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Thread: sorry customer service

  1. #1

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    I recieved a new bass drum pedal that I ordered on the internet. It is a Ludwig " Speed King". There wasn't a owners manual in the box so I e-mailed the customer service department. So far I haven't recieved a response and it has been a month. I own several other pedals that all came with a owners manual and warrenty. If it wasn't for some great people on this site I'd still be trying to figure out how to adjust the springs. Most companies have on-line manuals you can download.I guess Conn-Selmer doesn't think that's what the customers wants or needs.

  2. #2

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    I know what you mean. I placed an order w/ AMS recently. The order shipped from 2 different warehouses. I used USPS because I don't want a box sitting outside my house all day. Well 1 showed up on time. That was last week. After dealing with AMS about this, the best they can do for me is 2 day UPS. It is going to my work. I don't like the idea. They will use USPS, but no way to track it. Musician's Friend uses USPS w/ Delivery confirmation. Guess where I will shop from now on?? I let them know that I won't need their business anymore. It didn't seem to mean anything. Believe me, I was very polite and calm. I deal with phone sales at work, I know how rude people are.

  3. #3

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    the good thing is it's a speed king and most every drummer in the world has had one. easy to get help. we'll help again in a couple months when your thread title says "how do i get rid of this damn squeak?"...lol. the squeak king is a time proven simple design that reacts perfectly IMO. i'll take it over ALOT of pedals.

  4. #4

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    Yeah, I still have my Speed King from 1964. About 10 years ago, I replaced the linkage. The new onme came with plastic bushings and that solved the problem with squeaking. However, I still keep a can of 3 in 1 oil in my hardware bag for just such emergencies.

  5. #5

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    They really are great pedals, time honored design that does the job, less the squeak. As fiocovoz stated though it can be remedied.

  6. #6

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    Speed kings rule!!!

    all the best...

  7. #7

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    I love the pedal, the customer service bites!!!! Maybe I should call and view my opinion? My first real set was a Ludwig vistalite; black shells with a steel snare. The cymbals were all vintage Z's. I bought it with the help of my dad in 1976. Back then you could walk into a drum store with a $1,000 bucks and come out with one heck of a set up. Now days you can't get close to that. I really miss that kit. My parents sold it at a yard sale when I joined the Army and went overseas. When I look on the internet and see the same kit selling for $3,500 bucks I get ticked off!!!! I was really into Zep back then and I wanted a kit just like John Bonham. There were other pedals to choose but when the sales man said Bonham used a Speed King I jumped on it. As far as the noise issue goes I cured that with alittle help from some good old Army issued grease. It's called "GMD". We use it on the main gun of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Sometimes it's best to get away from the hipe of so called "Best pedal ever made" and go back to the good old standard!!

  8. #8

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    Warrior9, were your shells solid black (as in non see through) vistilights? If so I had a kit just like them, only mine was an octa plus with power concert toms, and Hercules stands that I bought it 1979. I wish I still had my kit as well!

  9. #9

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    The shells were solid black. If I remember right the set was, 13 and 14 inch mounted toms, 16 and 18 inch floor toms, a 22 inch bass, and a 14 inch all steel snare.The hardware was all chrome.

  10. #10

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    It sounds like the same shells I had, they were much louder than my maple kit is. I was always fussed at for playing to loud in those day and I wasn't a heavy hitter, no more so than I am now, and I never get the complaint anymore. But they would keep up with amplified music for sure in smaller venues. I too still have the snare from that kit. My wife found out who had it, and purchased it back for me for Christmas one year.

  11. #11

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    It's sad that some companies just don't understand that customer service is one of their best tools for ensuring repeat business. And the only ways for us to find out if the CS is great at a company or not is either to buy from them and find out for ourselves or depend upon the recommendations of others. Word of mouth can be the most powerful advertising out there. If they spent half of their advertising budget on customer service, it would return them 10 times the dividends that their advertising would have.
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  12. #12

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    As I remember they were loud!!! I had an old jazz kit before that. Maybe is was the music I was playing to. I had a old all-in-one record player and I used to jam to Zep, Black Sabath, Cream, Boston, etc. My dad had a construction business so he had my room soundproofed. You could barely hear it from the outside but it was really loud inside. I wanted to get another bass drum but didn't have enough room.

  13. #13

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    To me, customer service is the most important thing about running a company. Ludwig really let me down. If you don't stand behind your products and give full support to those who purchase your products you are doomed to failure. Maybe that's why Ludwig has slipped from being the leader in the drum industry to being just another name. They only have one series made in the USA. Everything else in imported. I have nothing against drums made overseas but when I was growing up you had the big 4; Ludwig, Rogers, Slingerland, and Gretsch. All made in the USA. Now days, well, try to count how many there are out there. And they all offer a so called " Superior Product". I'm more confused than Congress as to which brand to choose! I know this much, my next set won't be a Ludwig!!!

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by warrior9 View Post
    To me, customer service is the most important thing about running a company. Ludwig really let me down. If you don't stand behind your products and give full support to those who purchase your products you are doomed to failure. Maybe that's why Ludwig has slipped from being the leader in the drum industry to being just another name. They only have one series made in the USA. Everything else in imported. I have nothing against drums made overseas but when I was growing up you had the big 4; Ludwig, Rogers, Slingerland, and Gretsch. All made in the USA. Now days, well, try to count how many there are out there. And they all offer a so called " Superior Product". I'm more confused than Congress as to which brand to choose! I know this much, my next set won't be a Ludwig!!!
    The only bigger drum company that I have heard about that will get right back to you by e-mail for customer service is Drum workshop, I know this because I have asked questions and received answers back almost immediately. With that being said, most larger manufactures do not want to deal with the day to day customer issues that arise, they feel that is why they have dealers. Most warranty items and questions are handled on the dealer level. I am not defending this as the right ideology for operating their business, I am just stating that more often than not that is the policy.

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by warrior9 View Post
    To me, customer service is the most important thing about running a company. Ludwig really let me down. If you don't stand behind your products and give full support to those who purchase your products you are doomed to failure. Maybe that's why Ludwig has slipped from being the leader in the drum industry to being just another name. They only have one series made in the USA. Everything else in imported. I have nothing against drums made overseas but when I was growing up you had the big 4; Ludwig, Rogers, Slingerland, and Gretsch. All made in the USA. Now days, well, try to count how many there are out there. And they all offer a so called " Superior Product". I'm more confused than Congress as to which brand to choose! I know this much, my next set won't be a Ludwig!!!

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    I'm sure that a lot in here will be surprised to see me say that I agree with you about Ludwig. I own and play a set of 1964 Ludwig Classics...bought them brand new back then. Ludwig has always been a "Major player" in the business. I was a high school band director for many years and have used Ludwig products with my bands. In the mid 1980's, I bought a set of marching percussion...snare, quads, basses etc., all Ludwig. They were terrible!! It was the worst experience I ever had. Ludwig has gone to overseas production, just like many of the others. I guess this is why I've never been overly fond of drums "Mass produced" over seas. They're not of the same quality that old guys, like myself, have been used to. I've never traded offf my Ludwigs...they are much to good for me to get rid of. If it's any consolation, Ludwig is back to manufacturing their "Legacy" line up in Monroe, N.C., USA. From what I've read and heard, the line up is simply awesome...and expensive. Gretsch is also back to U.S. production with their US Customs collection. Wow!! There is a lesson here to be learned and it cuts both ways...as players, we have to realize that better made instruments are not going to come cheap. Perhaps it's a means of further qualifying those who "Think" about being a musician. It's a hard gig...supposed to be. We had better be serious about it if we're to put down the money required. To the manufacturer's, they are starting to realize that they have short-changed and second-guessed us. Of course, we want to save money but, we want quality even more so. I don't know what the answer is to this dilemma other than it's all preference. When I was growing up in the 50's, my dad used to say that if we wanted "Good" we had to pay "Good" but, we generally paid only once. Outdated? Perhaps but, it has been advise that I've always followed.

  16. #16

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    We had all Ludwigs when I was in high school marching band but used SLingerland in Drum Corps. I liked the Slingerlands and hated the Ludwigs. I guess your right. You get what you pay for. I think this time I'm going to go DW. I don't plan to get a big kit.I want something that has a good track record.

  17. #17

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    Warrior...I had forgotten about the Slingerlands. With another band and corps of mine, we udes the TDR equipment. Great stuff!!

  18. #18

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    They were great sounding drums. The snare wires used were what we called "cat guts". Do they still use them? I was a member Velvet Knights out of California back in the 70's. I was also the the Santa Ana Wings city band, plus High School Marching band as well as concert and jazz bands. As you can probaly tell I was really into music back then. My Son is in his first year of Junior High and has gone from the beginning band to the 1st band. We have been really working on his rudiments and his sight reading. Looks like it paid off!

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by warrior9 View Post
    They were great sounding drums. The snare wires used were what we called "cat guts". Do they still use them? I was a member Velvet Knights out of California back in the 70's. I was also the the Santa Ana Wings city band, plus High School Marching band as well as concert and jazz bands. As you can probaly tell I was really into music back then. My Son is in his first year of Junior High and has gone from the beginning band to the 1st band. We have been really working on his rudiments and his sight reading. Looks like it paid off!
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    LOL!! I remember 2 Kool VK...the James Bond theme corps. Man, that brings back memories. We had a small 60 member corps so our trips were limited to the mid-west. Many trips to Camp Randall stadium in Madison, WI. I loved the '75 Scouts. I even wrote my own marching band arrangement of The Way We Were that was inspired by their closer that year. In 1986, I was motivated by the Cavalier's production of Variations On A Korean Folk Song...wrote a full blown arr. complete with Percussion feature as well. I Remember Cat Gut snares but, if I recall, I think TDR used a wired Cat Gut snare.

  20. #20

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    Best wishes to your son as he progresses. I still have Jonathan Pratt's 14 Contest Solos.

    Going back even further, I still have and practice with Charlie Wilcoxins Rudimental Solos For the Swing Drummer.

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