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Author Topic: Praise where praise is due....  (Read 2208 times)

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arty

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Praise where praise is due....
« on: August 27, 2014, 09:15:50 PM »

On my 65th Birthday, back in March of this year, I decided to mark my retirement age by spoiling myself with a Castagnari Tommy from The Music Room, Cleckheaton. Oh! how I loved it!!! But three months later, things started to sound wrong. The D row was fine, a lovely mellow tone but the G row began to sound coarse and got worse and worse until it sounded quite different in quality to the D row. In particular, a couple of notes sounded awful and really raspish.

Jon Loomes suggested I recorded the sound problem, which I did and sent to him. He agreed something was very wrong and arranged for a courier to collect the instrument from me in Jersey, to take back to the shop for repair. Then Jon left the company! And also, this coincided with the start of the folk festival season in the UK!

Enter Murray Grainger, who, despite travelling around the country to folk festivals, arranged for their tuner to take a look at the problem. Deciding that the tuning of the box was quite different to that which normally comes out of the Castagnari factory, (a bit of a mystery, Murray said) and knowing that The Music Room hadn't touched it, he told me that the Tommy had to be sent back to Italy in order to be sorted out and 'put in a proper condition'. But, Castagnari were closed through August for the holidays!

They didn't have another Tommy in stock, so couldn't replace it but were anxious to keep this customer happy. They offered me, either a Hascy or a Dony, which they did have, at a very good price. I chose the Hascy and it arrived today. It is very beautiful, rich sounding, warm and creamy and they changed it to the Anahata layout for me too. Well, I know that at this stage of my learning, (just over 2 years), I probably don't deserve such a class instrument but I will grow into it and I will do it justice as I am passionate about it and practice at least an hour and a half a day. 

I feel valued as a customer of The Music Room and can only sing their praises for the way they looked after me. Thank you Murray and everyone involved. Brilliant service and a perfect example of good, old fashioned customer care!

Thank you, I'm a very happy man  :D
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Suppards

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Re: Praise where praise is due....
« Reply #1 on: August 28, 2014, 05:30:53 AM »

What lovely feedback!   

Your experience mirrors my own of the melnet/box world in general so far (been playing for 7 months).   People seem so kind and keen to be helpful. It's such a lovely antidote to the cynicism and profiteering which seems so much the norm in certain areas of life - eg banking & energy - these days.

 
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Steve
North Yorkshire, UK

Theo

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Re: Praise where praise is due....
« Reply #2 on: August 28, 2014, 06:38:29 AM »

That is great service, thanks for sharing a good story.  And IMHO the Hascy is a much better sounding box than the Tommy, as long as you are happy with the slightly larger instrument.
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Theo Gibb - Gateshead UK

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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Praise where praise is due....
« Reply #3 on: August 28, 2014, 08:39:28 AM »

Yes, well done Music Room. That's what I call customer service.
I started on a Tommy and by chance a Hascy found me after about 2 years of playing. I love mine to bits, it's a glorious sound. Yes you'll grow into it and keep discovering things using the voice options on the right hand.
Just enjoy a beautiful box!
Q
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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!

Nick Collis Bird

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Re: Praise where praise is due....
« Reply #4 on: August 28, 2014, 10:12:29 AM »

Not as good as an Albrecht though Q ?  >:E
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arty

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Re: Praise where praise is due....
« Reply #5 on: August 28, 2014, 10:29:35 AM »

Not as good as an Albrecht though Q ?  >:E

Hahahaha!!! It's horses for courses Nick, mind you, your Albrecht does look very nice. Oh no....I don't want to start going MAD at my age!  :o
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John MacKenzie (Cugiok)

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Re: Praise where praise is due....
« Reply #6 on: August 28, 2014, 10:45:38 AM »

Just thinking about the Albrecht, and other boxes, like my Beltuna. I could almost want to buy them, for the wood alone. Some of them are so beautifully grained, and polished, they're a pleasure to look at. This thought occurred to me, when I saw the £6000 + Fisitalia PA, on the Black Diamond stand. All spotlit, and on a raised stand. It looked like a work of art.

John
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nigelr

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Re: Praise where praise is due....
« Reply #7 on: August 28, 2014, 10:51:06 AM »

Looking forward to your next TOTM posting, arty, as that sounds like a lovely box ... jealous!  :||: (:)
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Nick Collis Bird

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Re: Praise where praise is due....
« Reply #8 on: August 28, 2014, 11:09:25 AM »

Not as good as an Albrecht though Q ?  >:E

Hahahaha!!! It's horses for courses Nick, mind you, your Albrecht does look very nice. Oh no....I don't want to start going MAD at my age!  :o

You're absolutely right Arty.
Which makes me think Pikey's TOTM with your different instruments, sounds like a brill idea
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Praise where praise is due....
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2014, 12:58:18 PM »

I think John and myself must have been woodworm or some other wood loving thing in our past lives.
I can totally agree with the sentiment that I could buy one for the wood alone.
That's the thing about the Albrecht, wonderful inlaid woods and it oozes craftsmanship, and the exact opposite of somewhat crudely made other one rows. I have to confess though, I'm really a two row man Nick, just appreciate a wonderfully crafted box.
That Hascy takes some beating!
Q
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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!

Anahata

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Re: Praise where praise is due....
« Reply #10 on: August 28, 2014, 01:22:53 PM »

I'm waiting to Kay Albrecht to come up with a two-row now...
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Praise where praise is due....
« Reply #11 on: August 28, 2014, 02:28:38 PM »

Nick and I have already chatted about this and I think he might have emailed him and found out it was being considered.
Nick - is that right?
Q
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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!

Clive Williams

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Re: Praise where praise is due....
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2014, 02:37:52 PM »

Nick and I have already chatted about this and I think he might have emailed him and found out it was being considered.
Nick - is that right?
Q

More than that, according to Kay's site, there are 5 in development, one of which (a 4th button start D/G) is already spoken for. I wonder who that's for?  ;)

Cheers,

Clive
(PS, no, it's not me. I've got quite enough D/G boxes thank you...)

Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Praise where praise is due....
« Reply #13 on: August 28, 2014, 03:19:04 PM »

ooooerrr.... better take a look!
Q
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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!

Nick Collis Bird

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Re: Praise where praise is due....
« Reply #14 on: August 28, 2014, 03:40:22 PM »

Nick and I have already chatted about this and I think he might have emailed him and found out it was being considered.
Nick - is that right?
Q

Very much so Q. Kay emailed me to ask if I wanted one as he was about to start making a two row.
Sadly  I turned him down. It's been a dreadful year  health wise so far and I didn't want to commit myself......wish I had now. :-X
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Nick Collis Bird

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Re: Praise where praise is due....
« Reply #15 on: August 28, 2014, 03:42:11 PM »

Wasn't me either Clive, as the above post. :'(
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