[pianotech] String Guarantee Issues

[Mike Spalding]

Gerald, Greg,

Of course you're right, no one is perfect, and we won't get very far 
expecting perfection either from ourselves or from others.  Who knows 
why the occasional customer/supplier interaction goes south?  Was it 
something about the way I asked?  Or maybe I called in the middle of 
some stressful goings-on at the factory?  Obviously, many others 
continue to be satisfied with Mapes, and if I ever need another bass 
string supplier, I will consider giving them another chance.  Thanks for 
prompting me to re-think this.

Mike

Gerald Groot wrote:
> Well, first, I'd like to say, so, who's perfect?  All of us makes a mistake
> at some time or another... :-)  
>
> That said, I've worked with Mapes for years now.  Whenever I need a string
> replaced or a set of them, I always go to them for it.  So far, I've never
> had a problem with them unless it was something THAT I screwed up by
> measuring or writing it down incorrectly.  Otherwise, their service has been
> impeccable. I can call in string dimensions and they make them accordingly.
> No change in site for me...
>
> My 2 cents worth. 
>
> Jerry Groot RPT 
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
> Of Greg Newell 
> Sent: Saturday, May 09, 2009 9:49 PM 
> To: pianotech at ptg.org 
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] String Guarantee Issues 
>
> Mike, 
>         I can't understand why you had this problem. I've been ordering 
> custom sets from Mapes with absolutely no problem. I simply send them my 
> spreadsheet and they send me the set as I have calculated them. They don't 
> try to change anything unless they ask me first. The set comes to me 
> reasonably close to exactly what I ordered. (I sometimes mess up what's 
> possible vs. what I want given available wire sizes.) They have never told 
> me "samples or nothing" but have been rather accommodating all around. I've 
> had considerably different results with others and unless something drastic 
> changes, I see no reason to switch. 
>
> Greg Newell 
> Greg's Piano Forté 
> www.gregspianoforte.com 
> 216-226-3791 (office) 
> 216-470-8634 (mobile) 
>
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
>
> Of Mike Spalding 
> Sent: Saturday, May 09, 2009 1:52 PM 
> To: pianotech at ptg.org 
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] String Guarantee Issues 
>
> Patrick, 
>
> I'm not Dean, but let me tell you why I made the same switch: 
>
> 1.  When I reached the point in my explorations of rescaling that I 
> wanted to specify the dimensions of a set of bass strings, Mapes became 
> uninterested in selling to me.  Samples or nothing. 
>
> 2.  Mapes had been doing a good job on single replacement string orders, 
> but one time messed up on the winding length.  In order to get a free 
> replacement, they insisted I ship the faulty string back at my expense. 
>
> Even the least expensive source of bass strings isn't a bargain.  Might 
> as well pay enough to get good service. 
>
> Mike 
>
>
>
>
>
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