| Author | Message | ||
| hb3
Member Username: hb3 Post Number: 85 Registered: 2-2005 |
Aw...can't we all just get along? | ||
| olieoliver
Intermediate Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 191 Registered: 2-2006 |
Hugh, DUDE, (a little salt in the wound perhaps?) | ||
| hb3
Member Username: hb3 Post Number: 87 Registered: 2-2005 |
not at all....I'm truly sorry to see this.....can't we chalk it up to April Fools? | ||
| olieoliver
Intermediate Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 195 Registered: 2-2006 |
Thats what I'm thinking too. We'll see! | ||
| flaxattack
Senior Member Username: flaxattack Post Number: 1049 Registered: 4-2004 |
(Message edited by flaxattack on April 02, 2006) | ||
| olieoliver
Intermediate Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 196 Registered: 2-2006 |
....and the plot thickens... | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1120 Registered: 3-2004 |
Whatever is happening, it should be an issue resolved between Oliver and Alembic. I think it would be for the best if the rest of us refrain from speculation for a while. I am saddened to see this even leak onto the boards, especially in an FTC thread. | ||
| hb3
Member Username: hb3 Post Number: 88 Registered: 2-2005 |
Fair enough. I'm done. | ||
| the_mule
Senior Member Username: the_mule Post Number: 585 Registered: 1-2004 |
This shouldn't have been brought to the Club, starting with Valentino's message IMHO. It is and could've been (and could've stayed!) a personal dispute, by using e-mail instead. The guessin' isn't very nice to Oliver, and that's a VERY polite way of saying it... Wilfred | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1173 Registered: 7-2004 |
How 'bout them A's! I think The Big Hurt, Frank Thomas is gonna have a GREAT year! I smell World Series! Bill, tgo | ||
| zn_bassman
Member Username: zn_bassman Post Number: 98 Registered: 4-2005 |
There's a certain post on this thread that should probably be deleted (I can think of a second one too, but it's a little less harmful and a little more official). Perhaps an apology from the poster to his subject would be in order as well. | ||
| senmen
Senior Member Username: senmen Post Number: 578 Registered: 7-2003 |
Guys, I can tell you, it is not a money thing, it is just some kind of behaviour I cannot accept. The post from Val is acceptable for me, another private email I got definetely not. Flax, yes I had posted before sometimes that I wanted to sell the Spyders out of financial problems, but these problems had been solved some time ago. In the meantime I was thinking to get the DW as my main stage bass as the Spyders are getting to heavy for me now beeing more often on the road than before and in rehearsal for 2-3 times per week. Guys, as said before this will be definetely my last Alembic. Period. If someone wants to send his apology to me, then I would be happy for this. But there is one person from which I got the personal mail that has to overthink the general position towards us Alembic customers. But I think I will never see an apology from this person. Sorry, but this is the most I will tell here as this normally should be a private conversation between them and me but as Val started to open this it is kind of official here. Oliver | ||
| flaxattack
Senior Member Username: flaxattack Post Number: 1051 Registered: 4-2004 |
i will remove my post but as an fyi- isent no private emails | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1174 Registered: 7-2004 |
And the A's have great pitching too! Bill, tgo | ||
| flaxattack
Senior Member Username: flaxattack Post Number: 1052 Registered: 4-2004 |
several espn'rs have picked the A's all the way.... | ||
| senmen
Senior Member Username: senmen Post Number: 579 Registered: 7-2003 |
Flax, many thanks for your post. It was not you with the private mails. This was another person who will now that he/she is meant when reading this post. Thanks again mate Oliver | ||
| tbrannon
Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 54 Registered: 11-2004 |
Oliver, I don't know what's going on behind the scenes, nor do I care to know. The one thing I am sure of- this is a beautiful bass- one for the ages. I'd hate to see you let go of this bass based on a non financial decision. I've watched this FTC thread since the beginning. I'm excited to see this instrument nearly finished. I hope Tears for John ends up in your hands and that you enjoy it- Play in good health. Toby | ||
| olieoliver
Advanced Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 201 Registered: 2-2006 |
Oliver I agree with Toby, this is an awesome bass. So are your spiders. I honestly thought this was an April Fools joke. I couldn't see any other way that VAl would open a can of worms like that here. Anyway if it's not a joke I hope you can work it out. Everyone has a bad day every now and then. I'd love to hear how your spiders sound. Any clips available. (Message edited by olieoliver on April 02, 2006) | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3564 Registered: 5-2002 |
Bob See makes some great points: - it should be an issue resolved between Oliver and Alembic. - it would be for the best if the rest of us refrain from speculation for a while. - [it is sad] to see this even leak onto the boards, especially in an FTC thread. But I'm going to jump in here anyway. I agree, you really don't want to see this type of discussion in an FTC thread. More broadly, I tend to think that thread hijacking, while accepted in our club, should probably not be over-employed in FTC and Showcase threads. But here I am hijacking an FTC thread. And I agree that we should refrain from speculation and that this is a matter to be resolved between Alembic and Oliver. But I do want to make a few comments that I hope will be helpful. I have been focused much more than usual on work recently, and while I am now caught up on reading all the posts, I was lagging behind the past few days. I read the For Sale section before I read the FTC section. It was a bit of an eye opener to see this bass listed for sale. My immediate reaction was that Oliver didn't just wake up one morning and decide he was no longer interested in the bass; that something must have happened and that there might be more on the subject in the FTC thread. So then I go to the FTC thread and find Val's post. My initial reaction was that the post was out of character for Val. Then I read Oliver's response that the bass was for sale. At that point it does appear that Oliver's sudden decision to sell the bass is an emotional response. And it does seem that Val's post, while detailing certain technical matters, was also an emotional response to email correspondence. There are a lot of important issues here. The people at Alembic have a desire to build custom high quality hand made instruments for their customers. They also have a desire to communicate with their customers in a manner that will ensure that the instrument meets the customer's expectations and that makes the whole process enjoyable for everyone concerned. The customers have their desires too. And while these desires differ among customers, generally they desire to own a custom high quality handmade instrument built to their specifications. Often, this purchase is substantial economically. The greater the desire, the greater the potential for frustration, anger, resentment, etc. In any endeavor, it seems helpful to keep this in mind. It is understandable to have an emotional reaction when things don't go the way we hope. In life, it will be the case that things will not go the way we hope. And it will be the case that we will have emotional reactions. There is nothing "wrong" with that, it's how our minds have been programmed by our life experiences to work. But it is also the case that often we don't have to react immediately. We can recognize the emotional response building and we can choose to breath. We can take a moment, and give ourselves the opportunity to treat ourselves and others with understanding and respect. In the present case it seems from the context of Val's message that Val, and perhaps the Alembic staff generally, are expressing some level of frustration. The text of the message suggests that the volume and content of the correspondence being received by Alembic staff from Oliver had, in the overall context of a small staff running a business with lots of custom order customers, become overwhelmingly frustrating. It happens. You want to do a good job, you want to have great patience; but time is short, you're falling further behind on all your work projects. And there are difficulties inherent in communicating with anyone who, rather than being in the shop with you, is half way around the world. Sometimes you feel that you aren't getting through; and the frustration builds. Anyone who has followed this thread and other related threads has a good idea of what this bass means to Oliver. His attachment to this project is very high. It is understandable that he would have an emotional reaction. He's very far from the shop and can't walk in and examine the construction. He's sitting at home second guessing all the decisions he's made in this project; inlays, the positions of the controls, etc. He has a strong desire to make sure the bass is everything it can be. I tend to think that perhaps part of the reason that Val chose to make a post rather than an email in this case is that his message is not directed only at Oliver but to all of us. I think he is reminding us that it's a small staff, and there is only so much that can be accomplished in a certain amount of time. I think all of us here in the forum have a great respect for the people at Alembic and the way they do business, the way they care for their customers. As has been discussed here before, electronic communication is not as easy as face to face in person communication, which is itself in many ways problematic. In the present case, Val seems to be saying - "hey everybody, lets slow down for a second; there's only so much we can accomplish. And given that context and in the particular case - these multiple emails and posts aren't helping". It's understandable. And it is understandable that Oliver would have an emotional response. He has a lot of attachment to the project. So, to Oliver and to Val, at this point I would suggest, just breath. Be understanding of and compassionate to yourself, your thoughts and actions. And be understanding of and compassionate to the other parties too. As far as demanding an apology, it seems to me that this, in life, accomplishes little. It seems to me far more beneficial, in any situation, to open one's heart to the situation and be understanding and compassionate. Here on the internet we can't know what other events are happening to the people we communicate with on the net. We don't know what illnesses, family tragedies, economic hardships, etc. are happening at this very point in time to the people that we are currently communicating with. We can't know where they are emotionally. We don't know if they just got off the phone with someone who had very bad news. All of us suffer; and we are all deserving of understanding and compassion. It just seems to me that opening one's heart is a far more rewarding practice than demanding apologies. It's a small shop, a small staff, and there are a lot of people with custom orders who are calling, emailing and posting about their projects. It is understandable that each of these customers is focused solely on their project, but it only takes a second to pause, breath, take a step back and take an overview of the situation. We all know that the Alembic staff takes each of our projects to heart and that they do care about their relationships with their customers. And we know that they have a lot projects going at once and that they are doing their best to accomplish them. Anger, indignation, and generally negative feelings will not improve a situation. Acting on negative feelings only serves to exacerbate a situation. It does seem to me that everyone should take a breath, open their hearts and get back to the rhythm. | ||
| the_8_string_king
Intermediate Member Username: the_8_string_king Post Number: 123 Registered: 9-2005 |
Oliver, I experienced great frustation over perceived delays in my custom. The fact was, however, we (myself and Alembic) never agreed on a set time. It really seemed at times to drag on, and I seriously considered cancelling the order. I'm glad I didn't. They're great craftspeople, and they're great people. I think you know this. I'm sorry if things are heated. Maybe they've made mistakes... maybe you have. I don't know, and as Dave said, I shouldn't speculate. I just hope you work it out, because it would be sad if both you and Alembic are hurt... I'd much rather you and Alembic be happy. I'd urge you to work it out, if possible. I mean no disrespect, by my own admission, I don't know a lot of the facts, and I don't have the inclination to overly speculate. I'd just like to hope for a happy ending for everyone. Speaking from my own experience, I was frustated by what I perceived to be an unduly long wait, and long periods of silence between updates. In retrospect, I wish I had been more supportive of them. They did an incredibly fabulous job of building my dream -exactly as I wanted it. They did a couple very nice "extra" things to placate me, and there is no doubt in my mind that doing the best job possible for ME was as important -if not more important- than making a profit. They showed this in their actions... it was never in doubt. Yeah, I experienced some serious frustation, but in retrospect, it isn't clear that it was an issue of anybodys fault. Yeah, there were some communication issues, but ultimately they didn't do me any wrong. I probably should've had a clear understanding or agreement regarding the timeline of construction with them from the start. But without that, it was nebulous. But they weren't bad guys, and neither was I, and I'm glad that I didn't yield to my frustation and back out -that would have been bad Karma for me, and I would have missed out on the instrument of a lifetime. In retrospect, it seems so clear that I have this awesome instrument that they did the most wonderful job of making, and I don't feel bad at them for the frustation I felt -I feel bad myself that I didn't handle it better. I'll always be grateful for what they've given me, which far outweighs the brief frustation I felt. They're great people; I hope you can work it out. If they have made mistakes, I hope you will choose to forgive them. I hope you will try to make things right and give them the chance to do the same. I wish you the best, brother. Respectfully, Mark, the "8-String King." | ||
| senmen
Senior Member Username: senmen Post Number: 580 Registered: 7-2003 |
Guys, many thanks for your comments. Yes it was at first that I reacted emotionally. But I wanto to clearify that it was not Valīs post that made me mad. I knew that it is time critical with the bass beeing in its last building stage and therefore I had posted my request on this forum at first, later by personal email to the Alembic staff. I got no response on either way and I had the feear that something would not turn out the way I wanted it to be. So I tried to recheck. As said before, my reaction has nothing to do with Vals post. He is a great guy. My reaction was only caused by a not acceptable personal email I got. Unfortunately Val had opened this can on this forum and I wish he would have not done because as you all see, this is a thing that should be cleaned between Alembic and me on a private email base. Oliver | ||
| senmen
Senior Member Username: senmen Post Number: 582 Registered: 7-2003 |
Guys, I have settled my mood down to a normal level. Sorry for all the confusion but I really was annoyed at first and it was an emotional reaction. Many thanks for all the nice emails I got who tried to convince me to keep this bass. So to make long things short: I will keep the bass... Oliver | ||
| tbrannon
Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 56 Registered: 11-2004 |
Oliver, Hip Hip Hooray!! I am very very glad to hear that you're going to be playing this bass for years to come. Like I said above, I've drooled over this thread since the beginning and I'm almost giddy at the thought of it being done. I can't imagine the sense of anticipation you must be feeling. Enjoy the bass and thanks for the positive update Toby | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3578 Registered: 5-2002 |
Cool! | ||
| the_8_string_king
Intermediate Member Username: the_8_string_king Post Number: 127 Registered: 9-2005 |
I'm very happy to hear it, sir! I think it's clearly a win-win -instead of lose-lose. That bass looks freaking AWESOME!!! And it belongs in YOUR hands. Happy trails! | ||
| flaxattack
Senior Member Username: flaxattack Post Number: 1059 Registered: 4-2004 |
its about time cooler heads prevailed and i dont have to buy this one lol | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 3306 Registered: 6-2000 |
James is preparing to drill the electronics. Now we have the side jack for Anniversary electronics available in a side-mounted version. Do you have a preference for the side-mounted or face-mounted output jack? | ||
| senmen
Senior Member Username: senmen Post Number: 583 Registered: 7-2003 |
Hi Mica, glad to hear from you. I would prefer the top-mounted jack if possible. Oliver | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 3314 Registered: 6-2000 |
Top mounted jack it is. The nut was getting cut yesterday, so your bass will probably be finished by tomorrow.  | ||
| tbrannon
Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 61 Registered: 11-2004 |
awwwww man!! What a tease! I've got dialup- I saw the last post was Mica and that it was a photo, so I waited 5 mintues for the "finished photo" to load. I SO thought I was going to see the finished product. *sigh* Congratulations Oliver. Enjoy! |
