Hi David - thanks again for your very kind and generous offer to try the mixer.  I will certainly take you up on it if I'm up that way.  I'm a bit surprised that you are using any mixer in conjunction with the Bose L1 system based on what I've read pertaining to the design concept and how it physically functions.

I will indeed give that reference material you provided about China and their method of purposeful decline in production quality.  That isn't at the heart of my particular question or results from the gear I own and use from L6 & other brands.  The biggest problem for me with this "blacklisting" or any other term you want for the simple fact I have to agree in writing that if I buy ANYTHING at this point I am EXCLUDED from the very public statement assuring customers of satisfaction guarantee by way of the return policies each retailer has ranging anywhere from 30 days like Sweetwater up to 60 days at SameDayMusic.

Why all these stores?  Why now after all these years?  The only thing I can think of that is common to all are my ratio of keep vs. return, and I had put in a pre-order purchase request for the StageScape M20d Mixer with each of these retailers back about two weeks after the unveiling at NAMM.  AMS was the first to tell me that if I really did want this mixer, I could NOT return it for any reason other than DOA or defective.  Then within less than two weeks, all had either called or written me this very same message.  I said the same to them all...

"How can anyone know if any PA gear is the best choice for them until they actually try it in their real world situations.  I sure as heck can't bring my band into any retail store with all our live gear, set up, mic-up, and play a few songs at performance volume to see if the M20d mixer I'm interested in will work as I want or expect.  How can anyone discover this simple answer without buying the unit, using it for less than 30 days and return it if it doesn't work as someone needs or wants for $2,500.00?"

None of the items I've ever returned took longer than 48 hours to make a decision if I liked them or felt the gear was as described, demoed, etc., and will work for me.  All that extra time is great, but these retailers are claiming my purchases and returns of perfectly working products are costing them too much money between the free basic shipping they all offer, plus the lower sales price they have to give as the item is no longer officially "new".  I think its a bunch of BS, because I can prove my kept purchases FAR exceed any negative cash flow any of these retailers might claim.  Now my resolution is to NOT buy ANYTHING from ANY of these companies.  Perhaps this will make them happy, but now they'll have to find someone else who spends the tens of thousands of dollars on gear every few years like I've been doing since I moved to Florida in 2001. 

And your first remark about Line 6 offering me a job.  You have no idea just how funny that remark truly is!!  If ya want the scoop on L6 & myself working together on a paid basis, PM me and I'll fill ya in.  I doubt you'll believe the facts, but then again perhaps you might?

Thanks again and take care,

Neal

dlacagnina wrote:

 

Right on, right on.  Yeah, I saw your profile pics.  Line 6 should probably offer you a job! 

 

As you undoubtedly know, all this gear is made in China nowadays and quality fade is a never-ending issue over there.  It's actually intentional, as it is the Chinese way, no disrespect meant, just a cultural norm.  Great book on that subject here:  http://amzn.com/0470405589  Suffice it to say, Line 6 is hardly the first and certainly not the last vendor to deal with such issues.  I've had the pleasure of playing the China game for the past 10 years at various employers with contract manufacturing in China.  The fun never ends!  But yeah, bizarre to think that you may have been somehow blacklisted at various online retailers!

 

Anyway, if you're going to be up in the GNV area, feel free to give me a call (PM me and I'll shoot you my number).  Bring whatever gear you like.  Right now, we'll just be plugging the M20d into our Bose L1 system for PA, but our budget request for next year includes new PA/monitor equipment, and we'll be carefully considering the StageSource gear.  The building is virtually unused during most days and some evenings, so you could go nuts and not really bother anyone.