Problem with a guitar builder....suggestions?

Al Terhune · Post by **Al Terhune** » 13 Jan 2000 7:15 pm

Has anybody dealt with the Morrell people? I bought one of their guitars (8 string Wiggins) from a dealer outside of Nashville, and it ends up the pickup didn't get good volume on the first string. I called Morrell and spoke with Curtis, who was very, very nice, and asked me to send him the guitar. He sent it back to me the day he got it, claiming they fixed it. It wasn't fixed. They merely raised the pickup tube, which didn't correct the problem. They had me send it back to them, and in my cover letter, I pleaded with Curtis to call me upon receipt of the guitar to let me know whether he could fix it or not. They received the guitar on Dec. 28th, and I've heard not a peep. I finally called them yesterday, and was told "Oh, yes, we've had it for two weeks. I don't think Curtis has had a chance to look at it." The tone was less than helpful. I asked for Curtis to call me just out of courtesy to give me a status. No call yesterday, and none today. Am I getting bent out of shape a little too early? I'm not sure what to do...I bought this guitar in early November, and I haven't been able to play the darn thing... I don't want to slam Morrell, but they aren't being very helpful nor communicative. Can someone give me some advice, please?

Thank you -- Allen.

Dean Forshee · Post by **Dean Forshee** » 13 Jan 2000 8:11 pm

I can't give you any advice since I've never dealt with them. However, as a fellow consumer I have to say that you are NOT being treated with the "customer is always right" philosophy that guides many companies. Keep up the fight. One thing is for sure... the power of the internet is not to be underestimated. If they continue to ignore you and fail to give you some reasonable satisfaction... word will reach many, many people online. They will be the losers in the long run.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 13 Jan 2000 8:19 pm

You could tell them that you've just asked 5,000 steel players what they think of the situation...

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 14 Jan 2000 6:19 am

I know nothing of Morrell steels nor its people.

What I do know is the treatment you are receiving is not "atypical" when it comes to service. One exception; The Carter folk. Like no other company on this planet in today's culture!!

Carter cares before, during and AFTER the sale. Ain't NO way Bud, John nor Ann gonna let ANY customer dangle on the end of a string. NO way!

But sadly, that is not the case with just about every business in America today. Oh a few (thank God) exceptions, like Carter, of course. But most are just that way. How many times with business after business has your experience been repeated with mine? I cannot tell you how many threatining letters I have had to write to company after company. Most just do NOT care any more. And most won't dare return a pnone call. And forget a voice or email message. Such rudeness abounds thuought our once proud land.

Or so my experience has been.

I hope and pray, your company will see this and help you my friend. But don't bet the farm on it!

I wonder if more had heard HIS words if less of em would treat you this way? Whatcha think?

carl

Mike Tatro · Post by **Mike Tatro** » 14 Jan 2000 7:09 am

I'd like to also add the Mellobar folks to that list of fine folks to deal with.

Al, my sympathies on your situation. Rest assured that when I hear of situations like these, I add that manuafacturer to my list of folks I simply will not deal with, no matter what they have to offer. Life is simply too short (IMHO) to deal with people like this. I'm standing with ya![This message was edited by Mike Tatro on 14 January 2000 at 07:10 AM.]

Andy Alford · Post by **Andy Alford** » 14 Jan 2000 8:27 pm

Your guitar has a lipstick tube pickup that is not wide enough for all eight strings.

mikey · Post by **mikey** » 14 Jan 2000 9:55 pm

Get your money back....buy a Melobar...
just my 2 cents,
Mike
Oh...Does Morrell have an email address?

[This message was edited by mikey on 14 January 2000 at 10:14 PM.]

Al Terhune · Post by **Al Terhune** » 15 Jan 2000 5:45 am

Andy,

Curtis told me that they've had problems with this pickup having to be adjusted perfectly for all 8 strings to be evenly heard, and sometimes a "bad one" slips out of the factory. I wonder...

Mike,

I got this guitar from Bobbe Seymour used, and I don't think he gives refunds on used equipment. You can buy videos of the guitar before purchasing, which I didn't do. I spoke to him on the phone about it. I guess when you buy anything used, it's a gamble.

By the way, it's now Saturday, and still no courtesy call from Morrell giving me a status.

Al

Mike: Morrell is not online.
[This message was edited by Al Terhune on 15 January 2000 at 05:46 AM.]

Greg Zimmer · Post by **Greg Zimmer** » 15 Jan 2000 6:31 am

i bet if we all called or e-mailed them asking about your guitar every day, that would put a fire under them.you could post number and address and anyone that saw it could get them. good luck

MELOBAR GUITARS INC · Post by **MELOBAR GUITARS INC** » 15 Jan 2000 9:31 am

I know I shouldn't say anything here but it's more important that Al gets a playable guitar than to be politically correct.

Al, we had the same problem with that pickup last year and if you go through the past Forum comments, I brought it up to the Forum to make a decision, of what to do with that worthless lip stick tube pickup being weak on the ends. Final conclusion was to bite the bullet and put in a Stringmaster pickup with wider spacing. We did a recall on our Tomahawk lap steels, pickups replaced with the split of just the cost of the pickup. It was tough to do as a small company but it was worth it. There are now 4 excellent sources for that pickup, Tipka, Lollar, Lawrence and Duncan. However you will need to throw away that aluminum bridge because the spacing is wrong and the sound is tin, if you want the guitar to be a good instrument, replace the bridge and nut with Architectural Bronze, the Keys with Grovers, the pots and wiring to better quality, a Stringmaster pickup and you'll have it. I'm afraid anything less will be a weak noodle.

If this situation gets worse contact me directly. I think the reason this guy hasn't responded to you is the problem really can't be adequately solved. Send it to us and I'll replace the pickup for just the cost of the pickup. Right now you getting into Lap Steel is more important to me than who's guitar it is.

Ted

Jeff Peterson · Post by **Jeff Peterson** » 15 Jan 2000 10:05 am

Al, that's as fair an offer as I've ever heard. Ted, you da' man!

mikey · Post by **mikey** » 15 Jan 2000 11:13 am

Al,
You should at least ask Bobby Seymour, most places will refund a used instrument, as long as you didn't have it for too long...It would be worth checking into....explain the problems you've had, and just buy a Guitar from Ted,(or through Seymour,I don't know if he deals Melo's) if thats possible, it would save a lot of hassle, and you'd get a better instrument,
Good Luck,
Mike

g montgomery · Post by **g montgomery** » 15 Jan 2000 1:18 pm

A proven fact: negative advertising is ten times more powerful than any type of positive advertising a company can do.

Al Terhune · Post by **Al Terhune** » 15 Jan 2000 3:26 pm

Ted of Melobar,

THANKS. You sound like Gene Fields -- whom I've had incredible dealings with, and although there may be other pedals on the market just as nice or nicer than a GFI, I'll always stick with Gene.

To be completely honest, when I got in touch with Bobbe Seymour back in early November, it was for a used 8-string Melobar that he had advertised, but it had sold by the time I reached him. It was then that I settled for the 8-string Morrell, as I wanted something "then."

I sure appreciate your professional and gentlemanly (if'n that's a word) offer of sticking a pickup in this guitar -- if I ever get it back, but I'm going to first take Mikey's advice and get in touch with Bobbe Seymour to see if there's a possibility he would take it back and get me one of your guitars instead. If that's not possible, I'll attempt to get this guitar back, sell it on ebay -- with proper description of the problem, and get a Melobar.

Thanks, everybody -- excellent advice.

Al

mikey · Post by **mikey** » 15 Jan 2000 9:07 pm

Aloha Al,
I know Jeannie Seymour is a member of the forum....when getting in touch w/ Their shop, you should forward along a link to this thread, to keep them up to date as to what's happening,
Good Luck,
Mike

Jeannie L Seymour · Post by **Jeannie L Seymour** » 16 Jan 2000 6:39 pm

Al,

Call us so we can resolve this problem. We offered to fix the pickup. However, you decided to send the guitar to Morrell after speaking with Curtis.

Now, let us take care of this matter so you can do what you should be doing -- playing steel guitar

Call Bobbe Seymour at 615-859-7666 between 10AM to 5PM.

Jeannie Seymour/Steel Guitar Nashville

Al Terhune · Post by **Al Terhune** » 16 Jan 2000 7:07 pm

Thanks, Jeannie. To give credit where credit should have been given, after trying Bobbe's remedy of putting on higher-quality strings and it not doing the job, I called Curtis, before I shipped it back to Bobbe, to see if he could tell me something I might be able to do to prevent shipping it back to Tennessee. He told me (and it's simply what he told me), that I should go ahead and send it to him, because Bobbe would probably end up sending it back to Curtis anyway...

Be that as it may, Jeannie, I do appreciate your guys picking up the ball and trying to right this.

I'll call Bobbe tomorrow (Monday).

Al