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Buying outside of the US


Voxhumana

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I joined this forum hoping to learn how to buy a ZT3 in Australia. Now after reading the earlier posts about people not being able to buy them in Germany, I'm feeling quite depressed.

 

Here's my story: I've been dealing with a very good salesman at Sweetwater Music (Florida) who says he would love to sell me a ZT3 but Gibson won't allow him to.

 

Meanwhile, I've been sending an email to service@gibson.com every week with no response of any kind so far.

 

I'm still hoping maybe someone from Gibson will be able to help me out. But then I'm also hoping for world peace.

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I joined this forum hoping to learn how to buy a ZT3 in Australia. Now after reading the earlier posts about people not being able to buy them in Germany, I'm feeling quite depressed.

 

 

Well, I'm one of those who hasn't been able to buy a ZT-3 in Germany. This has changed, I recently bought (to my best knowledge) the first one available in a music shop here. There are no official statements yet, but Andy Yakubik (SteinbergerWorld) posted about half a year ago, that Steinies WILL actually be sold outside the U.S. The first one was a dealer in the UK, then the Netherlands. And now I found one here, although it hasn't even been advertised. I was just lucky beeing in the right place at the right time.

 

I suggest you keep asking your Australian Gibson dealers, apparently it should be possible to get them. My experience here is that the Brand Steinberger is almost forgotten among the typical music store employees. Most of them are simply too young, and Gibson didn't anything to change this lack of information. So you will have to ask for ordering a ZT-3, ignore the big question mark which will appear on the faces, and insist in getting one. Now. Or ASAP [wink]

 

Bernd

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Hi Bernd

 

Thanks for the update. Great to here that at least Europe has access.

 

I've got three different strategies in play at the moment:

 

Firstly I've got a guy at Sweetwater Music who's quite willing to sell me one over the Internet *if* Gibson give him permission.

 

Secondly, I've been emailing Gibson Customer service for the last few weeks and today I finally got a response:

"Hi,

Thank you the email. Unfortunately, there is not a Steinberger distributor in Australia at this time, so we are unable to ship instruments to the country. Sorry for the inconvenience."

 

My actual question to Gibson was about why they would not allow Sweetwater to sell me one, but at least they responded. I'm hoping that next time they might actually read the question.

 

Thirdly I'm now trying the Australian importers of Gibson (www.gibsonami.com).

 

We shall see what happens :)

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Great to here that at least Europe has access.

 

That's more "random access" than controlled or complete access, though… ;)

 

My actual question to Gibson was about why they would not allow Sweetwater to sell me one, but at least they responded.

 

Guitarsend claims to send Steinies worldwide, but they have somewhat ridiculous prices sometimes, for the guitars as well as for shipping. However, you could get a personal quote, just e-mail Tim Pletcher.

 

Bernd

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That's more "random access" than controlled or complete access, though… ;)

 

 

 

Guitarsend claims to send Steinies worldwide, but they have somewhat ridiculous prices sometimes, for the guitars as well as for shipping. However, you could get a personal quote, just e-mail Tim Pletcher.

 

Bernd

 

Random access is still better than what I'm getting :)

 

I looked at Guitarsend, but the fact the site doesn't seem to have been updated in over a year caused me a little concern. I'd rather get one a from an authorised dealer, even if it is a war-mongering imperialist american one. :)

 

For the time being I went and bought a Parker Fly Mojo instead, but I'm labouring on with trying to find a ZT-3. It is ridiculous to not be able to buy a product in the Internet age simply because of an inexplicable company policy. Nobody is benefiting: Sweetwater are losing a sale, I'm unable to buy and Gibson are failing to shift their products. None of this makes any sense. If I can get through to someone with a brain at Gibson they might also realise this.

 

My guy at Sweetwater is now attempting to talk to Gibson directly on my behalf - he might have better luck than me. He is a very good guy named Mark Bruhn - highly recommended for his professionalism and customer service.

 

Also a correction: Sweetwater Music is in Indiana, not Florida apparently. (Like all non-Americans, I divide the US into "cowboy hat" and "no cowboy hat" zones. I think Indiana is in the "no cowboy hat" zone.)

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For the time being I went and bought a Parker Fly Mojo instead…

 

 

LOL… when I tried to buy the ZT3 about two years ago without any success, I bought a Carvin CT6M instead. Followed by some vintage Steinies, where Gibson earns nothing from me buying them ](*,)

 

Bernd

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  • 2 months later...

An update - I finally got my ZT3. I bought a used red one from Don Greenwald at headlessusa.com. It was set up by Jeff Babicz, the former chief tech at the (pre-Gibson) Newburgh factory,

 

The guitar is superb: frankly I regard it as among the finest guitars being sold today. The fact that it can be easily obtained for under US$1500 makes me wonder why everyone doesn't own one. It has an amazing array of sounds, is beautiful to play and the TransTrem 3 is better than the original TransTrem (and I've owned a couple of vintage Steinies).

 

This makes Gibson's flippant attitude even more astonishing. With some intelligent marketing this guitar would be flying out the door, but instead they treat it like a novelty item (and treat their potential customers even worse).

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An update - I finally got my ZT3. I bought a used red one from Don Greenwald at headlessusa.com. It was set up by Jeff Babicz, the former chief tech at the (pre-Gibson) Newburgh factory,

 

Congratulations and welcome to the club :)

 

The guitar is superb: frankly I regard it as among the finest guitars being sold today. The fact that it can be easily obtained for under US$1500 makes me wonder why everyone doesn't own one. It has an amazing array of sounds, is beautiful to play and the TransTrem 3 is better than the original TransTrem (and I've owned a couple of vintage Steinies).

 

I agree for the most parts, my ZT3 has become one of my absolute favourites, and I still own a couple of vintage Steinies. One little "flaw" on the TT3: it's really hard to be sure where (at which step) the trem is locked. I mean, it wouldn't be a problem locking it at the "F" position and tune it to "E" without even noticing the mistake. So I'm missing some kind of optical feedback, which was given with the TT2 principle. Something else I'm using my old Steinies for: Strat-like tones, not a ZT3 thing.

 

This makes Gibson's flippant attitude even more astonishing. With some intelligent marketing this guitar would be flying out the door, but instead they treat it like a novelty item (and treat their potential customers even worse).

 

I don't get that either… apart from the fact, that the majority of musicians is mentally limited to the PaulaSGTeleStrat world [biggrin]

 

Bernd

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Congratulations and welcome to the club :)

 

I agree for the most parts, my ZT3 has become one of my absolute favourites, and I still own a couple of vintage Steinies. One little "flaw" on the TT3: it's really hard to be sure where (at which step) the trem is locked. I mean, it wouldn't be a problem locking it at the "F" position and tune it to "E" without even noticing the mistake. So I'm missing some kind of optical feedback, which was given with the TT2 principle. Something else I'm using my old Steinies for: Strat-like tones, not a ZT3 thing.

 

I don't get that either… apart from the fact, that the majority of musicians is mentally limited to the PaulaSGTeleStrat world [biggrin]

 

Bernd

 

Hey Bernd

 

I've never played a guitar with the TT2 so I don't know much about it. I agree about not knowing the tuning choice... but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it. I've also discovered I can easily knock it out of being locked as well.

 

Regardless, I took it to a jazz jam tonight and discovered the joy of playing in Eb (although the sudden availability of open strings for Eb tunes added a strangely country flavour to my jazz playing).

 

I may change the pickups eventually - don't know yet. But the neck is what really matters and the ZT3 is just a dream. I am hopelessly in love with it.

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