No more modules made by bruce?!?!

[jerseybill]

Is this true?
I've recently purchased a M4..............
Will new modules still be made? By who?
BUMMER...............

 

[mboogman]

As stated in other threads, the tone comes from the design, so in effect, we are still getting, and will continue to get modules by Bruce. I promise, there's no fairy dust in Bruce's soldering iron that makes them super special. As long as QC stays tight, I'm pretty sure we won't notice a change in module performance.

$.02

 

[marvcus]

It's the perception.

Whether it's true or not, my mind "defaults" to thinking that a module made by Bruce's outfit will be of better quality than one that's mass produced. Made by hand means someone is looking at every single one of them.

Interestingly, I have offered to help local builder/acquaintance Joe Driskill on several occasions. I have asked him for a job in the past helping build guitars because he was always SO far behind. I think his wait list is like 3 years - just crazy. He has always turned me away, wanting to do it all himself.

People pay out the wazoo for his guitars that he machines and hand builds himself.

I'm sure they'd be worth much less if they were "Made by Driskill...with help from Marvcus."

 

[guitarslinger]

I promise, there's no fairy dust in Bruce's soldering iron

As long as QC stays tight,

Actually, the fairy dust is in the QC.

Do other companies possess fairy dust? yes.

Do all companies possess the fairy dust? no.

This whole outsourcing thing is a gamble either way.

 

[mboogman]

I promise, there's no fairy dust in Bruce's soldering iron

As long as QC stays tight,

Actually, the fairy dust is in the QC.

Do other companies possess fairy dust? yes.

Do all companies possess the fairy dust? no.

This whole outsourcing thing is a gamble either way.

Agreed.

 

[richedie]

It's the perception.

Maybe better quality parts as well.....better attention to detail.

Whether it's true or not, my mind "defaults" to thinking that a module made by Bruce's outfit will be of better quality than one that's mass produced. Made by hand means someone is looking at every single one of them.

Interestingly, I have offered to help local builder/acquaintance Joe Driskill on several occasions. I have asked him for a job in the past helping build guitars because he was always SO far behind. I think his wait list is like 3 years - just crazy. He has always turned me away, wanting to do it all himself.

People pay out the wazoo for his guitars that he machines and hand builds himself.

I'm sure they'd be worth much less if they were "Made by Driskill...with help from Marvcus."

 

[chickenoolie]

It's the perception....

.... Interestingly, I have offered to help local builder/acquaintance Joe Driskill on several occasions. I have asked him for a job in the past helping build guitars because he was always SO far behind. I think his wait list is like 3 years - just crazy. He has always turned me away, wanting to do it all himself.

People pay out the wazoo for his guitars that he machines and hand builds himself.

I'm sure they'd be worth much less if they were "Made by Driskill...with help from Marvcus."

It is 100% perception. And perception is 100% personal and subjective.
Personally, I don't want to go to a guitar manufacturer's website and see production delays because of bike accidents and infected fingers.
Nothing against Driskill, it's just not what I want to see when purchasing a guitar.

I would love to buy a Glaswerks SOD II, but I can't. So, you can either wait or go get a Two Rock.

Personally, I think it would be refreshing if the guitar business came up with a few new stories.
To me, the "guy in his basement" story is getting tired. So, is the "modder turned tone guru."
But, for others, it's the dream realized. That's why there's a market for every story.

 

[jkdsteve]

It took Randall well over a year for the dust to settle (some would say the QC is still not there) finding a manufacturer for modules....they tried at least two manufacturers and still ended up with gaps in supply.

I'd personally like to see production still controlled out of the Egnater shop..maybe via some contract employees..rather than a fully outsourced production with in-house QC.

Of course the latter approach presents the possibility that the price of the modular stuff could come down a little.....but that's a whole other can of worms in terms of 'value perception'

Randall are selling sig (single channel) mods at around $300 still even after (AFAIK) shifting production largely overseas :-/

 

[3 Mile Stone]

I promise, there's no fairy dust in Bruce's soldering iron

As long as QC stays tight,

Actually, the fairy dust is in the QC.

Do other companies possess fairy dust? yes.

Do all companies possess the fairy dust? no.

This whole outsourcing thing is a gamble either way.

Good point Slinger.

 

[rlord1974]

FYI - I just scored a brand new SL from Egnater (via Indoor Storm) yesterday. Apparently, Egnater had one still on the shelf. However, they also told Indoor Storm they could make more if necessary. I don't know if that means they will still hand build to order for the time being, or if they have in fact already sourced a new manufacturer. Anybody know? Regardless, all I care about is I *might* have got the last one handbuilt in the shop right in the ol' U.S.A.!

 

[3 Mile Stone]

I was thinking about the title of this thread and I think it proves the whole point of perception. Bruce did not make many of the modules. Frank & Jeff built during their stint at Egnater and I believe Terri also was involved in manufacturing for a while as well. I would not venture a guess on how many modules Bruce built vs someone on his team but I'll bet you this. At least one of the modules you own right now ... was not built by him.

 

[mboogman]

I was thinking about the title of this thread and I think it proves the whole point of perception. Bruce did not make many of the modules. Frank & Jeff built during their stint at Egnater and I believe Terri also was involved in manufacturing for a while as well. I would not venture a guess on how many modules Bruce built vs someone on his team but I'll bet you this. At least one of the modules you own right now ... was not built by him.

Y'know, this is actually very true. I had forgotten about Bruce referring the the fact that Terry and his son, (can't remember his name) were actually building most of, if not all of the modules. I imagine that Bruce was doing some of the manufacturing, but that really is a waste of talent. Even I could stuff a circuit board and solder up the components, and bet it would sound just like a board stuffed and soldered by Bruce, Terri, or anyone else for that matter (given the exact same components).

 

[EWSEthan]

Yeah, it was my understanding that it was all Terri and Ian building modules, at least recently.

 

[jerseybill]

Has bruce said that the modules will still be available through a new manufacturer?

 

[EWSEthan]

Has bruce said that the modules will still be available through a new manufacturer?

He has said nothing to the effect of modular being discontinued, just that the production is being outsourced. So, Id say that means yes.

 

[jmgman69]

Has bruce said that the modules will still be available through a new manufacturer?

He has said nothing to the effect of modular being discontinued, just that the production is being outsourced. So, Id say that means yes.

And maybe some different ones

 

[muudrock]

I was at Bruce's shop and watched his wife Terri stuff and solder the module boards. The modules were built one at a time and tested and finished at the shop. I have a picture somewhere that I took with my phone of shelves full of modules in various stages of completion. Egnater amps was not a big operation. The main amp boards were done by an outside contractor and assembled at the shop. The midi boards were done by Access electronics and DMC. It's always been a collaboration on the modular stuff. Bruce has a history of involving other designers and builders into his products.

 

[Wagster]

I was at Bruce's shop and watched his wife Terri stuff and solder the module boards. The modules were built one at a time and tested and finished at the shop. I have a picture somewhere that I took with my phone of shelves full of modules in various stages of completion. Egnater amps was not a big operation. The main amp boards were done by an outside contractor and assembled at the shop. The midi boards were done by Access electronics and DMC. It's always been a collaboration on the modular stuff. Bruce has a history of involving other designers and builders into his products.

Budda amps used to do this. I worked for Dave Barber for a short while building pedals. He at one time built the boards for Budda.

 

[Guitarvc]

I promise, there's no fairy dust in Bruce's soldering iron

As long as QC stays tight,

Actually, the fairy dust is in the QC.

Do other companies possess fairy dust? yes.

Do all companies possess the fairy dust? no.

This whole outsourcing thing is a gamble either way.

Agreed.

For sure!

 

[3 Mile Stone]

Which leads us to the final primary question of the discussion. Who will build them? And then for some where, although I have little significant content to add to the where. That subject is worn out and those who feel one way or the other will not be convinced otherwise by anything written in this thread. I think this in itself may be an answer to why Bruce is reluctant to say who and where. Maybe he does not know yet, but maybe it's because it doesn't really matter that much. In the end some will say the new modules don't have as much *^^*$*@! or whatever. I know this. Bruce is not going to just hand it off to someone who can complete the requirements of building them. Whoever it is, the sound and quality of build will still be there. I wouldn't blame him if never tells us where and by whom they are built, becasue those incidental facts will lead to conclusions about the sound that are un-objective.