STEINBERGER ZT-3 PRODUCED BY GIBSON

[renda1964]

STEINBERGER GT ZT-3 CUSTOM,

 

I am new to the site and I don't know a great deal about guitars. If this posting is in the wrong area, then please move it but don't delete it because I need some guidance. As I understand it, Gibson merged or purchased Steinberger. I actually ordered a custom Steinberger ZT-3 for my son for Christmas. I ordered it from an reputable online music store around the second week of November 08. The expected delivery date was Jan 14, 09. I actually was hoping that it would be delivered early but that idea is out of the question now. I had never ordered a guitar like this before and I had no idea that it would take this amount of time. I have contacted the music store a couple of times before Christmas thinking that it might come in early. I also contacted them around the first anticipated delivery date and not until that time, that I was informed that the delivery date would be delayed and rescheduled. We have now exceeded the extended delivery date and I have not received any notification from the store. I realize that they are simply ordering the guitar from Gibson and that they have little control over when it will be completed but what is the hold up? Why is it taking Gibson so long to build this guitar? I made sure that I ordered it in plenty of time to get ahead of the Christmas rush and still that did not seem to help. I am getting a little angry as I feel that this could go on for sometime to come. My son has been waiting unpatiently for this guitar since the time I ordered it. I have been waiting patiently but I am beginning to wonder if there are problems with manufacturing since the companies only merged this last year. If there are problems then I should be notified. I don't want to wait another 2 months and then have the order canceled or something. The guitar cost about 1500 dollars and that is a great deal of money in my book. I put it on a credit card and I'm paying interest on it. I am not at all impressed with my first Gibson guitar purchase as I feel that Gibson is not telling the company that I purchased it from, what is going on. I don't see how Gibson is still not finished with the guitar and I have been waiting now almost 3 months. My son could have choosen another guitar and possibly he should have done that. He really wanted this one though. He likes to play the hardest guitar music and that is generally Heavy Metal. He said something about the Humbuckers on this guitar and all that really means little to me. I wanted to get him a really good guitar for him to play and hopefully fuel his talent and he choose this one. I really want to make sure that I am not waiting in vain and the guitar is on schedule and will be done very shortly or what the actual truth is. I believe that I should contact corporate office since I am not getting the information from the music store that I ordered it from. The music store I ordered it from has only gotten the limited information that I provided here. I would hope that Gibson would provide better service than this. Someone should explain what is going on and why all the delays. Not everyone has 1500 extra dollars to pay for something and then sit around and wait for 6 months to come while paying a high interest rate on a order that is not filled. I am not happy so far as I feel that when an order is not provided as described by a given date that some kind of explanation should be given. In addition, I feel that Gibson should make it a priority to ensure that when a manufacture date is delayed and the date is rescheduled that priority is given to ensure that the rescheduled date is accurate and the order filled by that date. It is bad enough to not fill it by the first date but then still not by the 2nd date. I know that there are no guarantees but that is not a good business practice. I would think that the 2nd date given would be accurate since they should have had a better idea of how long was left by the time they gave me the rescheduled date. The first date given for completion was about 2 months in time line. I called after the 2 months was up and then I was given the 2nd date. It seems to me that Gibson would have known about how much was left to complete the guitar or how far backed up they were and given a more accurate date for completion. I feel that I am just being brushed aside and that this could go on for months to come with no additional information and that is why I am finally posting this. The phone rep. from music company I ordered from, told me that some guitars can take up to a year to produce. I replied that If I was told that then I would not order one of those.

I hate that he has to wait all this time. Things have been very rough for him and I hate that I bring him places or do more things with him because I have a physical disability from the military. I want to keep his spirits high and encourage him. He doesn't have many people in his life and that can be hard. It's pretty complicated but I am pretty much all he has except for his music. Still, the days are dragging on and I am trying for him to not get upset. I am not wealthy but I do put a high value on my son's musical ability. He loves playing the guitar and he is very good. I have never seen him stick to something and excell more than he has with the guitar. He plays just great and he has learned alot on his own. He plays every night in his room for hours at a time. He has been playing for about 3 years now. This is an investment to me in his musical education. I have no problem investing in his music, just like I would if he played another instrument like the piano. He is extremly talented and I want to encourage him to play. The problem is I am not rich and I had to overextend myself a bit to get it. I don't have a problem with doing that as long as I get the guitar in a reasonable period of time. I want to encourage his talents and that is sometimes pricey, I realize. I'm a single Mom trying to support my children without any help from Dad and on VA total disability. It's not like I can sit here and wait forever while the interest on the credit card accumulates. I want to know that I am waiting for something and it will be manufactured in the near future. Talk about disapointed if something happens and the order is not fulfilled. OMG. That is another fear. My son would be totally devastated since he has done nothing but bug me and talk about it since I ordered it. I want to find out something concrete to make sure that it will be finished in the near future. I fear that something is amiss and I won't find out about it until I have waited for an extended period of time. This was his Christmas present and this purchase was important to both of us. I could have easily used that money for something else but it was very important to me to encourage him to pursue his dreams and talents. My life has been very hard. Of course, I want better for him. I had to go in the Army to make a living and get my education. I want for him to pursue his dreams and talents. Hopefully, he will not have to go through some of the things that I had to in my lifetime. The Army is a noble job but just not the easiest, especially for a women. This purchase was so important to me and him and now I don't even know what is going on. I don't know if this is normal. I have ordered things in my life but I don't think that I have ever ordered something that has taken this long to produce I can't find any information on the internet regarding how long these are taking to produce or if anyone is getting their guitar. I call the music company and they tell me that they will contact the rep and that she has said that the order date is pushed back. No reason why or what is going on. Now the date has passed again and I didn't even get a letter this time. So what is going to happen? I wait another 2 months and they push the date back each time and come to find out that the order can't be filled or something? I really have no idea what is going on but this is such a large amount of money and a big deal to me that I have to try and find out something. So, does anyone out there have any information about this matter? Anyone know if there is a problem with manufacturing since Steinberger was recently purchased from Gibson? Any suggestions on what to do to find out for sure if the order will filled in the near future or who to call to hurry it up? I appreciate any help you can provide. I don't want to debate anything. I am simply asking for information that I don't have available to me. I simply want some suggestions or resources if anyone has any. I have been waiting near 3 months now and my son is becoming pretty upset. I really just am getting frustrated and I feel that I am being brushed off by the store that I ordered it from because they are not getting any information either. If anyone has ordered and received a Stienberger ZT-3, please let me know how long it took to get your order. I would really appreciate it. Music is awesome so thanks to all you musicians. Sorry that the post is so long. I'm just getting really frustrated and finally taking the time to try and do something or find out something about it besides just calling. Thanks so much.