(repost) BILL ZOLLA IS FUCKING ME AROUND!
Andrew Murphy
paid, and the cash isn't here yet...
BILL ZOLLA IS FUCKING ME AROUND!
In May of this year, I decided to get a Telecaster-style neck and body
built to my specifications. I shopped around locally and on the web, and
finally decided to have Bill Zolla of Zolla Guitars in San Diego,
California, do the work. Bill was very quick in responding to my
queries, assured me that he could provide precisely what I wanted,
offered to acquire the bridge and tuners for me at a discount, and even
had a set of Seymour Duncan P-90s in stock that I could buy for a deal.
I thought this was great.
On May 11, I placed my order. I requested a maple Tele-style neck,
shaped to match the profile of a pre-1960 Les Paul, drilled for 1 9/16"
tuning pegs, and finished in satin nitrocellulose lacquer. The body was
to be a semi-hollow swamp ash Tele-style, routed for two P-90 pickups,
and rear-routed for one tone knob, one volume knob, and one three-way
switch. It was to be finished in metallic gold.
So, I scanned (?) my VISA card and faxed him a copy. The price was to be
$685US, including the above-mentioned Duncan P-90s. Zolla informed me
that he expected the job to be done in about six weeks, and that "eight
weeks is a very safe guess". This seemed great to me.
Almost at once, the problems began. A couple of days later, my wife was
doing our banking by telephone, and she commented to me that our VISA
had been debited for Canadian equivalent of $685US. This was a bit
irritating to me, because I am not accustomed to being charged for goods
before they are shipped to me, and I don't charge my customers more than
a one-third deposit before I begin work on a project. I let this slide.
On 22 June I contacted Zolla to ask how things were going. He said that
he was running a bit behind, had had to attend to some family matters,
and would be moving ahead soon.
On 6 July (that's almost the original "safe guess" due date), Zolla
informed me that the neck was out of the spray booth and that the body
painting was almost finished.
On 5 August (yes, that's *11* weeks after I ordered the parts), Zolla
responded to another of my regular emails to tell me that his buffing
guy had been "out having a baby" but would be back in a day or so.
On 26 August (14 weeks, or six more than the time I might have
reasonably expected) the parts shipped. By UPS, not regular mail as I
requested. Without the bridge and tuners that Zolla never bothered to
order. So I ordered them myself from Allparts.
Now, all of this was a piss-off, but it would really all be forgiven if
the parts were exactly what I had ordered and expected. Well, they
weren't. The finish was sunk into the grain (as Bill said, buffable, but
it hadn't been properly buffed), there were "ghosts" in the finish
around every rout or drill hole, the holes for the neck plate were
drilled at an angle to the neck pocket, the string-through holes were
drilled unevenly, the pickup routs were jagged, the nut slot wasn't
cleaned properly, the overspray in the
control cavity area wasn't even scraped off, and he didn't bother to
drill for the volume, tone, and selector controls.
The neck was not what I ordered: I wanted a Tele neck with a fat
profile, like a pre-'60 Les Paul or a PRS wide-fat. The profile I got
wass flat like a Jackson or some other shredder guitar, and Zolla didn't
even bother to fill the spaces in the neck left after the fret slots
were cut.
So I quickly returned the parts. At my expense, naturally. Bill
responded:
Andrew,
I just looked at your parts.....
The overspray in the control cavity cover plate space fell off when my
thumbnail was applied, the wood left in the nut slot fell off (once
again fingernail) the grain showing through is not... but the finish did sink
in giving that appearance (buffable)..... The finish around the cavities
and the ferrule holes are agreeable not perfect.... my neck plate seems to work
quite well though. Being that we run our cards though another source I
will have to send you a check if it's agreeable to you. The gap under
the fret slots did not get filled as normally they do.
I honestly am sorry that you were not satisfied.
BZ
OK. So I'm out some time, the money I spent brokering the parts into
Canada, and the shipping back *and* the shipping to return my bridge and
tuners to Allparts. But wait! It's now more than two months later, and I
still have no refund. I had to get a lawyer to call him: he said that he
was short on cash but would pay. He then refused to commit to a
time-frame for payment, and failed to return email or faxes from me or my
lawyer.
----
Finally on 12 November, I sent him a message containing all of the above,
and telling him that I would be posting this message to the web at 12.00
my time 19 November unless I had received payment. Ten minutes later (!)
I received a response assuring me I would be paid by my deadline.
On 18 November, I received a message begging me to give him one more day
to get the cash. I, being a reasonable guy, told him he could have
another week. Well, here we are: one week later. No cash. Bill doesn't
answer my emails anymore (again) either.
This message will be reposted every two days until I'm paid.
Andrew Murphy
merc...@bigfoot.com
DodsonJohn
In article <merciful-291...@s7n112.hfx.andara.com>,
merc...@bigfoot.com (Andrew Murphy) writes:
>Sorry if you've read this before. I said I'd keep reposting until I'm
>paid, and the cash isn't here yet...
Andrew, you seem like a nice guy, maybe too nice. Your chances of getting paid
in cash are slim, so why punish this group with repeated posts?
Please take the advice that others gave and contact your credit card company
and have them make a chargeback. It is, after all, one of the great advantages
of using a credit card. If you are unaware of your rights, the instructions
are on the back of your monthly statements (or call your CC company).
John
Dodso...@aol.com
Elizabeth Ann Baxter
I am already in consultation with VISA regarding the situation, and do hope to
resolve it in that manner. Sorry if the posts have bothered you, if I really find
it necessary to post again, I will wait as long as possible.
I guess I am guilty as well of giving Bill too many breaks... look what it's got
me so far!
regards,
Andrew
DodsonJohn wrote:
> In article <merciful-291...@s7n112.hfx.andara.com>,
> merc...@bigfoot.com (Andrew Murphy) writes:
>
> >Sorry if you've read this before. I said I'd keep reposting until I'm
> >paid, and the cash isn't here yet...
>
> Andrew, you seem like a nice guy, maybe too nice. Your chances of getting paid
> in cash are slim, so why punish this group with repeated posts?
>
> Please take the advice that others gave and contact your credit card company
> and have them make a chargeback. It is, after all, one of the great advantages
> of using a credit card. If you are unaware of your rights, the instructions
> are on the back of your monthly statements (or call your CC company).
>
> John
> Dodso...@aol.com
--
Elizabeth Ann Baxter
Barrister • Solicitor • Notary
gooeyboy
doing any business with him. For anyone's information I am currently having
3 guitars built for me.
LJnDlbnx
be considering using this company for Guitar reworking. I simply do not
read those posts that appear over and over after reading them to get their
initial gist...but hey I am glad I read it the first time.
I also agree that the Credit Card company is the way to go...but Thanks
Andrew for the AWARES of this man and his type of business ethics.
I know you can't always please a customer but you can darn sure give it a
whirl.
Lana
DodsonJohn <dodso...@aol.com> wrote in article
<19981129215125...@ngol02.aol.com>...
>
> In article <merciful-291...@s7n112.hfx.andara.com>,
> merc...@bigfoot.com (Andrew Murphy) writes:
>
> >Sorry if you've read this before. I said I'd keep reposting until I'm
> >paid, and the cash isn't here yet...
>
jan kosters
operation before placing an order there, #2 i'm glad i'm not bill zolla
good luck with it
jan kosters/netherlands
Andrew Murphy wrote in message ...
Tpwhiteco
Most businesses fail in the first couple of years, and guitarmaking as a
business is probably more prone to failure than average. Guitarmakers tend to
see themselves as white knight zen warriors of the ancient crafts, without ever
learning how to do a spreadsheet, which on the face of it, doesn't seem to be
an obvious part of being a white knight zen dude. It is, however, precisely
what allows a businessperson to remain "ethical" by running a business
properly.
My own guitar shop crapped out fifteen years ago for similar reasons, and I
ended up a more successful entrepreneur in the robotics business, with the
luthier skill set providing a crucial advantage in making a go of it there.
Now, retired after selling my robotics business, I am free to make as nice
guitars as I want and give them away if I want. Totally fucking up as a zen
white knight guitar dude, and learning now to dig myself out of the hole I was
in, were the best things that ever happened to me.
Keep an open mind, Bill Zolla. There are a lot of paths to follow.
--Tim White
"Confusion to the mounted police!" (My great granfather's favorite toast)
www.chrysalisguitars.com - Home of the Inflatable Guitar
remove blarf to email.
Thrush
:I have sent e-mail to tell Bill Zolla I read your post and that I won't be
:doing any business with him. For anyone's information I am currently having
:3 guitars built for me.
Three? Why so many? And where are you having them built?
Andrew Murphy
order for $1200 after learning what he is trying to do to me.
You know, you'd expect someone who was being thoroughly dissed like Bill
is to post in his own defence: he must be feeling guilty.
Updates to follow!
Andrew Murphy
My Bill Zolla website, for those who want the full story:
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/2671/
Pete...@worldnet.att.net
He is probably pissed because he hoped to pay you with that guy's money.
Pete