I got my Strictly 7 Boden and....

[UnderTheSign]

It bloody well should, because the builder should be choosing optimum pieces of timber. Choosing quality wood is no different from choosing the rest of the components for a guitar. I wouldn't pay $3k for a guitar knowing that it was going to have a Chinese knockoff Floyd and No-Name pickups. What then makes low-quality wood anymore acceptable?

And the situation with S7G here shows that isn't always the case.
I never said "low quality" wood was acceptable and I don't think the defects shown here are acceptable either - I merely pointed out that production guitars don't mean you're getting low quality wood.
As for choosing optimum pieces of timer, sometimes you THINK you have a good piece only to later find out it wasn't properly dried, has defects, bullets, whatever in it. And while I think they're a bunch of idiots for doing so, I can understand S7G buying what seemed like a good batch of wood but turned out to not be as good as they thought - and being in the financial troubles and all that they're in, I can imaginee them saying "oh what the hell, we'll just use this".

 

[elq]

...I can imagine them saying "oh what the hell, we'll just use this".

I can imagine this too. If true, it suggests a future spiral of events that will not end well for S7.

 

[leonardo7]

I feel like a broken record to an extent and have pretty much said all that I need to say. I probably dont need to say anything more really, but I just wanted to clarify a few things to those who havent read this entire thread or to those following it, or to those asking me what bothers me more, the issue to begin with, or how it has been handled.

First off, I love how everything Jim said in the vid about me is stuff he has heard third party through Curran. Thats always fun!

The sad part is that all this "after the fact" stuff could have been avoided by not giving me the so called "fluff talk" or "spin job" for the first 15 minutes of the 20 minute phone call that I had with Curran. It was the manner in which he tried to convince me that the guitar is better the way it is as a B stock. That threw me into the territory of wanting to post the pics on here. I was already considering it given the B stock to begin with and not having the issue addressed through email. I understand that they are broke and its in their best interest to try and convince me that I should keep the guitar. I wasnt saying I shouldnt keep it, I was politely wanting to bring it to their attention that there are issues and that a new body would be appreciated. The response I received was the opposite of "Im so sorry, lets get this sorted out".

I dont think Curran had told Jim that I had mentioned over the phone that I was going to post pics onto the internet. His response was very close to "people can call us idiots, they can say we suck, we dont care. If you want to post pics then post pics. We ignore the internet stuff and will continue to build guitars. We dont care. If you want to do it then go ahead".

I also find it funny that apparently I told him that this was the best guitar I have ever played? Does he know that I have a Vik and KxK and used to own a Suhr and Jackson CS, or that I played an Ola built Strandberg at NAMM? I said that it played well and was awesome in playability. That was mostly referring to the endurneck and the design. Also, the fret dress is good, so it plays well.

I like the way Jim speaks, he is very thorough and easy to understand. He's very good with speech and seems to have excellent communication skills in the videos only. The supposed truths he talks about with what goes on with wood issues is appreciated. Most luthiers are not upfront and dont put onto the table the details of their setbacks like he does. But I also feel as though he uses it as a veil to what really goes on. We assume hes telling the truth because he is refreshingly so honest and upfront about his personal setbacks. I appreciate his attempts, but the third party insults and especially going back on his word of rebuilding me a guitar, then giving me 2 business days to overnight the guitar to him for a $150 cost and a 4 month time frame to refund me is really disappointing to hear. He should have continued with the notion of a body rebuild. Granted, Im not distraught over keeping this infamous Boden given thats my only option. But my dispute has been escalated as of today, so thats good.

I have no reason to not believe that he has lied about things.
-Upon final payment I am told it ships next week. That was a lie.
-Not before my final payment, but conveniently and well timed just following my final payment in April I am told in a You Tube video that my top has cracked and the guitar needs to be redone. I believe it to be a lie.
-Lets also note that according to Jim in the video, his wood isnt dry. Why did it crack then? IT DIDNT!
-I am then sent a B stock a week later. I am told that they prefer the guitar with the knot/holes. I believe that to be a lie.
-Jim says he never got my emails. Thats a lie.
-Jim says he hasn't looked at his emails in a week. I believe thats a lie.
-I was told I would get a rebuild, that was a lie.
-I am being told that I will be refunded in 4 months if I send the guitar back. I believe that is another lie. I believe he will string me along until I give up, or he is no longer legally bound.

I don't wish him any negativity, I hate to see someone fail like he has, but the lying and third party manner in which he has conducted himself is just insane! Most of all, sending me a guitar this way to begin with is really bad. No excuse whatsoever and totally unacceptable! Dont ask me for money when you know damn well that the guitar isnt ready. Dont send me a B stock.

 

[Bigfan]

-Upon final payment I am told it ships next week. That was a lie.
-Not before my final payment, but conveniently and well timed just following my final payment in April I am told in a You Tube video that my top has cracked and the guitar needs to be redone. I believe it to be a lie.

That's eerily close to what and how I was told. I was told 1 to 3 weeks in march when told to pay the final deposit.

 

[leonardo7]

This whole thing with video follow ups really is rather comical in nature.

That's eerily close to what and how I was told. I was told 1 to 3 weeks in march when told to pay the final deposit.

Did you get it yet? Are you the other guy who paid in full then had a "cracked top"?

 

[jleader]

Actually, I had been paid in full since like February on mine... Well ahead of my guitar's completion. I was told it would ship "next week" on March 27. It actually shipped April 29, so I figured I was one of those guys that had been paid in full with a cracked top because of the progress videos.

By the way, I'm on board with the idea that these guitars play great. The EndurNeck is awesome, and Ola's design just flat out works for me, the execution of those ideas is somewhat lacking... I'd be remiss if I didn't say there were workmanship/quality issues that I'm not entirely pleased with on mine, too. I think one is within reason to expect a certain amount of attention to detail at this price point. Am I going to push it any further than the brief exchange I had on Facebook with them? No... And after seeing those videos, there's no reason to push the issue, because it's obvious nothing good will come of it.

 

[Erockomania]

Ya, regarding not reading his emails for over a week... then how did he know the precise amount of emails in his inbox? He said I have 3500 emails... there were 3501.

 

[technomancer]

Ya, regarding not reading his emails for over a week... then how did he know the precise amount of emails in his inbox? He said I have 3500 emails... there were 3501.

In the hour long rant that he pulled he logged into his email and looked at the numbers Not defending Jim in any way, but I did see him do that before he mentioned any numbers.

 

[Bigfan]

This whole thing with video follow ups really is rather comical in nature.



Did you get it yet? Are you the other guy who paid in full then had a "cracked top"?

i'm probably the other guy, yeah. Can't help but wonder if ours were the two sent to Guitar Candy...

Ola seems to be taking care of business though. I've exchanged some emails with him and Paul and things are looking up.

 

[Erockomania]

In the hour long rant that he pulled he logged into his email and looked at the numbers Not defending Jim in any way, but I did see him do that before he mentioned any numbers.

ah! Then why did he say " I haven't logged into my email in so long I forgot the password"?

lol

 

[wespaul]

Did somebody save those videos? I watched 20 minutes of one at work and planned to watch the rest when I got home. I love meltdowns like this.

 

[Adrian-XI]

I paid in full on the 24th of April with the promise of that it would ship "next week" as well. The quilted maple topped Boden 7 body in one of their update vids is the one I paid for, so I assumed that yeah, it would only take a week. Feeling pretty stupid right now...

 

[ovation22]

So, is there a school or an online course where these guys learn the "will ship next week" line? Seems to be a common line.

 

[leonardo7]

Ya, regarding not reading his emails for over a week... then how did he know the precise amount of emails in his inbox? He said I have 3500 emails... there were 3501.

In the hour long rant that he pulled he logged into his email and looked at the numbers Not defending Jim in any way, but I did see him do that before he mentioned any numbers.

ah! Then why did he say " I haven't logged into my email in so long I forgot the password"?

lol

I think hes lying. I think the forgot password thing was all show. He could have everything forwarded to another email. He very well could have also clicked on "return to inbox" before he made the vid. When you do that they go back as unread emails in your inbox. There are many ways around that one. Also, how many of those emails were repeated emails from the same customers? Theres no way he got 3,500 emails from 3,500 different people

Also, did we see the dates? Those could be emails "sent to inbox" from the past three years

So, is there a school or an online course where these guys learn the "will ship next week" line? Seems to be a common line.

They do it on purpose. Main reason is they are broke and need money now. Also, paypal does not allow disputes after 45 days from paying. If he takes 30+ days to ship then 30+ days of the 45 have just been wasted in his favor. File a dispute if he doesn't ship after the one week and do not send payment unless the guitar is done and in box ready to go.

 

[Mayhew]

This kind of crap just breaks my heart you guys. I really feel for anyone who's been scumbagged on a custom guitar build. When you make the jump to a custom build (especially something as unique and special as Ola's design) you're hoping for everything you could dream of and not something you can just buy off the shelf. To see people that don't treat that responsibility with the respect and attention to detail it deserves is awful.

Music and guitars are either your life or your livelihood and to completely snowjob people like that is pretty low. Ola put his trust and reputation in S7 and they basically threw it under the bus. Screwing everyone who puts faith and money into your business is just unimagineable to me. If you are willing to take someone's hard earned money or reputation you should be willing to stand behind your work. I hope it all works out for everyone involved here and wish nothing but the best for Ola and AES.

 

[Blitzie]

Condolences to anyone who got shafted with a custom build.

People like us, on these forums, guitars and music are our lives. We live and breathe gear and music. If someone who you've given 2 or 3 months salary to has said "we will have your guitar done in 12-15 weeks" and on the 15th week tells you that it's going to be another 8-10 weeks for your guitar to be done, that is absolutely gutting. Then for them to simply stop answering emails, giving updates, picking up the phone...it's just criminal. Literally.

I understand that sometimes these things are just "estimates" but taking twice the time to get something done isn't acceptable. Neither is the amount of mistakes being made despite the doubled waiting time.

If I buy a pedal from someone on here and he ships it on a Wednesday from Idaho to where I live (Connecticut), I realize I won't have it until the next week and I'm immediately impatient and bummed out. I can't imagine building a guitar to my own specs, having my very own CUSTOM guitar built for ONLY ME, and having to wait twice as long to get it OR NOT EVER GET IT AT ALL. Even thinking about it depresses me, honestly.

It's heartbreaking. If I were the OP or anyone who is expecting a guitar, a rebuild, a 2nd rebuild, a 3rd rebuild, I would have this dude it court so fast his head would spin. That goes for S7 or BRJ.

/rant

 

[ramses]

... sigh ...

 

[RagtimeDandy]

The part of the video that actually made me the angriest was when he was talking about the guy who wanted a .172 or something close on his bass and Jim in all his divine knowledge of guitars said nope, you get a .142~. At that point I literally wanted to reach into the video and slap him saying "YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH, THIS IS WHY EVERYTHING IS FALLING APART!" He puts his own desires or interests over that of the people PAYING HIM to make what they presumed they will get. Instead they get "artsy wormholes" and total disregard of special requests that were agreed upon. It's like going into a restaurant, ordering a steak medium-rare, having it all agreed upon, then the chef decides nahhhh, you get well-done. He then tells a random third party to relay the message to you (Youtube), and you may not even find out about it! And THEN, to boot the chef gets angry when you send it back wondering why in the hell you got a well-done steak. How absolutely incompetent can you be in regards to customer service and satisfaction?!

"I made an executive decision..." Go .... yourself. If I was that guy I would be angry just out of the sheer principle of it. You don't make promises to people and then decide on your own personal preference to override the preference of the paying customer.

This is why Strictly Seven will fail.

 

[firegarden]

Oh no...I really don't know what to do now. I am one of the 2 who paid in full and looking at all that has come to pass these last few days, I am really worried. There has been no formal message stating what my choices are now, and the video which he gave us the choice to make the decision to send it to Washburn/Ola has been made private.

I was really hoping to get the Boden 7 by June as I am moving to another country for 3 months. Can we get an official word from S7G or Ola on what the next course of action is and the new ETA after the decision has been made? so dissappointing...

 

[Erockomania]

The part of the video that actually made me the angriest was when he was talking about the guy who wanted a .172 or something close on his bass and Jim in all his divine knowledge of guitars said nope, you get a .142~. At that point I literally wanted to reach into the video and slap him saying "YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH, THIS IS WHY EVERYTHING IS FALLING APART!" He puts his own desires or interests over that of the people PAYING HIM to make what they presumed they will get. Instead they get "artsy wormholes" and total disregard of special requests that were agreed upon. It's like going into a restaurant, ordering a steak medium-rare, having it all agreed upon, then the chef decides nahhhh, you get well-done. He then tells a random third party to relay the message to you (Youtube), and you may not even find out about it! And THEN, to boot the chef gets angry when you send it back wondering why in the hell you got a well-done steak. How absolutely incompetent can you be in regards to customer service and satisfaction?!

"I made an executive decision..." Go .... yourself. If I was that guy I would be angry just out of the sheer principle of it. You don't make promises to people and then decide on your own personal preference to override the preference of the paying customer.

This is why Strictly Seven will fail.

Pretty sure it's because he didn't have a 172 on hand and didn't feel like ordering it, so in all his narcissistic glory, he thought he could just say "I know what's best for you" and get away with it.