Pickup quetion...

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 1 Feb 2004 10:38 am

When one buys a PU and installs it in their guitar, will any or all distributors let you try it; then take it back if you are not satisfied?

If the answer is Yes, do you know which of the PSG PU makers will do this?

If the answer is NO, HOW in heaven's name do you players justify trying the inordinate number of PU's I hear discussed on the forum that are being replaced?

Since I have never replaced but one PU (and it was given to me) on any guitar I have ever owned, I have wondered this for a long time.

Inquiring minds wish to know.

carl

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 1 Feb 2004 12:14 pm

I've got a drawer full of pickups. I don't bother trying to justify the purchase. Life is too short. One day I'll find the perfect pickup and it will all have been worth it.
And so the quest continues.....

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 1 Feb 2004 1:00 pm

But would the dealer have taken them back IF you had asked?

Or is it buyer beware? IE, you bought it you live with it.

David Higginbotham · Post by **David Higginbotham** » 1 Feb 2004 4:05 pm

I highly doubt any dealer would accept a pickup once it was installed unless it was defective. My rule of reasoning is to buy any pickup I was interested in trying and resale it if I didn't care for the tone. All of the pickups I have purchased have been used and I can usually get near the price that I paid. Of course, the different brands and styles of guitars influence the overall sound of the pickup also. I have found the B/L 705 & XR-16 to be my pickups of choice. Love the Lawrence pickups! Not to impressed with the G/L's I have tried. Jerry Wallace also has an outstanding pickup, especially for a single coil. Just my 2 cents worth and I likely owe you change!
Dave

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Carter S-10 3&5, Profex II, Evans FET 500-LV

James Quackenbush · Post by **James Quackenbush** » 1 Feb 2004 4:05 pm

Carl,
How are you my friend ?....I wouldn't swear to it , but I think that if you tried out a TrueTone, and you didn't like the way it sounded, knowing Jerry Wallace the way I do, I think that he might take the pickup back as long as you didn't cut the leads on it, and he would make you another pickup that would be more to your likeing...Again, I wouldn't SWEAR to this , and I may be wrong, but I know he go's over and above for ALL of his customers...I've NEVER ordered a TrueTone that I didn't like ..On my old Rusler that I once owned the difference between the pickups that were in there, and the Truetones I replaced them with , was nothing short of amazing !!.
Sincerely, Jim

BTW....How many used TrueTones have you ever seen go up for sale? I think that it's safe to say that Jerry is on to something here !!..

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 1 Feb 2004 4:45 pm

I find it appalling that a person selling a PU would not offer a full refund if a person was not satisfied IF they returned it in good shape within say 30 days.

HOW is anyone going to KNOW how it will sound until they have tried it? To me that is to much of a catch 22 situation for me. NO way would I take that risk.

Now IF as you say James, Jerry Wallace might take it back and make me another one, I might tend to go along with that. But to me unless a customer is completely satisfied, the seller should take it back an give a full refund assuming it was not damaged. That just makes good sense.

Sears has made a fortune on that practice in their handtools since the day they introduced "Crafsman" tools. Sure there is risk for a business man doing this. But that is the cost of doing business.

To each his own of course. But I would not buy a PU unless the person selling it would take it back with a full refund if I was not satisfied.

carl

jolynyk · Post by **jolynyk** » 1 Feb 2004 7:16 pm

Hi Carl, I would like to tell you of my recent dealing with Jerry Wallace & his True Tone pickups.. I phoned Jerry & ordered a U12 pickup from him.. he told me he would be about one week shipping it. I told him it was fine with me.. A day later another fellow forumite had a Wallace TT 20,500 ohm pickup & said he would trade me for my Lawrence 912... I again phoned Jerry & asked him if he had started on my pickup, & he said he hadn't, but was going to start in the next day or two.. I told him of the proposed swap, & he told me to go ahead & trade because that would save me some money, & he also told me that if I was unhappy with the pickup to send it in to him & he would rewind it to anything I wanted... I tried the pickup & found it was a little too bassy for my taste.. I phoned Jerry on Thurs. & he told me to send it in, & specify on a piece of paper what I wanted it wound to... I asked him how much money I should put in, to cover cost of rewinding & shipping it back to me... He said the rewinding wouldn't cost anything, & he said he will pay for shipping it back to me...
Now you've got to remember that I didn't even buy this pickup directly from Jerry Wallace in the first place & he's doing all this on his own to make sure that I (we) are satisfied True Tone users... What a great company, that stands behind his product like he does.. I don't think, & wouldn't expect a refund considering I didn't buy from him, but the way he's treating me, it wouldn't surprise me one bit that if I bought from him & was totally unhappy with it, he would have taken it back. John.........
Thanks for your excellent service Jerry, & my pickup is in transit to him for rewinding as I write this...

Larry Hamilton · Post by **Larry Hamilton** » 1 Feb 2004 8:13 pm

Hello Carl, Yes, Jerry Wallace is the manand his TT pu's are the best. As has bee already said he will go the extra miles to make you happy. I have 18.5's on both necks of my Le GrandeII and they are just super. One of these days I would like to try 17.5's for the hell of it but not because I am unhappy with the 18.5 and I will for sure keep the 18.5's for my own possible later use.
Check out his webb site and give him a call or email I know you'll be more than happy. Needless to say I am.

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Keep pickin', Larry

jerry wallace · Post by **jerry wallace** » 2 Feb 2004 12:54 am

Carl, My policy since starting my pickup business is this ,"return it within 30 days for ANY reason for a full refund less shipping"

Shipping in the US is usually 4 or 5 dollars..

I prefer the leads are left at the full length but its not mandatory..

I also offer a rewind to a higher or lower number of turns/DC at no charge to my customers..Of coarse the free rewind only applies once per pickup..After that a rewind fee is applied.. Click on my web site link below and then the second icon on the left for "TrueTone pickups" and this policy is stated there..It has been there and remained unchanged since day one which was well over 2 years ago..

I agree with you 100% Carl..At one time I had about 10 or 12 pickups and several dollars invested in trying every pickup I could get my hands on..Not finding what I was looking for is the main reason I started building pickups..

I have told many people and posted here on the forum several times "try it if you dont like it send it back for a refund less shipping"..And I have done this..I am very pleased to say only a few times out of hundreds of pickups purchased.

I am not trying to say or suggest that every vendor of PSG's or accessories should have this policy..But I have been a pedal steel player for 35 years and for me, I feel this is the way I would prefer to do business..I am not a "Business man" by profession and who knows, this policy may put me out of business.. I have been told that YOU can't DO business that way...But I feel if it does then so be it..

Thanks again to all of my customers..
Jerry Wallace

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Jerry Wallace-2001 Zum: D-10,8+6, "98 Zum: D-10,8+8,Nashville 1000,Session 500 ,Session 400 head only amp,Tubefex,ProfexII, Artesia, New Mexico
http://www.jerrywallacemusic.com

James Quackenbush · Post by **James Quackenbush** » 2 Feb 2004 6:35 am

Jerry,
Thanks for the confirmation, and thanks for building the best darn pickup in the industry..Another thank's for giving the pedal steel community an EXCELLENT business practice that more companies should follow .. I guess you really DO have to build a GREAT product to have a policy like yours !!...Sincerely, Jim

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 2 Feb 2004 9:46 am

Thank you Jerry,

I am honored and impressed indeed. You just may have renewed my faith in business ppl.

carl<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by C Dixon on 02 February 2004 at 09:48 AM.]</p></FONT>