Epi Pro Bird5 er on Ebay

Dave W · August 03, 2009, 03:52:52 PM

Not a rat, it's a Filigreed Siberian Hamster.

And while we're at it...

Highlander · August 03, 2009, 04:00:59 PM

I think I'll not pass that one on to my daughter...!

EvilLordJuju · August 07, 2009, 05:40:14 AM

So are any epi pro birds in Europe at all?

The company I ordered from gave me this update today

"I'm really sorry but we are still waiting for our supply of Thunderbirds to arrive from Gibson and Epiphone. Their situation doesn't seem to have got any better over the past 6 months and they still do not have a customer service number or (as Chris has tried on many an occasion) any form of email support available"

Dave W · August 07, 2009, 08:51:20 AM

That's ridiculous. Production delays and distribution delays happen, but no customer service support by phone or email for a retailer? That's hard to believe. I wouldn't condemn Gibson without hearing their side, but is business so good that they don't care?

uwe · August 07, 2009, 09:49:56 AM

I don't understand the question. I played a Pro V last Saturday in my shop near Frankfurt which still is Germany. And Germany is still Europe, at least that is the common view. I know that the UK has general aspirations not to see itself as part of Europe, but Germany?

And Gibson does not have a service number or email address for Europe? Except the one that is named on their site of course and generally speedy if not always in depth in their replies. I'm sure that in the Gibson world

OldManC · August 07, 2009, 10:06:49 AM

Postus interruptus?

angrymatt · August 07, 2009, 10:45:13 AM

Quote from: OldManC on August 07, 2009, 10:06:49 AM
Postus interruptus?

When i first glanced at this I thought you said potus interruptus, and that was both confusing and hilarious at the same time.

uwe · August 07, 2009, 10:55:32 AM

Yes!!! Endurance at my age is fleeting ...

Here we go again:

I don't understand the question. I played a Pro V last Saturday in my shop near Frankfurt which still is Germany. And Germany is still Europe, at least that is the common view. I know that the UK has general aspirations not to see itself as part of Europe, but Germany?

And Gibson does not have a service number or email address for Europe? Except the one that is named on their site of course and is generally speedy if not always in depth in its replies.

From: Stijn Vergeest [mailto:Stijn.Vergeest@gibson.com] On Behalf Of Service Europe
Sent: Dienstag, 4. August 2009 10:49
To: Hornung, Uwe (Litigation-FRA)
Subject: RE: Epiphone Thunderbird Pro V Issues

Hi Uwe,

Thanks for your comments.

I have forwarded your email to the quality control department, so I'll let you know as soon as I have received more information.

Kind regards,

Stijn Vergeest
Gibson Europe Customer Service
00800-4GIBSON1
00800-44427661
www.gibson.com
service.europe@gibson.com

For schematics, repair tips, FAQs and more, please visit the Gibson Customer Service website at http://www.gibson.com/Service/
For 24/7 Customer Service, call us at 00800-4GIBSON1 (00800-44427661). You can also email us anytime at service.europe@gibson.com
To locate a Gibson Dealer in your area, please visit http://www2.gibson.com/Support/Dealers/Europe.aspx

***CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This communication is considered a private and proprietary exchange between Gibson Musical Instruments and its customers, and is intended for the eyes of the original recipient(s) only. This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. ***

From: Uwe.Hornung@CliffordChance.com [mailto:Uwe.Hornung@CliffordChance.com]
Sent: Monday, August 03, 2009 1:03 PM
To: Service Europe
Subject: RE: Epiphone Thunderbird Pro V Issues

Dear Stijn,

I tried one of the new Epi Pro V TBirds at my shop last Saturday and unfortunately found confirmed what I had already read in the internet on various bass and Epi sites before: There is a technical problem with the transmission of the B string signal which apparently applies to all Pro Vs currently on the market. The B string signal is very weak, almost out-of-phase in character and it even drops out at times while the other four strings work well. Is this something Epiphone is officially aware of and working on to resolve? As the B string sounds fine unplugged, it has to be down to either the magnetic field of the pickup or the preamp's ability to handle real low frequencies.

I was impressed with the Pro Vs quality and feel otherwise, so it was regrettable I had to leave it at the shop due to the B string malfunction.

Kind regards

Uwe

I'm sure that in the Gibson world the UK is regarded as at least a lesser member of Europe or at the very least an island close by (like, say, Iceland or Greenland) that can be served from Europe for convenience reasons.

To sum it up: Jules, if only you had let us conquer you in 1940 as intended, you too would profit from an ordentliches distribution and SService SSystem today!

EvilLordJuju · August 10, 2009, 10:41:57 AM

I ordered (and paid) for mine in February. I should have mine now, seeing as they are on ebay and in your local shop. You'd think the first ones ordered would be the first delivered. $:-\$

If going back in time and altering the course of world war two was a sure way to get my bass, i'd give it a try...

Of course, in altering the fabric of time, you run the risk of returing to find the bass is now a bolt-on. Or made of pine or something.

uwe · August 10, 2009, 05:25:55 PM

Alter history, and that Epiphone would have splinter Luftwaffe camouflage fin.

Dave W · August 10, 2009, 09:53:50 PM

Jules, something tells me that your local retailer isn't giving you the whole story. Like, maybe they didn't actually order it, or they're not current on their accounts with Gibson or a separate importer.

uwe · August 11, 2009, 02:55:53 AM

My GAS is now being handled by a shop in a suburbia town at the outskirts of Frankfurt. They are not even really a bass shop, yes they have a wealth of custom shop LPs (very much a Gibson shop as opposed to a Fender one), but hardly any basses (but among those few at least a Gibson TBird). But the owner, Detlef, is on a personal quest to get everything I want as quickly as possible (and often ahead of much bigger shops). And if that means disturbing his LA holiday to have a chat with a Gibby sales rep to make sure that the first Ripper II to hit German shores goes to me, he'll do just that. And he is also the only guitar shop owner that has ever given a bass to me for free because he thought it would make sense in my collection: an Epi Ripper prototype plus huge prototype case for it. Customer satisfaction, that is me! : - )

ramone57 · August 11, 2009, 07:36:20 PM

you live a charmed life, uwe!

Dave W · August 11, 2009, 10:52:32 PM

That's good, but you don't have to have a big collection to develop a good relationship with an independent store.

uwe · August 12, 2009, 04:43:39 PM

Stijn from Gibson Customer Service Europe sent me this:

"From: Stijn Vergeest [mailto:Stijn.Vergeest@gibson.com]
Sent: Mittwoch, 12. August 2009 19:27
To: Hornung, Uwe (Litigation-FRA)
Subject: RE: Epiphone Thunderbird Pro V Issues

Hi Mister Hornung,

Thanks for the reply.

There appears to be an issue with the pickups of a batch of this guitar model.

Could you please send me a copy of the proof of purchase and the serial number of the guitar?
I'll place a warranty request in the US for new pickups straight away.

Kind regards,

Stijn"

Ok, he has forgotten that I didn't buy it and left it at the shop, but still, I honor the effort. Things can go wrong and the proverbial things happen. If this is how Epi deals with it than I'm ok with it. I've passed the email on to my shop, I guess they will know how to handle this with the distributor.