Nature - 1 Guru - 0

Not even sure I should put this up, but here goes. With setback following setback, & just when things couldn't get any worse, we took the decision today to not launch our range of In-Tense kits at the London Drum Show. After so much preparation & heartache - so much money spent, in the end, nature gained the upper hand. In short, the kit shells aren't dry enough to finish. This means we will not have our new In-Tense kit in pride of place on our show stand.

Thankfully, we're releasing two ranges, the other being In-Tense snares. Although we will have a fair few models ready, some of the really important models in that range won't be ready either - for the same reasons. We thought we got our sums right. We knew it was tight, so I suppose it's our risk, therefore our fault, but nature dictated that these shells took double the usual curing time. Just as bad, it threatens the video shoot already booked for 3 weeks time.

But hey, we're still launching the best damn snare drums I've ever heard, & it's the success of the snare range that's of greatest business importance right now, so we have things to be thankful for.

There's been something about the last few weeks that I just can't put my finger on. Frankly, it's been torrid, but we'll bounce back. We're passionate about what we do, so when the build up results in a crash, it's hard to take.

So here I am, planning another exhibition stand layout at the last minute. Pulling another Origin kit out of the bag, ordering 12 snare stands, & changing the bias of our whole presentation.

I'm hoping our time will come - one day

Sorry for burdening you guys with this, but I needed to spill

Sorry, Andy. I hope you and Dean find your proper and deserved niche in the marketplace and things turn around for you. You've got amazing products, but we both know it takes more than that to have a successful business. Stick with it!

Sucks, man...

But I'll admit - I'm more interested in this snare now, than I was 10 minutes ago. I've got to see it!

Andy, you need to plan more and you need way more staff. You need a planning consultant and a product design manager. Then you should then add a PR consultant and then you would be close to being a proper company.

Well then there's the operations director and salesman. Then I'm sure you should be employing an intern. Because everyone knows they do all the work.

I don't know why you didn't think of the above. We'll have a chat at the LDS. I'll soon get you back on the right path!

Davo

Well its a testament to Gurus integrity not to fluff something for a show. You could have kiln dried something just to get it out on the floor but that's not the drums your selling so its not the right thing to do and your standing by that. ITs frustrating but kudos to Guru for not compromising their product for a show. If you didn't doctor something in this case than your customer Know your not cutting any corners with their gear and that says a lot.

Well that's a bummer and no mistake, but if I were thinking of buying up-market drums I reckon I'd be sufficiently intrigued by the range you were exhibiting to keep me interested until such time as newer models were available.

I'm sorry for your heartache, stress and disappointment, Andy.

We're supposed to have dry Santa Ana winds all weekend here.

Ship me the shells, and they're bound to be dry by Monday!

I promise I won't play them.....

Sorry to hear that Andy, I'm sure you were quite excited to be able to do this. Maybe next time or at another show. Doors open and close for a reason as they say, never know what this may mean.

The Old Hyde said:

Well its a testament to Gurus integrity not to fluff something for a show. You could have kiln dried something just to get it out on the floor but that's not the drums your selling so its not the right thing to do and your standing by that. ITs frustrating but kudos to Guru for not compromising their product for a show. If you didn't doctor something in this case than your customer Know your not cutting any corners with their gear and that says a lot.

Click to expand...

Thanks my friend, & not a wind chime jibe in sight


Seriously, thanks for the support guys.

Oh, & today, all the show cases got delivered to the wrong address (my fault), I screwed up a bearing edge (my fault), the weather forecast for the weekend isn't great (apparently my fault). Get the idea?

We won't "cobble" something together for a show, no matter how tempting it is to save face, & oh boy, am I going to look like an idiot over this. I'm looking forward to the show (although somewhat tainted/jaded), but TBH, I can't wait for the show season to be over, the new finishing shop up & running, & the advance planning to actually start to kick in. The plan has always been to build shells at least 6 months in advance for most standard sizes. That's a lot of money tied up initially, but it allows a good 3 months for curing (& that's well long enough), plus another 3 months just in case. We monitor moisture levels in shells very closely, & know exactly when they're ready to process further. The new In-Tense shells are bent at double normal thickness, so they take much longer to air cure than standard steam bent shells. Of course, we machine all the compressed wood away, leaving only the tensioned wood, so the shells end up being around 6mm thick or less. The boards are initially bent at around 18mm thick. Standard steam bent shells would bend in board form at around 9mm thick before machining.

I'll get you a pint next week mate.

BacteriumFendYoke said:

I'll get you a pint next week mate.

Click to expand...

Thanks Duncan, make that 20 pints please

Oh, & I've just got a DEMAND from Olympia exhibition centre 1 week before the *^%*&% show asking for fire safety certificates for EVERY material used in the stand construction, method statement, health & safety statement, drawings, certificates for access equipment, yada yada. Well - good luck with getting a fire safety certificate for the carpet remnant we bought 3 years ago to cover the riser Andy!!!!!!!!!

It's true - 'safe' is a four-letter word.

keep it simple said:

Thanks my friend, & not a wind chime jibe in sight


Seriously, thanks for the support guys.

Oh, & today, all the show cases got delivered to the wrong address (my fault), I screwed up a bearing edge (my fault), the weather forecast for the weekend isn't great (apparently my fault). Get the idea?

We won't "cobble" something together for a show, no matter how tempting it is to save face, & oh boy, am I going to look like an idiot over this. I'm looking forward to the show (although somewhat tainted/jaded), but TBH, I can't wait for the show season to be over, the new finishing shop up & running, & the advance planning to actually start to kick in. The plan has always been to build shells at least 6 months in advance for most standard sizes. That's a lot of money tied up initially, but it allows a good 3 months for curing (& that's well long enough), plus another 3 months just in case. We monitor moisture levels in shells very closely, & know exactly when they're ready to process further. The new In-Tense shells are bent at double normal thickness, so they take much longer to air cure than standard steam bent shells. Of course, we machine all the compressed wood away, leaving only the tensioned wood, so the shells end up being around 6mm thick or less. The boards are initially bent at around 18mm thick. Standard steam bent shells would bend in board form at around 9mm thick before machining.

Click to expand...

Sorry to hear about this. It will be for your good somewhere down the line.

But hey, this is a perfect advertising opportunity.

Bring one of your In-Tense tom shells to the show. One that is still curing.
Put some chairs in a circle. Put the shell in the middle of the circle. Put a fan in the center of the shell with streamers blowing up and out of the shell.
Get a recording of the In-Tense drums being played. And some pictures of the new kit. (even an artist rendering will do.)
Make some signs that talk about the curing process and how important it is, etc. etc. etc.

Invite people to sit and watch the drum shell cure while they listen to the sound of the new drums that have not been finished yet.

That ought to spark some interest in the In-Tense line of drums.
.
.
.
.

Hollywood Jim has a great idea!
You could do a clinic on it too!

Sorry to hear about your delays and the extra strain on you guys.


Oh, and my sinus are all clogged up, thanks a lot.

Ack! I'm sure this has got to be quite disheartening for you Andy, after so much prep.

I think your snares will be able to carry the load. I was so looking forward to playing an In-Tense kit. The universe is really testing your resolve it seems. I know of one person who will be ordering a snare anyway.

Sorry to hear that, Andy. But we had enough situations where you demonstrated pure determination to face and handle any ordeal.

+1 on Hollywood Jim's idea - that would create total transparency and would be an opportunity for the visitors to share what the shells sound like at the moment. That's way better than keeping them at home and to go without them for the show.

As a business owner myself I have dealt with the same issue several times over the years. The best consolation I can give you is that the law of averages usually ends up evening things out somewhere down the line (as long as lack of cash doesn't do you in before that occurs).

So, this time you got screwed because the things took twice as long to dry. Sometime down the road, something will either fall into your lap or be much easier than you ever thought it could be.

You guys will succeed because you are smart, tough and dedicated and make the best drums in the world. I should know, after all I own a set.

Andy, sorry to hear, 'elf and safety has become just ridiculous in the UK of late.

Forgive my ignorance in these matters, how does the drying/curing process come about, is it as a result of the construction process, or just inherent in the raw materials?

Good things are always worth waiting for!

I join the long line of folks here who feel bad for your situation but also know that your snares alone will be miraculous for many. Perhaps you'll look back some time in the future and say that there was a benefit for the manner in which the situation played out.

Guys, I hope you're all right. I'm used to bumps in the road. After all, this isn't the first time I've built a business, but it is the first time I've financed one solely from private means/finance. It get's twitchy sometimes, but I've learn't that if you don't give it 100%, you might as well not start out. Equally, you have to expect problems, sometimes multiple problems, & serious ones at that, but plan for that eventuality. You have to have a passion for what you're doing, & you have to stick to your principals. Start watering down your original vision, & you're screwed. You have no identity, & your potential customers have no idea what you stand for.

We'll be ok. It's a blow, & it has cash flow implications, but we'll ride that out. So long as we continue to grow, as long as the number of customers who spend increases slowly, & as long as we keep on delivering on our promises, then we'll be fine.

I should be happy. Even though the new kit range won't surface on schedule, surface it will - & soon. In the mean time, we've created a range of snares that blow my mind. They perform beyond even our high expectations, & I'd put them against anything - ANYTHING! If we can't generate interest on the back of that, then we haven't done our job, & we've been defeated by brand power.