all the media coverage of this transaction, it will hurt the sales of Emmons to the point where it may never recover to what it once was.. The Emmons people should have used better judgement...

I can remember a time when I was on the road, playing as much as 7 nights a week all over this country,,that it was either Sho-Bud or Emmons steels and either one Fender twin or two Fender twins that ruled the road..Now that Sho-Bud is gone,,it would be kind of sad for me to see Emmons go too... but that's life isn't it...? Carson....

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 19 Jun 2010 9:50 pm

I think Emmons are great guitars, they play great and they have a great tone, I would never say anythinbg else, but I would also never order one, there is planty Emmons p/p and a/p guitars for sale from dealers as well as private sellers...

Db

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 19 Jun 2010 10:24 pm

I think Emmons are great guitars, they play great and they have a great tone, I would never say anythinbg else, but I would also never order one, there is planty Emmons p/p and a/p guitars for sale from dealers as well as private sellers...

Db

+1
This is the definitive answer to the Emmons issue. No more needs to be said.

Danny Bates · Post by **Danny Bates** » 20 Jun 2010 3:53 am

+1 , What Cal said about what Damir said.

Chris, I don't know for sure but I'll bet you a jar of peanut butter that Stephen G. might be getting a little tired of this subject.

Thanks to Kevin Hatton, I have a real strong feeling that (very soon) Ivano is going to be a very happy man, and when he's happy, I think we'll all be happy little pickers again.

Hopefully, things will get back to normal and we can go back to our regularly scheduled harassment of Bill Hankey... Or we might get lucky and get to beat each other up over another tuning thread

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 20 Jun 2010 12:45 pm

Stephen Gambrell wrote:AAHH, some good ol' Emmons bashing. Next, somebody start a tuning thread.

You must have been asleep for the last few months

Kenny Martin · Post by **Kenny Martin** » 20 Jun 2010 2:39 pm

Never said that they shouldn't take care of any issue they have! what i was saying was that Emmons is a damn good steel guitar!

All you guys miss the point!! this wasn't about the issue with the dude over seas! it was to say that they still build one of the best steels around!

i guess i should say that i respect all the forum members and say i do care what you guys think but the Emmons bashing has been going on for a long time and i thought it was time to say something about what they do right!

Again let me say they need to resolve the issue with the customer but not by posting a response on the forum! Only with the customer! The customer has said enough about it on the forum!

Emmons, Franklin and other steel guitar builders do a great job but they are not perfect! Anything man made will have issues!!! That's the point i'm making and i'm very proud to say Emmons and Franklin build's two of the best steel guitars out there today!

b0b, please close this thread for me because it is now about something other than how good Emmons can build a steel guitar!

thanks everybody for all the comments! Emmons is still one of the best!
km

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