MOTM

Stooge Panels - Many have been shipped to Dave from the printer and some
customer orders have already been shipped.  The remaining panels are being
completed and will be shipping to Dave very soon for quality inspection.
This is our fastest turn around ever.  However, a dark cloud hangs over as I
have several hundred dollars worth (some custom) of panels that were ordered
and never paid for.  The good news is I may now have some extras.  If I do,
those available will be posted to the list.

Panel drilling - If you are using Oakley Omeg pots, and ordering drilling
services, don't forget to tell us so the holes will be slightly larger as
those pots require.

Flat rails - are completed at the powdercoat shop.  I pick them up tomorrow
and they will officially be "in stock" as soon as my wife and I remove the
6500 quality check screws.

Cabinets - I have not talked to the cabinet maker since I got back.  That
will happen tomorrow.  He is supposed to have the prototype of the slant
cabinet done and ready for my inspection.  I hope to start sending out
invoices and shipping some of these cabinets in early August.

Brackets - All sizes are in stock.  No progress on design for Ken Stone PCB
brackets.  It's on my "to do" list.

Stooge Larry

>However, a dark cloud hangs over as I
>have several hundred dollars worth (some custom) of panels that were ordered
>and never paid for.  The good news is I may now have some extras.  If I do,
>those available will be posted to the list.

When Larry and Dave go to the time, trouble and expense of providing 
such an excellent service I'd have thought the least folk could do in 
return would be to pay them up front and on time.

Larry has been unstinting in the help and assistance he's given to me in 
putting together and customising my MOTM and I'd hate to think that he 
might have second thoughts about giving us the benefit of his knowledge 
and enthusiasm (panels, flat rails, brackets, cabinets, etc) because 
some individuals (as yet unnamed) are screwing him around.

>
>Panel drilling - If you are using Oakley Omeg pots, and ordering drilling
>services, don't forget to tell us so the holes will be slightly larger as
>those pots require.
>

My own experience of Stooge panels with standard hole sizes for Oakley 
modules was that it only took a little careful filing to get the Omeg 
pots to fit.

Omeg pots come with two flattened sides on the screw thread, so that 
filing has the advantage of getting a precise fit with the pot "locked" 
in a particular position.

-- 
James Richardson

> 
>> However, a dark cloud hangs over as I
>> have several hundred dollars worth (some custom) of panels that were ordered
>> and never paid for.  The good news is I may now have some extras.  If I do,
>> those available will be posted to the list.
> 
> When Larry and Dave go to the time, trouble and expense of providing
> such an excellent service I'd have thought the least folk could do in
> return would be to pay them up front and on time.

Boy, I'll second that. During my interactions with Larry and Dave (a
purchase of just one panel during each of the last two production runs, and
an order of cables), they have always been remarkably prompt, courteous, and
helpful. It's really dismaying to hear that a few folks feel that they can
take advantage of their generosity and manner of conducting business (not to
mention the completely unique nature of the business) by not paying for
goods that they ordered.

--Adam

While it's nice to pay when your order is ready, there is no better
commitment than to "pay up front". Helps a small biz no end.

OTOH, I'm still trying to find the guy that paid a $200 deposit for 4
TMs (years ago) and vanished frorm the face of the earth.

--
Regards,
--/////--
John Blacet
Blacet Research
http://www.blacet.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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At 09:53 AM 7/30/2003 -0700, you wrote:
>While it's nice to pay when your order is ready, there is no better
>commitment than to "pay up front". Helps a small biz no end.

I'd have to agree with that, and in fact, I hope that Larry and Dave switch 
to that model so that they can keep going with the fine services they provide.

-db-

Prepayment has been our model all along, until this very last order. 
We were unhappy with the long lead times necessary to collect all the 
orders, then the money, then corral the metal, have it painted, 
corral the printer, have them printed, etc.

We did something different this time to try to keep the lead times 
down. For the most part it has worked; with a few people it has not.

I don't know how we will handle things next time, but I just want to 
say that the vast majority of customers have been great to work with.

Moe

> >While it's nice to pay when your order is ready, there is no better
> >commitment than to "pay up front". Helps a small biz no end.
> 
> I'd have to agree with that, and in fact, I hope that Larry and 
Dave switch 
> to that model so that they can keep going with the fine services 
they provide.
> 
> -db-

> >
> >Panel drilling - If you are using Oakley Omeg pots, and ordering drilling
> >services, don't forget to tell us so the holes will be slightly larger as
> >those pots require.
> >
> 
> My own experience of Stooge panels with standard hole sizes for Oakley 
> modules was that it only took a little careful filing to get the Omeg 
> pots to fit.
> 
> Omeg pots come with two flattened sides on the screw thread, so that 
> filing has the advantage of getting a precise fit with the pot "locked" 
> in a particular position.
> 
Both of these observations are quite true.  I have done this filing on
several Stooge panels.  The reason I've given up drilling holes in Stooge
panels is that I don't have a drill press, and a punch and hand drill did
not produce results that I was proud of.  I think that changing a drill
bit is easy, and that others that do not have the tools or the skills may
benefit from having the (slightly) larger Oakley Omeg pot holes.  Maybe
I'm lazy (or not that skilled), but I will appreciate having the pot holes
a little larger for the Oakley pots.
 Jeff

--- In motm@yahoogroups.com, "mate_stubb" <mate_stubb@y...> wrote:
> Prepayment has been our model all along, until this very last 
order. 
> We were unhappy with the long lead times necessary to collect all 
the 
> orders, then the money, then corral the metal, have it painted, 
> corral the printer, have them printed, etc.
> 
> We did something different this time to try to keep the lead times 
> down. For the most part it has worked; with a few people it has not.

Personal opinion: many musicians are often unprecise or lazy, I mean 
may be some of these people will pay, if they won't, NOW YOU KNOW WHO 
THEY ARE so next time there will be for sure less surprises, but 
above all I'm sure that all unsold or not paid panels will be soon 
purchased from other members of the list, this is a fantastic group 
of people so things will go to the right direction in any case even 
if this unpleasant accident occured. 
Enrico

It's a shame that these kinds of things happen. And it seems unanimous that all are more than happy with the services provided by Stooge Heavy Ind. Seems it's a case of eyes bigger than the wallet, but as mentioned earlier, those panels should go fast.
I feel prepayment should continue, it's the only way Larry and Moe can assure their services will continue.

Gary 

>Prepayment has been our model all along, until this very last order. 
>We were unhappy with the long lead times necessary to collect all the 
>orders, then the money, then corral the metal, have it painted, 
>corral the printer, have them printed, etc.
>
>We did something different this time to try to keep the lead times 
>down. For the most part it has worked; with a few people it has not.
>
>I don't know how we will handle things next time, but I just want to 
>say that the vast majority of customers have been great to work with.
>
>Moe
>
>> >While it's nice to pay when your order is ready, there is no better
>> >commitment than to "pay up front". Helps a small biz no end.
>> 
>> I'd have to agree with that, and in fact, I hope that Larry and 
>Dave switch 
>> to that model so that they can keep going with the fine services 
>they provide.
>> 
>> -db-
>
>
>
> 
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 
>
>
>

----- Original Message -----
From: John Blacet <john@...>
OTOH, I'm still trying to find the guy that paid a $200 deposit for 4 TMs
(years ago) and vanished frorm the face of the earth.

I'm sure that must have been me John. <snicker>
Larry H.

I'd like to put this thread to bed with a couple of comments (in line).  I
didn't mean to drag into a big discussion.

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: mate_stubb <mate_stubb@...>
> Prepayment has been our model all along, until this very last order. We
were unhappy with the long lead times necessary to collect all the orders,
then the money, then corral the metal, have it painted, corral the printer,
have them printed, etc.

Yes, this has been necessary because of the amount of money involved.
Stooge panel orders this last time were nearly $10,000.  What we did this
time was estimate the number of panels and buy them and paint them before we
ever started taking orders.  That really peeled a lot of time off the order
process.  And, we had a time slot reserved with our printer.  The previous
time we delivered panel to him at the worst possible time.  I have learned.
:)

> I just want to say that the vast majority of customers have been great to
work with.

I have to second this.  We have the BEST customers that are patient, don't
complain, and send their money up front.  Sometimes people just get tied up
with other things in their life and synths have to take a back seat.  It is
truly the appreciation that everyone shows that keeps us going with Stooge
products.  Panels are kind of a pain because it takes so much time.  But, I
know how much I enjoy mine and I know others do too.

Since my last update, everyone has either paid or sent a note that the check
was in the mail.  Dave should have the last of the panels very soon.  Now,
to sharpen up all those drill bits.  :)

Larry