Thoughts on a builder talking shit on his customers

[D.o.S.]

This guy does make good pedals and I wasn't even going to name the company (LOL DOS). I was trying to keep it vague and hypothetical because there's already kind of a shit storm on TB and hopefully he sees it and says "man maybe I shouldn't talk so much shit".

I'd rather see what's actually being said than an approximation of a different (but related) issue. Sorry.

[Jwar]

This guy does make good pedals and I wasn't even going to name the company (LOL DOS). I was trying to keep it vague and hypothetical because there's already kind of a shit storm on TB and hopefully he sees it and says "man maybe I shouldn't talk so much shit".

I'd rather see what's actually being said than an approximation of a different (but related) issue. Sorry.

Your mom is sorry.

[D.o.S.]

gottem.

[rustywire]

Poor form. I get it, but not a good look.

I avoid catering to bad attitudes. As a buyer, as a seller, as a bystander.
"The customer is always right" as a concept is a load of poppycock. Selfridge may have revolutionized the department store experience, but ultimately he was pushed out of his own business and IIRC died penniless due to dubious decision-making and pie-in-the-sky ideology, putting cart before horse.

I think it's better to approach each situation with a fresh perspective and find the right solution, which sometimes means not engaging in the act of commerce with a specific individual. Especially the hyperinsecure and/or unyielding control freaks, chronic complainers etc. Sometimes it means altering your own approach and business model. Other times it means finding another option. Irreplaceability is rare, especially with modern gear.

[resincum]

2 month wait for a tubescreamer must be good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[odontophobia]

i think twice i've followed this guy on instagram and always unfollowed when he's unloaded on one of his customers.

i think he's done a fairly nice job on his website of letting the customer know how long something will take and some people are too stupid to read that and really think about it.

that being said... i think this dudes target demographic is probably full of people who think publicly calling some "pleb" out is fucking awesome and it does nothing to hurt the business that he would net from THOSE people. with that in mind, based on the tb thread it's pretty clear that it will hurt some people who are otherwise on the fence.

here's the thing -- dude is just another pedal builder cloning and tweaking already well known designs and applying his brand/aesthetic to them. it appeals to people and they buy his muff clones and his other designs.

his attitude rubs me the wrong way so it puts me off but ultimately i don't want to preorder your production pedals because i can buy a muff or an hm2 clone from any number of builders/websites with no additional wait time.

[Hagel123]

Sooooooo, this entire argument may be my fault. I just got a demon lung off reverb that some dude just received. I really don't care, getting the pedal without the wait is very nice. Same with not dealing with the builder himself.

Why can't we all just enjoy fuzz and not be dicks? You don't see tym make a big deal about his pedals being resold

[D.o.S.]

You don't see tym make a big deal about his pedals being resold

[D.o.S.]

For the record that's hilarious because Tym was (I think, it's been a couple of years) the builder who saw an ebay auction of one of his Mascis pedals approaching four digits and said not to bid on it and that he'd make one for that price and donate the rest to charity if it came to that, not because he behaves like this mysterious builder jwar mentioned.

[Hagel123]

Polar opposite builders making muff clones

[Ugly Nora]

It is important to remember that most small pedal builders are probably just nerds with electronics skills who enjoy making shit. Then, they discovered that they could make some cash building pedals so they started a pedal "company". As is usually the case with nerds, they have no people skills. On top of that, these new entrepreneurs have no business training to run their business properly. As a result, this shit happens.

This is actually a smart analysis and probably really close to the truth.

Jwar, I'm disappointed that you seem surprised by my accurate analysis. I don't just make this stuff up; I have wisdom coming out the wazoo.

[aholidayatthesea]

For the record that's hilarious because Tym was (I think, it's been a couple of years) the builder who saw an ebay auction of one of his Mascis pedals approaching four digits and said not to bid on it and that he'd make one for that price and donate the rest to charity if it came to that, not because he behaves like this mysterious builder jwar mentioned.

That's awesome.

[odontophobia]

It is important to remember that most small pedal builders are probably just nerds with electronics skills who enjoy making shit. Then, they discovered that they could make some cash building pedals so they started a pedal "company". As is usually the case with nerds, they have no people skills. On top of that, these new entrepreneurs have no business training to run their business properly. As a result, this shit happens.

This is actually a smart analysis and probably really close to the truth.

Jwar, I'm disappointed that you seem surprised by my accurate analysis. I don't just make this stuff up; I have wisdom coming out the wazoo.

is wazoo one of those weirdo instruments you bought?

[rustywire]

For the record that's hilarious because Tym was (I think, it's been a couple of years) the builder who saw an ebay auction of one of his Mascis pedals approaching four digits and said not to bid on it and that he'd make one for that price and donate the rest to charity if it came to that, not because he behaves like this mysterious builder jwar mentioned.

I thought it was hilar after momentarily confusing Tym with t1m
That also works

[baremountain]

I avoid catering to bad attitudes. As a buyer, as a seller, as a bystander.

Yeah I'm with rustywire on this one. The way I see it, one's economic decisions directly enable/reinforce the behaviors of the parties they benefit. There's a real shitty promoter here in Dallas who runs his game by intimidating others (and has made direct threats of violence toward yours truly), and even though he brings almost all of the national talent I care to see live, I avoid those shows (even ignoring the threats) because his attitude isn't something that I believe should be supported.
While I see where this builder is coming from, he certainly could have handled the situation with more finesse, and privately at that.