most reliable pro audio shops?

[Doctor Phibes]

I'm interested in purchasing a Manley product, I'd say or two but well
the ink isn't dry yet ;-). Any way I'm in MA there is the factor of
state taxes but making a purchase in person is more comforting. I'd go
with an out of state if their reputation was outstanding. I mean I've
noticed quite a few online storefronts. My question is do they even
have the stock there? I trust it's not located in their rack lol I'd
hope in a factory sealed box as well. So what's out there? I know
there are quite a few dealer/studio owners here. There is one local
I've seen carrying Manley gear, Pro Audio design? Anyone familar with
them? I know nothing about them save for they're a few towns over.
thanks,
William

[Artie Turner]

Doctor Phibes wrote:
> I'm interested in purchasing a Manley product, I'd say or two but well
> the ink isn't dry yet ;-). Any way I'm in MA there is the factor of
> state taxes but making a purchase in person is more comforting. I'd go
> with an out of state if their reputation was outstanding.

My personal favorite: http://studiotechsupply.com/ Great people, great
service.

Artie

I mean I've
> noticed quite a few online storefronts. My question is do they even
> have the stock there? I trust it's not located in their rack lol I'd
> hope in a factory sealed box as well. So what's out there? I know
> there are quite a few dealer/studio owners here. There is one local
> I've seen carrying Manley gear, Pro Audio design? Anyone familar with
> them? I know nothing about them save for they're a few towns over.
> thanks,
> William

[T.D.]

Best Prices I've ever been quoted (albeit no frills) are with B and H in
NYC. They deliver UPS- I have bought cameras and a pair of monitors from
them:

wwwbandhphotovideo.com



"Artie Turner" > wrote in message
.com...
> Doctor Phibes wrote:
> > I'm interested in purchasing a Manley product, I'd say or two but well
> > the ink isn't dry yet ;-). Any way I'm in MA there is the factor of
> > state taxes but making a purchase in person is more comforting. I'd go
> > with an out of state if their reputation was outstanding.
>
> My personal favorite: http://studiotechsupply.com/ Great people, great
> service.
>
> Artie
>
> I mean I've
> > noticed quite a few online storefronts. My question is do they even
> > have the stock there? I trust it's not located in their rack lol I'd
> > hope in a factory sealed box as well. So what's out there? I know
> > there are quite a few dealer/studio owners here. There is one local
> > I've seen carrying Manley gear, Pro Audio design? Anyone familar with
> > them? I know nothing about them save for they're a few towns over.
> > thanks,
> > William
>




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[John L Rice]

"Doctor Phibes" > wrote in message
m...
> I'm interested in purchasing a Manley product, I'd say or two but well
> the ink isn't dry yet ;-). Any way I'm in MA there is the factor of
> state taxes but making a purchase in person is more comforting. I'd go
> with an out of state if their reputation was outstanding. I mean I've
> noticed quite a few online storefronts. My question is do they even
> have the stock there? I trust it's not located in their rack lol I'd
> hope in a factory sealed box as well. So what's out there? I know
> there are quite a few dealer/studio owners here. There is one local
> I've seen carrying Manley gear, Pro Audio design? Anyone familar with
> them? I know nothing about them save for they're a few towns over.
> thanks,
> William

William,

You will probably be flooded with people telling you to go with Mercenary
Audio ( http://www.mercenary.com/ ) and they are definitely correct in my
opinion. I've never dealt with a finer retailer, pro audio or not. I don't
think their web site shows what's in stock or not but give them a call and
they will give you straight answers and no BS. I think they carry a fair
amount of inventory but if it's not in stock they'll tell you when it will
be or get it drop shipped to you.

I had an item go slightly defective once that I had bought from them. I
called them up and I was beyond completely satisfied with the way it was
handled. With five minutes or so they had checked stock, found out that they
didn't have any, called the manufacturer who did have them in stock, and had
one drop shipped to me. ( at no charge and it was sent pretty fast too, 1 to
3 days but I've forgotten now ). The person I talked to also told me to
hang onto the bad one until the new one arrived. Then, once the new unit
checked out OK, just give them a call and they would issue a 'call tag' for
the defective unit so it would be returned at zero cost to me and pretty
much zero hassle. And the whole time she was pleasant, professional and
seemed genuinely concerned for any inconvenience I might of had to deal
with.

They are top notch all the way. Check out their policies etc :
http://www.mercenary.com/policies.html

And don't let the 'attitude' of the web site put you off at all. ( I think
it's refreshing myself ) I know some people have been taken aback a little
at first by the up front style of the site but rest assured you will be
treated in the most professional manner.

And they are at least in the same state as you :
Phone: (508)543-0069
Fax: (508)543-9670
Mail: 131 Morse St., Foxboro, MA 02035

Best of luck!

John L Rice


PS - I don't work at Mercenary Audio and I'm not trying to sleep with anyone
who works there, I'm just a very satisfied customer!

[Rob Adelman]

T.D. wrote:
> Best Prices I've ever been quoted (albeit no frills) are with B and H in
> NYC. They deliver UPS- I have bought cameras and a pair of monitors from
> them:
>
> wwwbandhphotovideo.com


What's with all the junk mail though? I bought something from them a
while back and today I received this "catalog" of video gear that I have
no interest in. I mean this thing is huge, like a phone book!
I called them today to get off the mailing list, explaining what a waste
of paper it is, and get tossed through phone menus, from person to
person, and finally the last person tells me I have to e-mail to get off
the mailing list as that is a separate location. What is up with that??

[George]

In article >,
Rob Adelman > wrote:

> T.D. wrote:
> > Best Prices I've ever been quoted (albeit no frills) are with B and H in
> > NYC. They deliver UPS- I have bought cameras and a pair of monitors from
> > them:
> >
> > wwwbandhphotovideo.com
>
>
> What's with all the junk mail though? I bought something from them a
> while back and today I received this "catalog" of video gear that I have
> no interest in. I mean this thing is huge, like a phone book!
> I called them today to get off the mailing list, explaining what a waste
> of paper it is, and get tossed through phone menus, from person to
> person, and finally the last person tells me I have to e-mail to get off
> the mailing list as that is a separate location. What is up with that??
>

they want to harvest your email addy to send a tusnami of junk email to
you
George

[Rob Adelman]

George wrote:

> they want to harvest your email addy to send a tusnami of junk email to
> you
> George

D'oh! I didn't even think of that. Grrr...

[N2N Productions]

Hi All,

www.N2NProductions.com if they don't have it they can get it and at the
absolute best prices too. Contact me personally about the Manley gear you
desire and I can help you out.

Sam Langley
N2N Productions.com
www.N2NProductions.com

"Rob Adelman" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> George wrote:
>
> > they want to harvest your email addy to send a tusnami of junk email to
> > you
> > George
>
> D'oh! I didn't even think of that. Grrr...
>

[Chris Seifert]

The last 2 consulting clients of mine that I referred to Mercenary to
purchase their items were dealt with very,very badly. Badly enouhg
that I no longer recomend them but I still value Fletchers comments.
Mercenary has a dedicated legion of online fans unfortunately they
really blew it with my last few referrals so I'd recommend the other
suggestions in this thread.

Chris
wavetrap


"John L Rice" > wrote in message >...
> "Doctor Phibes" > wrote in message
> m...
> > I'm interested in purchasing a Manley product, I'd say or two but well
> > the ink isn't dry yet ;-). Any way I'm in MA there is the factor of
> > state taxes but making a purchase in person is more comforting. I'd go
> > with an out of state if their reputation was outstanding. I mean I've
> > noticed quite a few online storefronts. My question is do they even
> > have the stock there? I trust it's not located in their rack lol I'd
> > hope in a factory sealed box as well. So what's out there? I know
> > there are quite a few dealer/studio owners here. There is one local
> > I've seen carrying Manley gear, Pro Audio design? Anyone familar with
> > them? I know nothing about them save for they're a few towns over.
> > thanks,
> > William
>
> William,
>
> You will probably be flooded with people telling you to go with Mercenary
> Audio ( http://www.mercenary.com/ ) and they are definitely correct in my
> opinion. I've never dealt with a finer retailer, pro audio or not. I don't
> think their web site shows what's in stock or not but give them a call and
> they will give you straight answers and no BS. I think they carry a fair
> amount of inventory but if it's not in stock they'll tell you when it will
> be or get it drop shipped to you.
>
> I had an item go slightly defective once that I had bought from them. I
> called them up and I was beyond completely satisfied with the way it was
> handled. With five minutes or so they had checked stock, found out that they
> didn't have any, called the manufacturer who did have them in stock, and had
> one drop shipped to me. ( at no charge and it was sent pretty fast too, 1 to
> 3 days but I've forgotten now ). The person I talked to also told me to
> hang onto the bad one until the new one arrived. Then, once the new unit
> checked out OK, just give them a call and they would issue a 'call tag' for
> the defective unit so it would be returned at zero cost to me and pretty
> much zero hassle. And the whole time she was pleasant, professional and
> seemed genuinely concerned for any inconvenience I might of had to deal
> with.
>
> They are top notch all the way. Check out their policies etc :
> http://www.mercenary.com/policies.html
>
> And don't let the 'attitude' of the web site put you off at all. ( I think
> it's refreshing myself ) I know some people have been taken aback a little
> at first by the up front style of the site but rest assured you will be
> treated in the most professional manner.
>
> And they are at least in the same state as you :
> Phone: (508)543-0069
> Fax: (508)543-9670
> Mail: 131 Morse St., Foxboro, MA 02035
>
> Best of luck!
>
> John L Rice
>
>
> PS - I don't work at Mercenary Audio and I'm not trying to sleep with anyone
> who works there, I'm just a very satisfied customer!

[Analogeezer]

Rob Adelman > wrote in message >...
> T.D. wrote:
> > Best Prices I've ever been quoted (albeit no frills) are with B and H in
> > NYC. They deliver UPS- I have bought cameras and a pair of monitors from
> > them:
> >
> > wwwbandhphotovideo.com
>
>
> What's with all the junk mail though? I bought something from them a
> while back and today I received this "catalog" of video gear that I have
> no interest in. I mean this thing is huge, like a phone book!
> I called them today to get off the mailing list, explaining what a waste
> of paper it is, and get tossed through phone menus, from person to
> person, and finally the last person tells me I have to e-mail to get off
> the mailing list as that is a separate location. What is up with that??


I have never bought anything from them, nor even called or emailed
them..I've never gotten their catalog, yet I got TWO of those phone
book things (one sort of audio, one sort of musical gear).

My keyboard player got two of them as well...he gets fewer mags (only
Keyboard) than me and has never called/bought from/emailed from them
either.

I'm betting they bought a subsriber list from Miller-Freeman
publications.

Analogeezer

[Mike Rivers]

In article > writes:

> noticed quite a few online storefronts. My question is do they even
> have the stock there?

Some do and some don't. If you want a demo on site, you need to go to
a full service dealer. If you want to try it in your studio, most
on-line dealers offer a reasonable return policy.

> There is one local
> I've seen carrying Manley gear, Pro Audio design? Anyone familar with
> them? I know nothing about them save for they're a few towns over.

So? Get in your car and drive over. Might be a good idea to call them
first and see if you can come in. Mercnary is another in your
neighborhood, and they make a point that their web site IS their
store. They try out gear that the sell when working in local studios.
I don't know if they have a warehouse full of boxes to ship out or if
when they take your order, they have it drop-shipped from direct from
the manufacturer. Probably some of each, depending on the product.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

[John L Rice]

Hi Chris,

I'm sorry to hear that. If you care to elaborate I'd be interested in
knowing what went down ( private email is fine ). I haven't purchased
anything from Mercenary in over a year so maybe I missed something negative
going on.

John L Rice


"Chris Seifert" > wrote in message
om...
> The last 2 consulting clients of mine that I referred to Mercenary to
> purchase their items were dealt with very,very badly. Badly enouhg
> that I no longer recomend them but I still value Fletchers comments.
> Mercenary has a dedicated legion of online fans unfortunately they
> really blew it with my last few referrals so I'd recommend the other
> suggestions in this thread.
>
> Chris
> wavetrap
>
>
> "John L Rice" > wrote in message
>...
> > "Doctor Phibes" > wrote in message
> > m...
> > > I'm interested in purchasing a Manley product, I'd say or two but well
> > > the ink isn't dry yet ;-). Any way I'm in MA there is the factor of
> > > state taxes but making a purchase in person is more comforting. I'd go
> > > with an out of state if their reputation was outstanding. I mean I've
> > > noticed quite a few online storefronts. My question is do they even
> > > have the stock there? I trust it's not located in their rack lol I'd
> > > hope in a factory sealed box as well. So what's out there? I know
> > > there are quite a few dealer/studio owners here. There is one local
> > > I've seen carrying Manley gear, Pro Audio design? Anyone familar with
> > > them? I know nothing about them save for they're a few towns over.
> > > thanks,
> > > William
> >
> > William,
> >
> > You will probably be flooded with people telling you to go with
Mercenary
> > Audio ( http://www.mercenary.com/ ) and they are definitely correct in
my
> > opinion. I've never dealt with a finer retailer, pro audio or not. I
don't
> > think their web site shows what's in stock or not but give them a call
and
> > they will give you straight answers and no BS. I think they carry a
fair
> > amount of inventory but if it's not in stock they'll tell you when it
will
> > be or get it drop shipped to you.
> >
> > I had an item go slightly defective once that I had bought from them. I
> > called them up and I was beyond completely satisfied with the way it was
> > handled. With five minutes or so they had checked stock, found out that
they
> > didn't have any, called the manufacturer who did have them in stock, and
had
> > one drop shipped to me. ( at no charge and it was sent pretty fast too,
1 to
> > 3 days but I've forgotten now ). The person I talked to also told me to
> > hang onto the bad one until the new one arrived. Then, once the new unit
> > checked out OK, just give them a call and they would issue a 'call tag'
for
> > the defective unit so it would be returned at zero cost to me and pretty
> > much zero hassle. And the whole time she was pleasant, professional and
> > seemed genuinely concerned for any inconvenience I might of had to deal
> > with.
> >
> > They are top notch all the way. Check out their policies etc :
> > http://www.mercenary.com/policies.html
> >
> > And don't let the 'attitude' of the web site put you off at all. ( I
think
> > it's refreshing myself ) I know some people have been taken aback a
little
> > at first by the up front style of the site but rest assured you will be
> > treated in the most professional manner.
> >
> > And they are at least in the same state as you :
> > Phone: (508)543-0069
> > Fax: (508)543-9670
> > Mail: 131 Morse St., Foxboro, MA 02035
> >
> > Best of luck!
> >
> > John L Rice
> >
> >
> > PS - I don't work at Mercenary Audio and I'm not trying to sleep with
anyone
> > who works there, I'm just a very satisfied customer!

[Bob Smith]

Doctor Phibes wrote:
>
> I'm interested in purchasing a Manley product, I'd say or two but well
> the ink isn't dry yet ;-). Any way I'm in MA there is the factor of
> state taxes but making a purchase in person is more comforting. I'd go

Mercenary Audio is in Foxboro, so you could still purchase in person if
you want. Some folks may not have the best experience with Fletcher if
they nickle & dime and then whine on prices. In my experiences over many
years, I could squeeze the last penny out of a purchase by going
somewhere else. It would be a false economy. By paying the modest extra
amount, if any, I get the class of service rarely found in any type of
business anywhere. Most companies talk about "world class" service.
Mercenary delivers. When acquiring big ticket, high end items, I have
confidence that I will be taken care of should a problem arise. On one
occasion I did have a problem which involved swapping out a unit twice.
The third is still running fine in the studio after several years of
operation.

bobs

Bob Smith
BS Studios
we organize chaos
http://www.bsstudios.com

[White Swan]

I've bought a few things from Pro Audio Design and I was very happy
with the service, support, advice and pricing. If you're just a few
towns over, and you plan on buying much gear, it would certainly be
worth your while to develop a relationship. Any dealer will go out of
their way to give extra consideration on service and pricing if you
develop a personal relationship with them, and you're just not an
anonymous internet sales.

Boston is very fortunate to have a number of dealers, all excellent,
competing for you as a client. Parsons Audio (Wellesley), Pro Audio
Design, Mercenary, and even PK at the "secret" high end Guitar Center
annex in Brighton (where you'll find stuff no other Guitar Center in
the world has).

Where the competetive model breaks down is that certain lines have
exclusive dealerships in each locale, so that you can only buy them
from one dealer if you want to stay local.

[David Nobel]

> You will probably be flooded with people telling you to go with Mercenary
> Audio ( http://www.mercenary.com/ ) and they are definitely correct in my
> opinion. I've never dealt with a finer retailer, pro audio or not.
Amen!

For me, this has largely been a function of the breadth and depth of
Fletcher's/Samara's/Jay's informed advice, the superlative personal
service, and the fact that they carry nothing that they don't use and
believe in. In some cases I could buy the same item for less
elsewhere, but not by that much, and I frankly don't care to. The
lines of gear they carry are all quality stuff for knowledgeable pros
and for people ready to move beyond the overhyped, mass-market paths
of least resistance. I feel zero pressure to buy anything, not to
speak of anything in particular. I sense no advice given for any
reason other than to best suit my needs--never to sell me something
more expensive when a cheaper solution is more or equally effective.

> PS - I don't work at Mercenary Audio and I'm not trying to sleep with anyone
> who works there, I'm just a very satisfied customer!
Ditto!

-- David

[David Nobel]

(Chris Seifert) wrote in message >...
> The last 2 consulting clients of mine that I referred to Mercenary to
> purchase their items were dealt with very,very badly. Badly enouhg
> that I no longer recomend them but I still value Fletchers comments.
> Mercenary has a dedicated legion of online fans unfortunately they
> really blew it with my last few referrals so I'd recommend the other
> suggestions in this thread.
>
> Chris
> wavetrap
>
Based on my experience, I really find it hard to believe that 1)
Mercenary would intentionally treat any customer badly, not ot speak
of "very, very badly" and 2) that they would not go into absolute
contortions to resolve any complaint brought to their attention. VERY
hard to believe. Negative posts like this can be powerfully damaging
to an online business, so the utmost care and responsibility should be
exercised before leaving them. You gave no indications of the nature
of the problems, never mind details. You did not indicate if or how
you or your clients had attempted to resolve these issues. And you
thus leave no opportunity for Fletcher and Mercenary to defend
themselves, or even properly begin to address your accusations.
Whether your complaints are valid or not, you have just laid a big
cyber-turd and now leave it to others to try to drag the relevant
details out of you after the damage has already been done.

-- David

[Erik Stromstad]

Regardless of what happened, and I have no idea what did happen, I will
vouch for Fletcher and all of the Mercenary staff, I have always been
treated great.

They sell audio gear the way it should be sold.

Erik Stromstad
Tallguy Recording
Duluth, MN


David Nobel wrote:

> (Chris Seifert) wrote in message >...
>
>>The last 2 consulting clients of mine that I referred to Mercenary to
>>purchase their items were dealt with very,very badly. Badly enouhg
>>that I no longer recomend them but I still value Fletchers comments.
>>Mercenary has a dedicated legion of online fans unfortunately they
>>really blew it with my last few referrals so I'd recommend the other
>>suggestions in this thread.
>>
>>Chris
>>wavetrap
>>
>>
> Based on my experience, I really find it hard to believe that 1)
> Mercenary would intentionally treat any customer badly, not ot speak
> of "very, very badly" and 2) that they would not go into absolute
> contortions to resolve any complaint brought to their attention. VERY
> hard to believe. Negative posts like this can be powerfully damaging
> to an online business, so the utmost care and responsibility should be
> exercised before leaving them. You gave no indications of the nature
> of the problems, never mind details. You did not indicate if or how
> you or your clients had attempted to resolve these issues. And you
> thus leave no opportunity for Fletcher and Mercenary to defend
> themselves, or even properly begin to address your accusations.
> Whether your complaints are valid or not, you have just laid a big
> cyber-turd and now leave it to others to try to drag the relevant
> details out of you after the damage has already been done.
>
> -- David
>

[Brian Takei]

David Nobel )
in article > wrote:
>
> Based on my experience, I really find it hard to believe that 1)
> Mercenary would intentionally treat any customer badly, not ot speak
> of "very, very badly" and 2) that they would not go into absolute
> contortions to resolve any complaint brought to their attention. VERY
> hard to believe.

Same here. Given no details, I'd speculate that these were likely
examples of 'the customer is _not_ always right', and things escalated.
Misguided attempts to negotiate price, or Burger King expectations come
to mind as possiblities.

- Brian

[David Nobel]

"John L Rice" > wrote in message >...
> Hi Chris,
>
> I'm sorry to hear that. If you care to elaborate I'd be interested in
> knowing what went down ( private email is fine ). I haven't purchased
> anything from Mercenary in over a year so maybe I missed something negative
> going on.
>
John,

I have made two significant, multi-item purchases from Mercenary
within the last month. Nothing in my recent experience differed from
the unrivaled service and support you described in your initial post.

-- David

[Doctor Phibes]

"John L Rice" > wrote in message >...
> "Doctor Phibes" > wrote in message
> m...
> > I'm interested in purchasing a Manley product, I'd say or two but well
> > the ink isn't dry yet ;-). Any way I'm in MA there is the factor of
> > state taxes but making a purchase in person is more comforting. I'd go
> > with an out of state if their reputation was outstanding. I mean I've
> > noticed quite a few online storefronts. My question is do they even
> > have the stock there? I trust it's not located in their rack lol I'd
> > hope in a factory sealed box as well. So what's out there? I know
> > there are quite a few dealer/studio owners here. There is one local
> > I've seen carrying Manley gear, Pro Audio design? Anyone familar with
> > them? I know nothing about them save for they're a few towns over.
> > thanks,
> > William
>
> William,
>
> You will probably be flooded with people telling you to go with Mercenary
> Audio ( http://www.mercenary.com/ ) and they are definitely correct in my
> opinion. I've never dealt with a finer retailer, pro audio or not. I don't
> think their web site shows what's in stock or not but give them a call and
> they will give you straight answers and no BS. I think they carry a fair
> amount of inventory but if it's not in stock they'll tell you when it will
> be or get it drop shipped to you.
>
> I had an item go slightly defective once that I had bought from them. I
> called them up and I was beyond completely satisfied with the way it was
> handled. With five minutes or so they had checked stock, found out that they
> didn't have any, called the manufacturer who did have them in stock, and had
> one drop shipped to me. ( at no charge and it was sent pretty fast too, 1 to
> 3 days but I've forgotten now ). The person I talked to also told me to
> hang onto the bad one until the new one arrived. Then, once the new unit
> checked out OK, just give them a call and they would issue a 'call tag' for
> the defective unit so it would be returned at zero cost to me and pretty
> much zero hassle. And the whole time she was pleasant, professional and
> seemed genuinely concerned for any inconvenience I might of had to deal
> with.
>
> They are top notch all the way. Check out their policies etc :
> http://www.mercenary.com/policies.html
>
> And don't let the 'attitude' of the web site put you off at all. ( I think
> it's refreshing myself ) I know some people have been taken aback a little
> at first by the up front style of the site but rest assured you will be
> treated in the most professional manner.
>
> And they are at least in the same state as you :
> Phone: (508)543-0069
> Fax: (508)543-9670
> Mail: 131 Morse St., Foxboro, MA 02035
>
> Best of luck!
>
> John L Rice
>
>
> PS - I don't work at Mercenary Audio and I'm not trying to sleep with anyone
> who works there, I'm just a very satisfied customer!

>
Well John it's refreshing you mentioned the web how should I say
ummm...drama? too strong? ;-) I mean I myself when I first started
posting here did test the waters a bit to see what was going on. I
wanted to see who knew who and why and what makes everything thing
tick. It seems like most people know each other or even know some of
the gear makers. I suppose that's good for cross reference. It seems
that on certain pieces of Manley gear, he has the best prices. I could
be wrong but that's what my googling has produced. Certain items like
the Voxbox run $3600 across the board. The Langevin DVC is like $1600
at mercenary....$1800 elsewhere. That's quite a difference.
thanks I'll look into it,
William

[Doctor Phibes]

(Analogeezer) wrote in message >...
> Rob Adelman > wrote in message >...
> > T.D. wrote:
> > > Best Prices I've ever been quoted (albeit no frills) are with B and H in
> > > NYC. They deliver UPS- I have bought cameras and a pair of monitors from
> > > them:
> > >
> > > wwwbandhphotovideo.com
> >
> >
> > What's with all the junk mail though? I bought something from them a
> > while back and today I received this "catalog" of video gear that I have
> > no interest in. I mean this thing is huge, like a phone book!
> > I called them today to get off the mailing list, explaining what a waste
> > of paper it is, and get tossed through phone menus, from person to
> > person, and finally the last person tells me I have to e-mail to get off
> > the mailing list as that is a separate location. What is up with that??
>
>
> I have never bought anything from them, nor even called or emailed
> them..I've never gotten their catalog, yet I got TWO of those phone
> book things (one sort of audio, one sort of musical gear).
>
> My keyboard player got two of them as well...he gets fewer mags (only
> Keyboard) than me and has never called/bought from/emailed from them
> either.
>
> I'm betting they bought a subsriber list from Miller-Freeman
> publications.
>
> Analogeezer

>
Ahhh haaaa,
It seems weird I live 2 towns over, like 8 miles and until I got EQ
magazine I never even heard of them. They're on a main street for that
town too. hmmm
William

[Doctor Phibes]

(Chris Seifert) wrote in message >...
> The last 2 consulting clients of mine that I referred to Mercenary to
> purchase their items were dealt with very,very badly. Badly enouhg
> that I no longer recomend them but I still value Fletchers comments.
> Mercenary has a dedicated legion of online fans unfortunately they
> really blew it with my last few referrals so I'd recommend the other
> suggestions in this thread.
>
> Chris
> wavetrap
>
>
> "John L Rice" > wrote in message >...
> > "Doctor Phibes" > wrote in message
> > m...
> > > I'm interested in purchasing a Manley product, I'd say or two but well
> > > the ink isn't dry yet ;-). Any way I'm in MA there is the factor of
> > > state taxes but making a purchase in person is more comforting. I'd go
> > > with an out of state if their reputation was outstanding. I mean I've
> > > noticed quite a few online storefronts. My question is do they even
> > > have the stock there? I trust it's not located in their rack lol I'd
> > > hope in a factory sealed box as well. So what's out there? I know
> > > there are quite a few dealer/studio owners here. There is one local
> > > I've seen carrying Manley gear, Pro Audio design? Anyone familar with
> > > them? I know nothing about them save for they're a few towns over.
> > > thanks,
> > > William
> >
> > William,
> >
> > You will probably be flooded with people telling you to go with Mercenary
> > Audio ( http://www.mercenary.com/ ) and they are definitely correct in my
> > opinion. I've never dealt with a finer retailer, pro audio or not. I don't
> > think their web site shows what's in stock or not but give them a call and
> > they will give you straight answers and no BS. I think they carry a fair
> > amount of inventory but if it's not in stock they'll tell you when it will
> > be or get it drop shipped to you.
> >
> > I had an item go slightly defective once that I had bought from them. I
> > called them up and I was beyond completely satisfied with the way it was
> > handled. With five minutes or so they had checked stock, found out that they
> > didn't have any, called the manufacturer who did have them in stock, and had
> > one drop shipped to me. ( at no charge and it was sent pretty fast too, 1 to
> > 3 days but I've forgotten now ). The person I talked to also told me to
> > hang onto the bad one until the new one arrived. Then, once the new unit
> > checked out OK, just give them a call and they would issue a 'call tag' for
> > the defective unit so it would be returned at zero cost to me and pretty
> > much zero hassle. And the whole time she was pleasant, professional and
> > seemed genuinely concerned for any inconvenience I might of had to deal
> > with.
> >
> > They are top notch all the way. Check out their policies etc :
> > http://www.mercenary.com/policies.html
> >
> > And don't let the 'attitude' of the web site put you off at all. ( I think
> > it's refreshing myself ) I know some people have been taken aback a little
> > at first by the up front style of the site but rest assured you will be
> > treated in the most professional manner.
> >
> > And they are at least in the same state as you :
> > Phone: (508)543-0069
> > Fax: (508)543-9670
> > Mail: 131 Morse St., Foxboro, MA 02035
> >
> > Best of luck!
> >
> > John L Rice
> >
> >
> > PS - I don't work at Mercenary Audio and I'm not trying to sleep with anyone
> > who works there, I'm just a very satisfied customer!

>
Ahhhh contrast good lol Ya I suppose when one makes fairly or
relatively large purchases there are all sorts of factors that can
kill christmas morning. Getting one's hopes up to the point of
hysteria. Expecting acme dash dash dash is gonna do blah blah blah and
it doesn't turn out that way. I guess that's what beer is for ;-)
thanks William

[Doctor Phibes]

(White Swan) wrote in message >...
> I've bought a few things from Pro Audio Design and I was very happy
> with the service, support, advice and pricing. If you're just a few
> towns over, and you plan on buying much gear, it would certainly be
> worth your while to develop a relationship. Any dealer will go out of
> their way to give extra consideration on service and pricing if you
> develop a personal relationship with them, and you're just not an
> anonymous internet sales.
>
> Boston is very fortunate to have a number of dealers, all excellent,
> competing for you as a client. Parsons Audio (Wellesley), Pro Audio
> Design, Mercenary, and even PK at the "secret" high end Guitar Center
> annex in Brighton (where you'll find stuff no other Guitar Center in
> the world has).
>
> Where the competetive model breaks down is that certain lines have
> exclusive dealerships in each locale, so that you can only buy them
> from one dealer if you want to stay local.

>
Ahhh secret guitar center. I had the idea that guitar center was
heaven...I went into the one on comm. ave and was like huh? Hello
where are the go go girls on plat forms why I wail like...umm lol

I forgot about Parsons. I want to say they sent me something before
connected with EQ magazine.

My city is no good they're just pathetic. There is still the
consideration of tax I'd probably spread the love. I've just had bad
luck in my own city trying to develop gear relationships. The stores
are band/music type stores. They tend to be overpriced. I imagine it
would be beneficial if something went wrong you could just go right
over and settle things.

I'll have to think about the local/out of state dilema
thanks
William

[Doctor Phibes]

Bob Smith > wrote in message >...
> Doctor Phibes wrote:
> >
> > I'm interested in purchasing a Manley product, I'd say or two but well
> > the ink isn't dry yet ;-). Any way I'm in MA there is the factor of
> > state taxes but making a purchase in person is more comforting. I'd go
>
> Mercenary Audio is in Foxboro, so you could still purchase in person if
> you want. Some folks may not have the best experience with Fletcher if
> they nickle & dime and then whine on prices. In my experiences over many
> years, I could squeeze the last penny out of a purchase by going
> somewhere else. It would be a false economy. By paying the modest extra
> amount, if any, I get the class of service rarely found in any type of
> business anywhere. Most companies talk about "world class" service.
> Mercenary delivers. When acquiring big ticket, high end items, I have
> confidence that I will be taken care of should a problem arise. On one
> occasion I did have a problem which involved swapping out a unit twice.
> The third is still running fine in the studio after several years of
> operation.
>
> bobs
>
> Bob Smith
> BS Studios
> we organize chaos
> http://www.bsstudios.com

>
Ya Bob,
I realize they don't sell Manley's like Fender standard Strats. Guitar
Center will pull a Walmart just to get rid of inventory and sight the
most subtle flaw as being as if Hendrix set the guitar up lol

I will haggle guitars but the fact is we have this wonderful thing
called google. It's real easy to find prices on gear. The prices vary
quite a bit as I pointed out in an earlier post. Take for example the
Langevin DVC. Almost every place I've seen has it for $1800, Mercenary
$1600. Now other things like the Voxbox sell $3600 everywhere , or so
I've seen.

On the note of service or reliability. I have a lot of confidence in
qc when you get into higher ticket items especially. It might be a
blind confidence but a company like Manley in a highly competive
market can't afford to ship duds. The people who sell the gear can't
afford to sell duds either because there's another guy right down the
street. I don't expect a dud, I might wet my pants should I get a
voxbox instead of a DVC though lol.

thanks,
William

[Doctor Phibes]

(Mike Rivers) wrote in message news:<znr1068638228k@trad>...
> In article > writes:
>
> > noticed quite a few online storefronts. My question is do they even
> > have the stock there?
>
> Some do and some don't. If you want a demo on site, you need to go to
> a full service dealer. If you want to try it in your studio, most
> on-line dealers offer a reasonable return policy.
>
> > There is one local
> > I've seen carrying Manley gear, Pro Audio design? Anyone familar with
> > them? I know nothing about them save for they're a few towns over.
>
> So? Get in your car and drive over. Might be a good idea to call them
> first and see if you can come in. Mercnary is another in your
> neighborhood, and they make a point that their web site IS their
> store. They try out gear that the sell when working in local studios.
> I don't know if they have a warehouse full of boxes to ship out or if
> when they take your order, they have it drop-shipped from direct from
> the manufacturer. Probably some of each, depending on the product.

>
Ya Mike,
I'm reasonably certain the purchase I make will be a good one. I won't
view it as a last purchase just another tool in a depleted tool box.
So the guitar try first won't apply here. There are so many variables
when recording that one could never truely be able to demo a pre amp.
I couldn't demo one that much I know.

To deal in person face to face would be good. I'm a handshaker. gulps
at the prospect of state taxes. But what I like is this, paying in
cash, having the thing right in my hand looking like I just found my
redrider bbgun xmas morn.

Thanks for info,
William

[John L Rice]

"David Nobel" > wrote in message
om...
> "John L Rice" > wrote in message
>...
> > Hi Chris,
> >
> > I'm sorry to hear that. If you care to elaborate I'd be interested in
> > knowing what went down ( private email is fine ). I haven't purchased
> > anything from Mercenary in over a year so maybe I missed something
negative
> > going on.
> >
> John,
>
> I have made two significant, multi-item purchases from Mercenary
> within the last month. Nothing in my recent experience differed from
> the unrivaled service and support you described in your initial post.
>
> -- David

Thanks David, that's good to hear!

John L Rice

[Fletcher]

> (Chris Seifert) wrote in message
>...
> > The last 2 consulting clients of mine that I referred to Mercenary to
> > purchase their items were dealt with very,very badly. Badly enouhg
> > that I no longer recomend them but I still value Fletchers comments.
> > Mercenary has a dedicated legion of online fans unfortunately they
> > really blew it with my last few referrals so I'd recommend the other
> > suggestions in this thread.


Hey Chris... lord knows that no one dealer is right for every client... at
least we sure as hell ain't... but I have to say I'm concerned about the
"very, very badly" part. Did we like not call them back? Not negotiate?
[well we don't negotiate and that seems to **** some people off in a pretty
big way]... bum them out because we don't do "vintage" gear anymore?...
what?

If you have an extra minute or two I'd appreciate it if you could give me a
shout and let me know what we did wrong. Sometimes the stuff we do wrong is
indeed general policy [we're just never gonna be the right joint for
everyone... so we work on being the right joint for some people], sometimes
the stuff we do wrong is from a general lack of organization [I've been on a
personal quest to get better... I'm up to cleaning my desk like once every
two years now!!]... sometimes the stuff we do wrong is because we're an odd
little joint... sometimes it takes people a couple of minutes to figure out
that we're all kinda not so good at the classic "sales" thing... at any
rate, if you have a minute, I'd appreciate the shout. Thanx.
--
Fletcher
Mercenary Audio
TEL: 508-543-0069
FAX: 508-543-9670
http://www.mercenary.com
"this is not a problem"

[littledog]

I can vouch for the excellent service of Mercenary, which can be
demonstrated even when there is no direct sale involved.

Example: I was interested in seeing if I could purchase another Daking
module for my older style vertical lunchbox. (The current ones on the
Daking website are horizontal configurations that fit standard 19"
racks.) I spoke to Samara at Mercenary, and she said give her a few
minutes to do some research.

Ten minutes later my phone rang. IT WAS GEOFFREY DAKING HIMSELF!!!!

[John L Rice]

"Doctor Phibes" > wrote in message
m...
> "John L Rice" > wrote in message
>...
> > "Doctor Phibes" > wrote in message
> > m...
> > > I'm interested in purchasing a Manley product, I'd say or two but well
> > > the ink isn't dry yet ;-). Any way I'm in MA there is the factor of
> > > state taxes but making a purchase in person is more comforting. I'd go
> > > with an out of state if their reputation was outstanding. I mean I've
> > > noticed quite a few online storefronts. My question is do they even
> > > have the stock there? I trust it's not located in their rack lol I'd
> > > hope in a factory sealed box as well. So what's out there? I know
> > > there are quite a few dealer/studio owners here. There is one local
> > > I've seen carrying Manley gear, Pro Audio design? Anyone familar with
> > > them? I know nothing about them save for they're a few towns over.
> > > thanks,
> > > William
> >
> > William,
> >
> > You will probably be flooded with people telling you to go with
Mercenary
> > Audio ( http://www.mercenary.com/ ) and they are definitely correct in
my
> > opinion. I've never dealt with a finer retailer, pro audio or not. I
don't
> > think their web site shows what's in stock or not but give them a call
and
> > they will give you straight answers and no BS. I think they carry a
fair
> > amount of inventory but if it's not in stock they'll tell you when it
will
> > be or get it drop shipped to you.
> >
> > I had an item go slightly defective once that I had bought from them. I
> > called them up and I was beyond completely satisfied with the way it was
> > handled. With five minutes or so they had checked stock, found out that
they
> > didn't have any, called the manufacturer who did have them in stock, and
had
> > one drop shipped to me. ( at no charge and it was sent pretty fast too,
1 to
> > 3 days but I've forgotten now ). The person I talked to also told me to
> > hang onto the bad one until the new one arrived. Then, once the new unit
> > checked out OK, just give them a call and they would issue a 'call tag'
for
> > the defective unit so it would be returned at zero cost to me and pretty
> > much zero hassle. And the whole time she was pleasant, professional and
> > seemed genuinely concerned for any inconvenience I might of had to deal
> > with.
> >
> > They are top notch all the way. Check out their policies etc :
> > http://www.mercenary.com/policies.html
> >
> > And don't let the 'attitude' of the web site put you off at all. ( I
think
> > it's refreshing myself ) I know some people have been taken aback a
little
> > at first by the up front style of the site but rest assured you will be
> > treated in the most professional manner.
> >
> > And they are at least in the same state as you :
> > Phone: (508)543-0069
> > Fax: (508)543-9670
> > Mail: 131 Morse St., Foxboro, MA 02035
> >
> > Best of luck!
> >
> > John L Rice
> >
> >
> > PS - I don't work at Mercenary Audio and I'm not trying to sleep with
anyone
> > who works there, I'm just a very satisfied customer!
>
> >
> Well John it's refreshing you mentioned the web how should I say
> ummm...drama? too strong? ;-) I mean I myself when I first started
> posting here did test the waters a bit to see what was going on. I
> wanted to see who knew who and why and what makes everything thing
> tick. It seems like most people know each other or even know some of
> the gear makers. I suppose that's good for cross reference. It seems
> that on certain pieces of Manley gear, he has the best prices. I could
> be wrong but that's what my googling has produced. Certain items like
> the Voxbox run $3600 across the board. The Langevin DVC is like $1600
> at mercenary....$1800 elsewhere. That's quite a difference.
> thanks I'll look into it,
> William

Best of luck William. I'm confident that if you buy from Mercenary you will
be very pleased with the transaction and support.

John L Rice

[Fletcher]

Artie Turner wrote:

> Doctor Phibes wrote:
> > I'm interested in purchasing a Manley product, I'd say or two but well
> > the ink isn't dry yet ;-). Any way I'm in MA there is the factor of
> > state taxes but making a purchase in person is more comforting. I'd go
> > with an out of state if their reputation was outstanding.
>
> My personal favorite: http://studiotechsupply.com/ Great people, great
> service.

Yep... Al and Barb rock... and they ship tax free into MA as well!!
--
Fletcher
Mercenary Audio
TEL: 508-543-0069
FAX: 508-543-9670
http://www.mercenary.com
"this is not a problem"

[LeBaron & Alrich]

Fletcher wrote:

> Artie Turner wrote:

> > Doctor Phibes wrote:

> > > I'm interested in purchasing a Manley product, I'd say or two but well
> > > the ink isn't dry yet ;-). Any way I'm in MA there is the factor of
> > > state taxes but making a purchase in person is more comforting. I'd go
> > > with an out of state if their reputation was outstanding.

> > My personal favorite: http://studiotechsupply.com/ Great people, great
> > service.

> Yep... Al and Barb rock...

Indeed they do.

> and they ship tax free into MA as well!!

Of course, sales taxes support useless stuff like libraries and other
anachronisims, so if I were already in MA I'd go somewhere in MA, like,
say, Mercenary Audio, and buy my Manley kit from them.

When I buy out of state it's for service or availability, not to avoid
supporting my local libraries.

--
ha

[Chris Seifert]

Well guys a person here asked about a dealer that I've had two bad
reports from and so I shared it with someone who was asking for
opinions on dealers. Every other reply about Mercenary has been
overwhelmingly positive so apparently the treatment my referrals
received is not the norm for Mercenary but just because it isn't the
norm doesn't mean it didn't happen or that the customers were
completely to blame.

The unhappy customers I am speaking off are good people that I've
known for many years and seem to have a good grasp of how the world of
pro audio works so I would disagree that they had ..."Misguided
attempts to negotiate price, or Burger King expectations"...

Fletcher has contacted me directly to try to discuss the issues
further and since I am now discussing the matters with Fletcher
directly I won't post any further details until I've had a chance to
talk more with him. If Fletcher and I resolve the issue better I will
gladly post my experience in detail here and in a new thread so as to
best spread the news.
If the matters don't seem to get resolved any better then I will
simply resign myself to the fact that while everyone else seems to
have had great experiences with Mercenary that I am aware of two
clients that did not.

Chris
wavetrap

[Doctor Phibes]

(LeBaron & Alrich) wrote in message >...
> Fletcher wrote:
>
> > Artie Turner wrote:
>
> > > Doctor Phibes wrote:
>
> > > > I'm interested in purchasing a Manley product, I'd say or two but well
> > > > the ink isn't dry yet ;-). Any way I'm in MA there is the factor of
> > > > state taxes but making a purchase in person is more comforting. I'd go
> > > > with an out of state if their reputation was outstanding.
>
> > > My personal favorite: http://studiotechsupply.com/ Great people, great
> > > service.
>
> > Yep... Al and Barb rock...
>
> Indeed they do.
>
> > and they ship tax free into MA as well!!
>
> Of course, sales taxes support useless stuff like libraries and other
> anachronisims, so if I were already in MA I'd go somewhere in MA, like,
> say, Mercenary Audio, and buy my Manley kit from them.
>
> When I buy out of state it's for service or availability, not to avoid
> supporting my local libraries.

>
Well I had to sell a kidney ..;-) libraries you say, there was nothing
wrong with my local library so just like the court house and all the
schools they wasted money building brand new ones with throwback
designs and other useless applications. Why didn't they just buy
books? Get a book mobile going?

Anyway I'll probably stay local, it's only money. One forgets how much
they spent after they get to play with their toy(s) ;)

Most of the time I avoid my local music stores is because they're
either way too shady, have no selection, or some strange things I
can't put my finger on. That's in my city mind you. The water I guess.

William

[Doctor Phibes]

Fletcher > wrote in message >...
> Artie Turner wrote:
>
> > Doctor Phibes wrote:
> > > I'm interested in purchasing a Manley product, I'd say or two but well
> > > the ink isn't dry yet ;-). Any way I'm in MA there is the factor of
> > > state taxes but making a purchase in person is more comforting. I'd go
> > > with an out of state if their reputation was outstanding.
> >
> > My personal favorite: http://studiotechsupply.com/ Great people, great
> > service.
>
> Yep... Al and Barb rock... and they ship tax free into MA as well!!

>
Their website was kinda peculiar,...under their products just a link
to manuf. But Like my first post hinted at Fletcher, I kinda like the
idea of being local for some purchases. Not that I'm thinking of
taking it back December 26th if you will. The only reason I mentioned
the tax thing is, that's $180 I could spend onmore gear and beer! ;-).

thanks
William

[Artie Turner]

Doctor Phibes wrote:
> Their website was kinda peculiar,...under their products just a link
> to manuf. But Like my first post hinted at Fletcher, I kinda like the
> idea of being local for some purchases. Not that I'm thinking of
> taking it back December 26th if you will. The only reason I mentioned
> the tax thing is, that's $180 I could spend onmore gear and beer! ;-).

Give 'em a call! Tell 'em Artie sent you! I promise they'll treat you
right. (No commissions in this for me, either!)

AT
>
> thanks
> William

[Brian Takei]

Hi Chris. I hope you (or your friends) took no offense to what I stated,
because absolutely none was intended.

Chris Seifert )
in article > wrote:
> Well guys a person here asked about a dealer that I've had two bad
> reports from and so I shared it with someone who was asking for
> opinions on dealers. Every other reply about Mercenary has been
> overwhelmingly positive so apparently the treatment my referrals
> received is not the norm for Mercenary but just because it isn't the
> norm doesn't mean it didn't happen or that the customers were
> completely to blame.
>
> The unhappy customers I am speaking off are good people that I've
> known for many years and seem to have a good grasp of how the world of
> pro audio works so I would disagree that they had ..."Misguided
> attempts to negotiate price, or Burger King expectations"...

...."come to mind as possiblities." -- to the complete the partially
quoted sentence.

Would you agree that was reasonable speculation? Particularly given
that, in your initial/other post which gave the thumbs-down, your
description of these customers was solely limited to "The last 2
consulting clients of mine that I referred to Mercenary", and the
allegation that they were treated "very,very badly" with no details
whatsoever, and also given that Mercenary is a highly respected company,
particularly for their customer service.

> Fletcher has contacted me directly to try to discuss the issues
> further and since I am now discussing the matters with Fletcher
> directly I won't post any further details until I've had a chance to
> talk more with him. If Fletcher and I resolve the issue better I will
> gladly post my experience in detail here and in a new thread so as to
> best spread the news.
> If the matters don't seem to get resolved any better then I will
> simply resign myself to the fact that while everyone else seems to
> have had great experiences with Mercenary that I am aware of two
> clients that did not.

Glad to hear things are on track to a resolution of some sort. Amazing
how effective communication can solve so many problems, especially when
all involved are good, sincere people. But maybe it's not so amazing if
many problems are rooted in mis- or lack-of communication. Hope
everything works out for all.

Regards,
- Brian

[Doctor Phibes]

(littledog) wrote in message >...
> I can vouch for the excellent service of Mercenary, which can be
> demonstrated even when there is no direct sale involved.
>
> Example: I was interested in seeing if I could purchase another Daking
> module for my older style vertical lunchbox. (The current ones on the
> Daking website are horizontal configurations that fit standard 19"
> racks.) I spoke to Samara at Mercenary, and she said give her a few
> minutes to do some research.
>
> Ten minutes later my phone rang. IT WAS GEOFFREY DAKING HIMSELF!!!!

>
That's pretty cool. I've noticed Manley and Mercenary seems to have a
close relationship. In fact Manley seems to form solid relationships
with a lot of their business partners. The relationship seems to be
informal which probably allows for a more human consideration. After
reviewing ads, seeing video, I'd have to conclude it's no coincidence.

thanks for story,
William

[Doctor Phibes]

>
> Best of luck William. I'm confident that if you buy from Mercenary you will
> be very pleased with the transaction and support.
>
> John L Rice
>
>
Thanks John,
I got a little bit longer to wait(waiting on some cash to come in) but
I'm pretty confident now. I just want to record! lol

thanks

William

[Fletcher]

"Chris Seifert" > wrote in message
om...
>
> The unhappy customers I am speaking off are good people that I've
> known for many years and seem to have a good grasp of how the world of
> pro audio works so I would disagree that they had ..."Misguided
> attempts to negotiate price, or Burger King expectations"...

Yep... Chris emailed me his clients' experiences... and neither were
attempts to negotiate price nor Burger King expectations... they were
examples of us screwing the pooch with albeit the best of intentions... but
as we all know... the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

I would like to publicly thank Chris for bringing these instances to my
attention... and if anyone else has some Mercenary horror stories... please
do me a favor and email them as Chris did instead of posting them
publicly... ah hell... post 'um publicly... free whacks, have at it.
--
Fletcher
Mercenary Audio
TEL: 508-543-0069
FAX: 508-543-9670
http://www.mercenary.com
"this is not a problem"

[Fletcher]

"LeBaron & Alrich" > wrote in message
.. .

>
> Of course, sales taxes support useless stuff like libraries and other
> anachronisims, so if I were already in MA I'd go somewhere in MA, like,
> say, Mercenary Audio, and buy my Manley kit from them.
>
> When I buy out of state it's for service or availability, not to avoid
> supporting my local libraries.


Ahhh if only the State taxes went to the local libraries... around these
parts, the taxes levied by 'the Commonwealth' don't trickle down to the
local level as they should. The town in which I live has had like 6
"proposition 2 1/2" overrides in the last 10 years... to keep the school
compliant with building code!! Great state government doing it's
damndest... nah... they're still trying to figure out how to finish paying
for a road they took off of a bridge and put underground... that has as many
lanes as it did when it was in the air... only 10 years and 15 billion
dollars later [the good part is... most of the 15b, which was only 50%
overbudget came from the feds... but still... a not so insignificant portion
came from taxes levied in 'the Commonwealth'].

The ****in' morons in our state govt. seem to have the nearly unparalleled
ability to **** money on dumbass **** that could only be rivaled by the
fiscally irresponsible cocksuckers in our federal government.

I encourage people to buy from out of state whenever possible... when the
local/town governments get done taking their share... you'll wind up about
the same. Pretzel logic I'm sure... but at the moment it seems to be no
less dysfunctional than Massachusetts
--
Fletcher
Mercenary Audio
TEL: 508-543-0069
FAX: 508-543-9670
http://www.mercenary.com
"this is not a problem"

[Mike Rivers]

In article . net> writes:

> I encourage people to buy from out of state whenever possible... when the
> local/town governments get done taking their share... you'll wind up about
> the same.

Here in Virginia, we have a "Use Tax" that you're supposed to pay on
things that you buy out of state and didn't pay sales tax to any
state. It's the same rate as the state sales tax. I don't know if
anyone actually files it on their state return. About the only thing
they can trace right now is cars (where you can't register it until
Virginia gets their sales tax), but the day is coming when every
Internet sale will be reported to the state where the goods are
shipped, and to whom.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

[David Nobel]

"Fletcher" > wrote in message . net>...
>
> The ****in' morons in our state govt. seem to have the nearly unparalleled
> ability to **** money on dumbass ****

In the case of Massachusetts (my home state before I moved to the
Great White North) a lot of them aren't really stupid at all; they're
just corrupt :-) Lots of friends of your guy Whitey in the
legislature. Jersey and Louisiana have got nothing on MA.

[Jay Kadis]

In article . net> "Fletcher"
> writes:
[snip]
>
> The ****in' morons in our state govt. seem to have the nearly unparalleled
> ability to **** money on dumbass **** that could only be rivaled by the
> fiscally irresponsible cocksuckers in our federal government.
>
> I encourage people to buy from out of state whenever possible... when the
> local/town governments get done taking their share... you'll wind up about
> the same. Pretzel logic I'm sure... but at the moment it seems to be no
> less dysfunctional than Massachusetts
> --
> Fletcher
> Mercenary Audio
> TEL: 508-543-0069
> FAX: 508-543-9670
> http://www.mercenary.com
> "this is not a problem"
>

Cheer up: you could be in California. Worker's comp is about to make small
business a thing of the past. But we do have some hope... Oh. Never mind.

-Jay
--
x------- Jay Kadis ------- x---- Jay's Attic Studio ----x
x Lecturer, Audio Engineer x Dexter Records x
x CCRMA, Stanford University x http://www.offbeats.com/ x
x-------- http://ccrma-www.stanford.edu/~jay/ ----------x

[Doctor Phibes]

"Fletcher" > wrote in message . net>...
> "LeBaron & Alrich" > wrote in message
> .. .
>
> >
> > Of course, sales taxes support useless stuff like libraries and other
> > anachronisims, so if I were already in MA I'd go somewhere in MA, like,
> > say, Mercenary Audio, and buy my Manley kit from them.
> >
> > When I buy out of state it's for service or availability, not to avoid
> > supporting my local libraries.
>
>
> Ahhh if only the State taxes went to the local libraries... around these
> parts, the taxes levied by 'the Commonwealth' don't trickle down to the
> local level as they should. The town in which I live has had like 6
> "proposition 2 1/2" overrides in the last 10 years... to keep the school
> compliant with building code!! Great state government doing it's
> damndest... nah... they're still trying to figure out how to finish paying
> for a road they took off of a bridge and put underground... that has as many
> lanes as it did when it was in the air... only 10 years and 15 billion
> dollars later [the good part is... most of the 15b, which was only 50%
> overbudget came from the feds... but still... a not so insignificant portion
> came from taxes levied in 'the Commonwealth'].
>
> The ****in' morons in our state govt. seem to have the nearly unparalleled
> ability to **** money on dumbass **** that could only be rivaled by the
> fiscally irresponsible cocksuckers in our federal government.
>
> I encourage people to buy from out of state whenever possible... when the
> local/town governments get done taking their share... you'll wind up about
> the same. Pretzel logic I'm sure... but at the moment it seems to be no
> less dysfunctional than Massachusetts

>
Ya Fletcher, I don't doubt it, gold toilets etc. Or "admn fees" I love
that excuse. The other thing about going local vs out of state is
limiting the UPS contact. I might be leaning towards a voxbox now and
tubes are fragile. Although I'm sure they ship with molded styrofoam,
maybe box in a box from the factory. There also the buy and try
instead of buy and ship and bite your lip ;-)
William

[LeBaron & Alrich]

Fletcher wrote:

> I would like to publicly thank Chris for bringing these instances to my
> attention... and if anyone else has some Mercenary horror stories... please
> do me a favor and email them as Chris did instead of posting them
> publicly... ah hell... post 'um publicly... free whacks, have at it.

Well, the ****in' t-shirt is going to wear out, and that's a bummer,
man.

--
ha

[Tom Hartman]

I'd get stuff from either Fletcher, or Jon at Alto Music. Either way
you can't go wrong.

[Doctor Phibes]

Artie Turner > wrote in message >...
> Doctor Phibes wrote:
> > Their website was kinda peculiar,...under their products just a link
> > to manuf. But Like my first post hinted at Fletcher, I kinda like the
> > idea of being local for some purchases. Not that I'm thinking of
> > taking it back December 26th if you will. The only reason I mentioned
> > the tax thing is, that's $180 I could spend onmore gear and beer! ;-).
>
> Give 'em a call! Tell 'em Artie sent you! I promise they'll treat you
> right. (No commissions in this for me, either!)
>
> AT
> >
> > thanks
> > William

>
A likely story ;-) I have an idea most pro audio shops want to treat
you well because they don't sell toasters. In-other-words they don't
sell this stuff as often as bread & milk. They have to make it count
like they only have one take, no overdubs.
I'll make my final decision in the next few weeks.
Thanks,
William

[Chris Seifert]

I am happy to mention that I've talked over the events with Fletcher
and while "the pooch may have been screwed" what is important is how
the pooch is treated afterward :<)

Seriously though, we are all human and make mistakes so what matters
most is how the mistakes are dealt with. I have never seen a shop want
to learn from its mistakes and be the best it can as I have seen
Fletcher and Mercenary audio demostrate. They are trying to do pro
audio right and anyone pro audio shopping ought to give them a chance.

I mentioned previously that I would start another thread in addition
to this reply post in order to make sure this positive review of
Mercenary properly updates my intial negative review. I am started
that thread as well sorry if that seems a waste of bandwith to anyone,
but I believe it is neccessary and fair to properly credit Fletcher
and Mercenary.

Best to all,
Chris
wavetrap






(Chris Seifert) wrote in message >...
> The last 2 consulting clients of mine that I referred to Mercenary to
> purchase their items were dealt with very,very badly. Badly enouhg
> that I no longer recomend them but I still value Fletchers comments.
> Mercenary has a dedicated legion of online fans unfortunately they
> really blew it with my last few referrals so I'd recommend the other
> suggestions in this thread.
>
> Chris
> wavetrap
>