Delayed release / availability of new Pedals showcased at NAMM 2016

[Kenny Blue]

I think I may be sorry to have expressed this publically but I find it rather annoying that close to 2 months after new pedals where presented publically at NAMM 2016, some are either still not released yet (probably due to still not having enough to sell yet) or are backordered for weeks (how many exactly is unclear).

I am probably being too damned impatient as well as ignorant of the "realities" of retail pedal manufacturing, or something like that... but the question comes to my mind...

Why don't companies who design and build these pedals, with the intent of then presenting them at the annual NAMM show, then manufacture sufficient amounts of pedals to sell to the public beginning at the opening of the NAMM show when they are officially presented ?

And is anyone else annoyed about this ?

 

[Tom Von Kramm]

First, it is impossible to guess what demand will be like for any given pedal. For example, we had TRIO+ available in high quantity (based upon our best guesses) at the NAMM show this year, and we are still back-ordered. And on the other hand, the DOD Looking Glass was going to be a smooth-sailing late Feb/Early March release, and then we had problems with the chrome finish.

So the bottom line is that none of this is an exact science. You can be early or you can be late, and Murphy will still prevail.

IMHO what has happened is that the combination of the instant access to information, and the mistaken perception that the NAMM show is a consumer show, has led to false expectations for delivery. Even pedals that we explicitly state will be released a few months after NAMM get turned into "late releases" due to false expectations.

 

[Kenny Blue]

Well...( and forgive me for being devil's advocate here but ) I suppose that to state the situation as consumer's "False Expectations" is an alternative view point to viewing as manufacturer's "Inadaquate Preparation" .

I understand that it's not an exact science but to keep pushing back release dates or to have backordered product going on for weeks and weeks after release seems like poor planning to some degree... And it seems like poor customer relations.

And yes.... I am probably being unrealistic. And I imagine that most of any replies this thread receives will probably reflect that. But I just don't understand why preparations cannot just begin early enough, before officially presenting a new pedal, so that then sales do not have to be delayed and complicated.

Doesn't make sense that once you present something to the public and people want to immediately respond with excitement and enthusiasm... that you are there READY to sell them, and ship them the product that you worked hard on ?

 

[chankgeez]

I blame the internet…




for everything.





Shut it down!

Problem solved.

 

[dachshund]

I hear you. If NAMM was open to public I would treat it like an art exhibit and have no expectations. But when it's leveraged as a private marketing event it would be nice if companies followed up with an initial run of a couple hundred of the pedal they are showing off.

 

[Tom Von Kramm]

Well...( and forgive me for being devil's advocate here but ) I suppose that to state the situation as consumer's "False Expectations" is an alternative view point to viewing as manufacturer's "Inadaquate Preparation" .

I understand that it's not an exact science but to keep pushing back release dates or to have backordered product going on for weeks and weeks after release seems like poor planning to some degree... And it seems like poor customer relations.

Okay, let's put it into perspective though. In my very specific example (I don't mean to turn this into a DigiTech thing, but it is a handy example), the DOD Looking Glass was announced at NAMM to have a late Feb/Early March release. It will now be a Late March release, is that really a big deal? Is something like this really a source of annoyance? One Month delay?

And yes.... I am probably being unrealistic. And I imagine that most of any replies this thread receives will probably reflect that. But I just don't understand why preparations cannot just begin early enough, before officially presenting a new pedal, so that then sales do not have to be delayed and complicated.

Doesn't make sense that once you present something to the public and people want to immediately respond with excitement and enthusiasm... that you are there READY to sell them, and ship them the product that you worked hard on ?

I'm going to use the example of TRIO+ again here, we literally had thousands of TRIO+ available the week of NAMM and we are still back-ordered. The risk here in this example is exceptional. What if we had miscalculated and demand had been low? And how do I know about this risk? Because we have miscalculated before, and the consequences are severe.

 

[Tom Von Kramm]

BTW I'm going to let other builders chime in from here on out if they want. I can see the potential for this to become a bash-fest, and I have other plans for the weekend.

 

[Kenny Blue]

Okay, let's put it into perspective though. In my very specific example (I don't mean to turn this into a DigiTech thing, but it is a handy example), the DOD Looking Glass was announced at NAMM to have a late Feb/Early March release. It will now be a Late March release, is that really a big deal? Is something like this really a source of annoyance? One Month delay?

No... of course it's not a huge deal. And as I said I am probably being unrealistic. And for the record, not that it matters, I am not currently interested in any DigiTech pedals.

I'm going to use the example of TRIO+ again here, we literally had thousands of TRIO+ available the week of NAMM and we are still back-ordered. The risk here in this example is exceptional. What if we had miscalculated and demand had been low? And how do I know about this risk? Because we have miscalculated before, and the consequences are severe.

Ok... well there is a good answer to my question. I am not involved in manufacturing pedals. And so believing your description of past release experiences and what apparently was a huge problem for your company because of over production, I get that it's a balancing act of sorts.

 

[Memphistokid]

" is that really a big deal?" "One month delay?" Wow, you really won this consuner over. Lol. And Digitech for the win....

 

[Kenny Blue]

Specifically I am interested in pedals from Neunaber and J Rockett. Both of which I have been waiting for weeks to be able to order.

I suppose that I should be fine with just sending money to "Pre Order" or for the "backorder list". But I feel resistant to just sending money, when I do not have a lot of disposable cash, and then just waiting some unclear amount of time for product shipping. I understand that it is just the given "reality of the situation" but I just feel like it could be done better and was wondering why it is not.

 

[MSW]

I think I may be sorry to have expressed this publically but I find it rather annoying that close to 2 months after new pedals where presented publically at NAMM 2016, some are either still not released yet (probably due to still not having enough to sell yet) or are backordered for weeks (how many exactly is unclear).

I am probably being too damned impatient as well as ignorant of the "realities" of retail pedal manufacturing, or something like that... but the question comes to my mind...

Why don't companies who design and build these pedals, with the intent of then presenting them at the annual NAMM show, then manufacture sufficient amounts of pedals to sell to the public beginning at the opening of the NAMM show when they are officially presented ?

And is anyone else annoyed about this ?

It has always been my understanding that NAMM is an industry event--not a consumer event--and that the purpose is for vendors to show retailers what they're planning to release over the coming six months so the retailers can start to make future merchandising decisions. It gives companies like Sweetwater, Musicians Friend and the like the ability to ensure that their print catalogs reflect upcoming releases when they're available (it takes months to assemble a piece of printed collateral), as well as the ability to start phasing out products they may decide to drop in favor of upcoming releases. So while it may be normal these days for the end user to see what's on display at the event in real time, you should think of that as more of a cool sneak peek into what's coming, and not expect that everything you see will be available immediately.

 

[jsytsma]

I knew exactly when I'd get my Neunaber pedal. It was made clear when pre-orders would be accepted and when they would be delivered. I don't see what the issue is.

The point of NAMM is for manufactures and industry reps to hock their new and upcoming wares. Sometimes they run into supply issues.

This isn't a difficult concept.

The only ones I don't like, and I will concur, that it's frustrating when there is NO prospective release date. I'm thinking particularly of Walrus Audio and the Bellwether from last Winter NAMM. It felt like an eternity between NAMM and the release

 

[Kenny Blue]

It has always been my understanding that NAMM is an industry event--not a consumer event--and that the purpose is for vendors to show retailers what they're planning to release over the coming six months so the retailers can start to make future merchandising decisions. It gives companies like Sweetwater, Musicians Friend and the like the ability to ensure that their print catalogs reflect upcoming releases when they're available (it takes months to assemble a piece of printed collateral), as well as the ability to start phasing out products they may decide to drop in favor of upcoming releases. So while it may be normal these days for the end user to see what's on display at the event in real time, you should think of that as more of a cool sneak peek into what's coming, and not expect that everything you see will be available immediately.

I see. Well I didn't realize that I guess. It really has seemed like these companies are using NAMM to unveil their next greatest creation to the eager awaiting public.

And many of these companies sell these products direct to people so especially in those circumstances they are presenting these products to the buying public ( one example is Neunaber... which is producing one of the pedals that I wish to buy ).

 

[Kenny Blue]

I knew exactly when I'd get my Neunaber pedal. It was made clear when pre-orders would be accepted and when they would be delivered. I don't see what the issue is.

The point of NAMM is for manufactures and industry reps to hock their new and upcoming wares. Sometimes they run into supply issues.

This isn't a difficult concept.

The only ones I don't like, and I will concur, that it's frustrating when there is NO prospective release date. I'm thinking particularly of Walrus Audio and the Bellwether from last Winter NAMM. It felt like an eternity between NAMM and the release

So then can I ask you... when did you order your Neunaber pedal and what did they tell you about when it would be shipped and was it indeed delivered within that time frame ? I have communicated with them and the time estimate that I was given was a loose estimate.

 

[chankgeez]

BTW I'm going to let other builders chime in from here on out if they want. I can see the potential for this to become a bash-fest, and I have other plans for the weekend.

Yeah, I was gonna say, you might as well be typing into the wind.

 

[Kylote]

So then can I ask you... when did you order your Neunaber pedal and what did they tell you about when it would be shipped and was it indeed delivered within that time frame ? I have communicated with them and the time estimate that I was given was a loose estimate.

I thought currently their site lists 2 weeks for your pedal to ship on any orders placed now. Mine should arrive today, which is 3 weeks to the day when I placed my order, but that is after shipping it from the west coast to the east coast. So just over the 2 week estimate for it to be shipped.

I am indeed pretty impatient as well, so it was a tough wait but I think it'll be worth it.

 

[dhdfoster]

Some people are seemingly quite spoiled.

 

[Fuzzr]

Some people are seemingly quite spoiled.

....little babies.

 

[Crimson Queen]

Did you get your La Grange yet?

 

[earwax]

My malekko 919 is still on preorder. Do you think I'll be getting it soon?