Disappointed with Egnater....

[jlbaxe]

What if everyone on the forum sent like 50 emails every day to Bruce and the team!

Sometimes stuff like that can get their attention fast!

I don't doubt this thread already has garnered their attention.

I still say business in 2009 skyrocketed for the Egnater camp. Sometimes when a small shop has unprecedented growth, things fall through the cracks. Bruce & co. were available all the time before the Chinese line because they essentially only had 2 models in production. I'll bet he's overwhelmed with what he's got going right now.

Six months ago, service was bar none awesome.

Pulling for ya, Egnater guys!

I understand what you are saying, But I have had contact with Bruce and he replied several times very promptly to make sure I was understanding what he had explained. I agree they are probably overwhelmed and need to get a grasp on things. What I think is also happening is one reads and email/Takes a call/reads a PM, and tells someone else assuming it is going to be taken care of and neither remembers. Overall Bruce and Jeff are great guys just spread real thin. Try him at his email. I believe he has an iPhone and checks it often.

 

[richedie]

Yep, no email response and the phone number sends me to voice mail. If the Chinese stuff is making him rich...he can afford to hire a staff to man the email/phones. There huge Chinese push pisses me off anyway. I tell people I have an Egnater...and they are like...."Oh, isn't that Chinese junk"? LOL. We all know even the Chinese version are killer.....but I hate the thought of the U.S becoming a third world contry because we barely manufacture anything any longer, We just import garbage.

 

[jasco]

Calling is a complete waste of time, don't even bother. I've called that number dozens of times, and never ONCE has anyone answered the phone, or returned my call. When my Rebel 30 died less than a week after buying it, I didn't even bother posting about it or calling, I just figured out the problem myself. The only support I've ever received is PM'ing a certain guy on this forum.. A certain guy that I will not mention because I don't believe support of their products is his true job.

@ gtr31, I personally don't give a shit about how hard they're trying to get the Tweaker and E2 released. That's not my problem. If you can't support the products you've already released, there's no point in releasing more products because you're company will fail, which has been proven since the dawn of industry.

It is my belief that all US Egnater products will soon be gone. The M4 and the Mod50 are the only two US made products, but there are 15 Chinese built products. The Chinese built stuff and Guitar Center are making Bruce a rich man, so it's pretty obvious where this is all going..

You guys are hilarious - you are complaining about non-US made products and blaming the manufacturer/designer for moving from US to foreign production. There is only ONE REASON that they are doing it - because you (and others) are buying it! If you want production to stay in US (or any other particular country) then stop buying foreign-made products!! I'm sure Bruce and every other US-based designer/manufacturer would be happy to make amps in the US if (i) they could find the labour/facilities to do it, and (ii) customers would be happy to pay the price for it. But there isn't the workforce, and if there is most consumers won't pay for it.

Among others, I have an amp that's made (impeccably) in Canada, and is handmade personally by the designer. If I have a service question/issue he responds personally and mods/fixes it personally in his shop. You too can have this if you want to wait 2 years for it to be built and pay $8000 for it . . . but most consumers would prefer to buy the <$1000 mass-produced amp that's in stock at their local guitar-mall, and they will get what they pay for. The great thing about guitar gear is that there is a wide range of choices in all price ranges - choose appropriately.

To be clear, I have nothing against asian production and definitely have no particular loyalty to North American-based production (US-based car manufacturers have proven that the US and Canada can make crap just as well as anyone!) - just saying that you get what you pay for, and if you have an issue with amp designers offering more affordable foreign-manufactured products don't buy them.

 

[jlbaxe]

Custom amp buyers in the USA : Bogner, SUHR/CAA PT / OD100 Seem to build Top dollar amps and yes there is a wait but if you want that then you will wait and pay. Egnater USA stuff is top grade and worth the wait. I waited 9 months for my Dual channel M4 and still luv it. I think if you go into it knowing there is a wait it is not so bad. To me even though I dont play out and I still pay top dollar for the best USA made amps. OK not just USA I would buy a Diezel Einsteinor other brand If it was a great high end amp.

Every company that expands with employees and products has a learning curve. I am sure they will work it out. This is all happening really fast for The Egnater co. Getting through this will make them a better stronger company.

Ever think about how many people call them, send Emails with questions, not just from this forum but because they went to GC or saw something on the internet. If you sold 100,000 amps and 3 percent called or emailed you, that would be 3000 contacts say in 6 months without weekends and a few holidays you would have 20 people a day to answer. Then not only answering them but if you need to replace/order or have repaired or find a certified repair shop closest to that person, that would be one heavy work load.

 

[mmorse]

I thought I had an issue with my Renegade and called the CA facility yesterday and the phone was answered promptly. John was quick help me out. Turns out it was just a bad tube (mine, not an Egnater tube) and I was able to rectify the situation myself.

I started a thread in the Egnater forum before I figured out it was a bad tube and Bruce himself left 2 posts on my thread. I sympathize with your frustration but, at least in my case, I received excellent customer service.

Oh, and one other thing, I bought the amp off a fellow rig talker so my purchase didn't even go to Egnater.

 

[Len Rabinowitz]

My personal experience with them has been good. I have only had one or two minor issues which were handled promptly, and I never really had any trouble getting hold of anyone. But my experience with them did have a bit of a jury-rigged feeling to it, which it shouldn't. It should just be take it somewhere, tell them the problem, and get it fixed.

But think of it- If the company gets big enough, you can't have the head of it providing direct customer support. If my iPod went wrong, I wouldn't, and shouldn't, get help from Steve Jobs.

I could care less where the stuff is made as long as it is good quality, which it is. Egnater is not going to solve that problem by themselves.

They can't be both a large and a small company. They have to choose. I would look to PRS and Mesa as models of how to "go big" correctly. When I had that stuff I was always able to get someone on the phone who knew what they were talking about. Can't always say that about Gibson and Fender.

Maybe Egnater should have a "custom shop" for the handmade modular stuff and split off the Chinese made stuff. I think that is how Gibson and Fender try to be both big and small at the same time.

This is a ticking time bomb for them. Concerns about post-purchase support can kill any company.

 

[richedie]

.

 

[EWSEthan]

Guys, why cant this stay on topic of support? Why does this have to turn into a politcal thread? The problem is that they are selling too many amps of questionable quality to support. Would it happen if Bruce built all of them in the USA? Probably much less so, but the US line is not without a few (sometimes) long standing issues. Ask any MOD 100 owner about the hum they had for about a year or more. The MOD 50 and the modules themselves are ridiculously stable and without issue. But the MOD 100 had a flaw for a long time and is NOT a cheap, chinese made amp.

This is a question of priorities and staffing. Its pretty simple. Hiring someone to answer phones and return emails is simple, requires little training and is not expensive. And troubleshooting mostly bad tubes is not hard. You could pay a few people $10 an hour to sit there and answer phones and return emails and that would go a LONG way to making people feel more comfortable. I just dont understand why it takes more than a year for that to happen. Bruce clearly has WAY too much going on for any one person and needs more help. And it seems the help he currently has is still either not enough or is not very consistent about getting back to people.

I love my MOD 50 and have had zero problems, but it is harder to get Egnater on the phone than any boutique company I have ever dealt with. I have called Soldano, Mesa, and Suhr many times over the years and either got someone on the phone when I called or received a call back that day. Im not saying it has to be Bruce, but someone should be reachable.

 

[Wagster]

If I could work from home in Maryland I would take the job. What do ya think Bruce?

 

[Buckeyedog]

Guys, why cant this stay on topic of support? Why does this have to turn into a politcal thread? The problem is that they are selling too many amps of questionable quality to support. Would it happen if Bruce built all of them in the USA? Probably much less so, but the US line is not without a few (sometimes) long standing issues. Ask any MOD 100 owner about the hum they had for about a year or more. The MOD 50 and the modules themselves are ridiculously stable and without issue. But the MOD 100 had a flaw for a long time and is NOT a cheap, chinese made amp.

This is a question of priorities and staffing. Its pretty simple. Hiring someone to answer phones and return emails is simple, requires little training and is not expensive. And troubleshooting mostly bad tubes is not hard. You could pay a few people $10 an hour to sit there and answer phones and return emails and that would go a LONG way to making people feel more comfortable. I just dont understand why it takes more than a year for that to happen. Bruce clearly has WAY too much going on for any one person and needs more help. And it seems the help he currently has is still either not enough or is not very consistent about getting back to people.

I love my MOD 50 and have had zero problems, but it is harder to get Egnater on the phone than any boutique company I have ever dealt with. I have called Soldano, Mesa, and Suhr many times over the years and either got someone on the phone when I called or received a call back that day. Im not saying it has to be Bruce, but someone should be reachable.

+1000

 

[muudrock]

I have been an Egnater supporter for years. I always thought Bruce's amps were some of the best out there and I still do. While I personally don't own any of the chinese made amps, I do own several US products--Mod 100, Mod 50 and M4. I've had issues with all 3 in the past and I was taken care of. Fast forward to the present, I can't get a reply to email, voice mail, or PM's. And I want to spend money with them....

I personally could give a shit less where something is made. What I do care about is feeling like I'm on an island after the purchase-in my case some very pricey purchases. Unfortunately, I see this happening right now with Egnater. I love my amps, but I don't have much confidence in their ability to offer support or customer service.

I sincerely hope they can get their act together on this. Seems to me quite a few things need to change in how they run the business. I've noticed Hilligan hasn't been around much at all either. Jeff, where are ya? If you guys need help, let me know, I'll help you.

I would hate to see a growing company with such cool ideas in amps screw themselves because of not being able to handle the business and their customer service effectively.
The MI retail market is tough, no doubt about it. I worked in it for years. I also know how quickly things can get out of control--can everybody say Axess Electronics? Egnater looks to be on the edge of being hugely successful or stumbling over their own feet.

Just my humble opinion of course. But, Perception is Reality when dealing with customers...

 

[Len Rabinowitz]

I think they should contract one or two of the people on this board. I can think of one or two that I would be glad to send my amp to if it needed it. Why not formalize it? Make them contractors and let them earn a few bucks from it and take the load off of Bruce and co.

 

[richedie]

 

[sea]

It is a sad, sad day when people do not care where something is made. Very sad.

That said....I finally got an email today!

Even made in america stuff usually has parts from all around the world in it. It may be assembled here, but no necessarily everything in it was made here.

We truly live in a global society.

 

[EWSEthan]

It is a sad, sad day when people do not care where something is made. Very sad.

That said....I finally got an email today!

Rich, Im not saying I dont care. I bought a USA amp because I think it is superior and was financially able to do so. What I am saying is that the location of assembly is not the core problem here. Thats all.

 

[muudrock]

It is a sad, sad day when people do not care where something is made. Very sad.

That said....I finally got an email today!

Rich, there is no such thing as made in America with this stuff. The majority of parts used in these amps are made overseas, the tools used to put them together are foreign made, even our beloved tubes are not American made. "Assembled in America" is what the truth of the matter is. If you don't realize this, you're not living in reality brother. You obviously don't care either if you play a Mod 50 or any Randall amp or module.....Just saying....

 

[gtr31]

This is Sad .I REALLY hope Bruce ,Jeff .John ALL come on here and make a statement .
I really respected when Jeff H flat out said "We are not taking orders right now at all it is just to busy" we need to fix what is broken
A statement maybe informing that they are in the process of hiring and are working on the issues would go a long way IMO

 

[Resonant Alien]

I avoid their Chinese Sweatshop items as much as possible. I was even tempted to sell my Mod 50 because I was dissapointed in their new direction. Look at other companies that seem to do very well and sell plenty of USA made amps and never drift overseas for production. People will care when we live in a third world country some day.

Rich - I'm not saying this to be a dick, so please don't take it that way, and you certainly have every right to feel the way you feel, just as everyone here does - but you gotta walk the walk bro - I mean, you have a Tourmaster cabinet, (unless you sold it recently)... If you feel that strongly, that is your right, but then you ought not to be buying the stuff.

 

[Buckeyedog]

Also, I believe (as stated several times) this thread is about SUPPORT........not where stuff is made!! That's another topic to start if you want to talk about that stuff. Also appears a lot of it is concerning support of the US made products (from the hard cores who have been buying and pimping Egnater gear for a while)...............and just plain old timely communication. Extremely important.

And gtr31.........where is Jeff?? No longer a mod. No official word from anyone, so I'm wondering if folks are sending him stuff........and is maybe no longer involved?? I just have no idea. I've sent him two pm's and gotten no response when in the past he almost always would get back to me.

Lack of just general information can be frustrating as well.

Hate to feel like I'm piling on, but these are some of my feelings along these lines.

And it's even more frustrating because I LOVE MY DAMN EGGIE GEAR SO MUCH!!

 

[muudrock]

Also, I believe (as stated several times) this thread is about SUPPORT........not where stuff is made!! That's another topic to start if you want to talk about that stuff. Also appears a lot of it is concerning support of the US made products (from the hard cores who have been buying and pimping Egnater gear for a while)...............and just plain old timely communication. Extremely important.

And gtr31.........where is Jeff?? No longer a mod. No official word from anyone, so I'm wondering if folks are sending him stuff........and is maybe no longer involved?? I just have no idea. I've sent him two pm's and gotten no response when in the past he almost always would get back to me.

Lack of just general information can be frustrating as well.

Hate to feel like I'm piling on, but these are some of my feelings along these lines.

And it's even more frustrating because I LOVE MY DAMN EGGIE GEAR SO MUCH!!

Couldn't have said better....