Emmons Guitar Co.

Ivano Malavasi · Post by **Ivano Malavasi** » 25 May 2010 1:41 pm

Hi guys,
I'd like to thank you one by one but it will be a too long list.
At the moment I'm using the pedal board of my first Legrand II, so I can wait (I'm used to..) a little longer for the moment , and keep taking advantage of your help in searching the pedalboard.
Actually, I am in some kind of trouble in finding one all by myself, as I cannot address to Emmons (our public relations are a little...tight, strained).
To not bother you so much, if someone knows where to find a Board, just address me to him and I will get in contact with him and make the transaction all by myself.
Thanks everybody.
Ivano.

Stuart :
just for a moment I thought you could be right !!

John Billings write : "it would appear that Emmons has had to build two guitars for one customer."
No John, first guitar was in Stock...ready to go !

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 25 May 2010 1:48 pm

Ivano,
The first guitar may have been in stock, but they still had to build it to put it there. It still cost them money to build it, whether it was in stock or not. I'm astonished that they are treating you this way. I used to work for another steel company, and have a pretty good sense of the cost of parts and labor. My best to you!
JB
By the way, my best buddy, Neil Zaza, tours often in Italy. If you get a chance, go see him. Amazing guitarist!

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 25 May 2010 6:00 pm

Erv Niehaus wrote:

Ever think that sometimes even a dead horse deserves a beating...

Maybe you'd feel different if it was your oats that he ate....

Hang him.. Hang his horse too... -Judge Roy Bean-

I think that the guys here that have showed that even without knowing a person, they are willing to help him, and luckily only a few side with crappy business practices...

I'd like to see how many people actually know what Mr. Emmons himself went through with this company.

EJL

Al Collinsworth · Post by **Al Collinsworth** » 25 May 2010 6:16 pm

David Coplin · Post by **David Coplin** » 25 May 2010 6:30 pm

I, like many of you, am amazed at the class of Ivano.He has shown more patience then
many of us here on the forum would have shown if we were faced with the same issues that Ivano has faced.
As some of you have stated before me, "there is always two sides of the story". So far I have not seen a reasonable response from the Emmons side of this story but from a pure PR, customer oriented
view of this story... its ugly! Please put me down for $40.oo on a new ( or almost new ) pedal board for Ivano. This is a relatively small community and I for one would like to see a happy ending to this whole affair.

David

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 25 May 2010 7:08 pm

Those who want to contribute please stay in touch with me by email. I am on this. I have a couple of sources right now. I'm checking them out. I'll know more tomorrow.

Paolo Ercoli · Post by **Paolo Ercoli** » 25 May 2010 10:52 pm

Ciao,
I'm writing on behalf of Ivano now. Again, he thank you so much, BUT he don't want you to put money for this, please. He appreciate it so much, but the only thing that he's asking you if to help him find a pedalboard that fix his new Legrand III (because, again, he sent it back to them to change it from satin to polished one, when he gave back the first red psg, and they say it's not true).
All this matter it's not your fault and you don't have to spend money because of this. Ivano can still afford it, although he thank you very much anyway.
Just in case you'll happen to find one, tell us, and we will think of how to get it.
thanks again.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 26 May 2010 10:39 am

Paolo, here's some good news. I located a short LeGrande pedal rack in new condition at Jim Palenscar's shop in California. Jim and I were talking. I could take that rack and just order a new longer channel and make a new one using the the pedals and the brackets off the original rack. I have a friend here close by with a Legrande III and I could use his rack for a drill pattern. I ahve a metal polisher here that does the parts for my guitars and I would have the new channel polished to a mirror. The pictures that you sent, I have confirmed the rack measurements off my friend's LeGrande III and they are the same. Its the best alternative that I have come up with. It will take a little time, but I could do it.

Paolo Ercoli · Post by **Paolo Ercoli** » 26 May 2010 10:50 am

Ok Kevin,
let's see what Ivano thinks. I'll talk to him later at night, and then we get back to you, later on.
But it seems here YOU have to work a lot. No good...
well. catch you later.
ciao.
thanks.

Paolo Ercoli · Post by **Paolo Ercoli** » 27 May 2010 1:04 am

Ciao kevin,
well, Ivano say that IF YOU ARE SURE that it can work, you can try to do it. We don't want to cause you all this trouble, and at the end maybe find that it doesn't work.
If you are pretty sure that it can be ok......ok, let's try. Tell us then the cost of everything.
ok ?

From now on, and for the next 12 hours I cannot read my personal mail because I'm at work, but I can read the forum, if you want to answer me here.
thanks.
ciao.

Bill Ladd · Post by **Bill Ladd** » 27 May 2010 12:46 pm

Kevin -- Check your PMs.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 27 May 2010 3:05 pm

Okay lets do this project. Here are the steps.

1) I'll order the SKH Emmons pedal rack and have it sent to me from Jim Palensar's shop in California. Its in new condition.
2) I'll order a longer replacent channel from my metal supplier and have it sent to me.
3) I'll cut the new channel to proper length, drill the holes,and have the cutouts machined for the legs. I'll confirm all measurements with Paolo on the pedal rack that he is currently using. I have an Emmons LeGrande III here a few miles from me at my friends house that I can confirm all measurements and test the new pedal rack on.
4) Have the new channel mirror polished.
5) Remove the pedals and leg secures from the old channel and install them on the new channel.

This won't be cheap, and it will take some time. The original pedal rack alone is $330.00 shipped to me. I need donations here. I will donate all my labor and $40.00 also. All those who wish to contribute send their contributions to:

Kevin Hatton
260 Peppertree Dr.
Amherst, N.Y. 14228
(716) 691-7505

Paolo, I need you to Paypal me $330.00 to get started so that I can purchase the original rack. I will keep a complete accounting of donations and expenses for anyone to see. I will pass on the donations to Ivano and Paolo in the form of a rebate after we get this all done.
Please let me know if you would like to proceed with this plan. Jim Palenscar and I talked this over and both of us agreed that this is able to be done. Basicly just switching the parts to a new channel.

Larry Bressington · Post by **Larry Bressington** » 27 May 2010 3:43 pm

A cheque is in the mail brother.

OK kev, i'll hold !

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 27 May 2010 5:25 pm

Before sending any donations lets confirm whether Ivano and Paolo would like to proceed.

Colin Swinney · Post by **Colin Swinney** » 27 May 2010 7:36 pm

I cannot for the life of me believe that the Emmons company has let it get to this point. They should be embarrassed and ashamed.

The least they could do is donate ten bucks to Kevin's fund.

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 27 May 2010 8:17 pm

FWIW:

Just out of curiosity, I checked the Emmons website and it looks like a complete pedal-rack is $250.00 w/o shipping

(see item # 6164 at bottom of page)

http://www.emmonsguitar.net/replacementparts5.htm

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 27 May 2010 9:30 pm

Tony, I have no control over the price at Jim Palenscar's shop. Its the only Emmons LeGrande pedal rack that I was able to locate after much searching.

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 27 May 2010 9:53 pm

Kevin Hatton wrote:Tony, I have no control over the price at Jim Palenscar's shop. Its the only Emmons LeGrande pedal rack that I was able to locate after much searching.

Kevin, I wasn't trying to belittle your effort. I just thought it was interesting that all this drama is now over a $250 item.

Peer Desmense · Post by **Peer Desmense** » 28 May 2010 1:52 am

We out here in the Netherlands cannot begin to understand as how a company can get away with such an attitude.
Then again, distances from customer to factory here are so short that - where ever you live here, a visit to the factory (to set these things right yourself) - would only cost you a day at the most.
Furthermore there is such a thing here as the power of the tv (hidden) camera. Many dutch tv programmes use this power to convince unfriendly (or malproducing/delivering) manufacturers to do what they should do and this usually works very good in favor of the customer.
When even this isn't powerfull enough, we even have a tv programme featuring a judge who settles these things!This judge visits the parties involved and the camera's are there! Problem of course is that the customer is Italian and this fact works for the Emmons co. cause the u.s. is a fairly great distance away.

I admire the attitude of several forumites however, that want to help out this Italian gentleman! Even at their costs! If the Emmons company reads these things, it should at least open an eye, but really...

Peer

Ivano Malavasi · Post by **Ivano Malavasi** » 28 May 2010 2:34 am

Hi guys,
I’m very sorry for the confusion that I’m causing you.

Kevin, I realize that your solution is very laborious and difficult (left apart that it will cost more money than a normal Emmons one), and I want not to create all these problems to you, and don’t want to take advantage of your free time and disponibility.

I’m just wondering if it is not possible to find a normal dealer, that sell original Emmons parts, in order to get the original Emmons pedalboard, that, as Tony Glassman said, it cost $ 250 .

If someone knows of some of these sellers, dealers, like Bobbe Seymor, maybe can let me know also privately if you want, and I will contact them.

I’d rather prefer to have an originale one, that they sell at the price of $250, instead of knowing that a person has to work for me, to get another baord, take off the pedals, satin it, working, assembly…..and so on. I mean, I don’t want people working like that, when the origina one already exist, is only a question of how to buy it.

Don’t you think ?

I don’t want to offend or hurt anybody in saying this, because you all, and Kevin, have been so nice to try to help me in every way, but I think that if I find a dealer is better and I don’t bother you. And , again, I don’t need donation ! Very kind of you, but please, don’t . Appreciate it, but, don’t do it , please.

Can you help me in finding a dealer ?

Or maybe, as Emmons don’t talk with me, someone can contact them and ask them.

Ciao.

Ivano Malavasi

Kevin : hope you are not taking wrong what I said…I’m just thinking of finding a good solution.

Nicholai Steindler · Post by **Nicholai Steindler** » 28 May 2010 2:36 am

A few years back when our economy tanked we lost the customer is right attitude and it has become the business owner is right. I really love that google lets you type feedback about every business on google maps, I just tag all the people with a nasty review I have problems with.

Someday we will start caring again, it's what made the country great in the first place, now it's all hate and "me first".

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 28 May 2010 5:44 am

It shouldn't be this difficult to purchase a new pedal steel guitar.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 28 May 2010 6:27 am

Nicholai Steindler wrote:A few years back when our economy tanked we lost the customer is right attitude and it has become the business owner is right. I really love that google lets you type feedback about every business on google maps, I just tag all the people with a nasty review I have problems with.

Someday we will start caring again, it's what made the country great in the first place, now it's all hate and "me first".

I agree Nicholai, but feel compelled to add that there are still some incredibly good honest and caring business people especially in the steel world. Ive had people refuse payment till i recevied my goods, throw in freebies, provide assistance at no cost, answer my calls on a sunday morning, ship things immmediately and bend over backwards to help me without me even asking. Thats partly why this is so surpising and sad to me.

Emmons Guitar Co.: we've seen Ivanos email where you say you are refinishing his pedal rack. Obviously you had the thing at one point. Express mail Ivano the pedlaboard, apologize to him publicly and save your company before its too late. Cost to you? $400 max. How much do you imagine the lost orders from this very public debacle, which will now be repeated each and everytime your company name is mentioned even in passing, are costing you?

pffft, im sure they'll listen to ME and this thing will be resolved now

Ron Brennan · Post by **Ron Brennan** » 28 May 2010 7:20 am

Ben Jones wrote:

there are still some incredibly good honest and caring business people especially in the steel world. Ive had people refuse payment till i recevied my goods, throw in freebies, provide assistance at no cost, answer my calls on a sunday morning, ship things immmediately and bend over backwards to help me without me even asking. Thats partly why this is so surpising and sad to me.

You are describing my experience with Nashville Steelguitar & Bobbe Seymour over many years!!......really terrific service!!!

Alas, I have to aggree in large part with Nicholai Steindler.....there has and is a severe erosion of genuine Customer Service in all manner of National & Small companies and utilities.......I hope the pendulum swings back to quality service for our great country!!

Happy Memorial Day!!

TX

Blue Skies

Rgds,

Ron