Basis Audio - Exhorbitant servicing evaluation cost

How about some first hand experience from a Basis owner who had extensive interaction with the company last year?

I purchased a modest Basis 2000 turntable and it had an arm board cutout that did not seem to be dimensionally correct for most of the tonearms that I was familiar with. I emailed the company, asking for guidance. This was at 8PM on a Sunday Pacific time, which is 11PM at Basis HQ in New Hampshire. I was hoping to have response from one of their folks the next day, Monday.

At 8:30PM that same evening, I had a return email from the owner of the company, Jolanta Conti. She said she was not familiar with the cutout but that their Chief Engineer, Alex Bourque, would contact me the next day.

And sure enough, on Monday morning the gentleman was in touch explaining that the cutout was a Graham special cut. He also offered to have a new arm board fabricated for a different cut out. As it turned out I have a relationship with a local plastics company and specced the arm board and had it fabricated myself.

Follow up calls to Ms. Conti, and Mr. Bourque were always promptly, and completely, answered. Ms. Conti also sent me a new gasket for my Basis clamp gratis. A small gesture, perhaps, but one that was completely appreciated.

Value in high end audio is certainly a moving target. And the prices charged by many specialist audio manufacturers are eye watering. But I have been thoroughly impressed by the service I have received from Basis, and to me this plays into the value equation. I will be a Basis customer for life. YMMV.

Thank you, much appreciated.

There is an interesting parallel to SOTA. When Kirk Bodinet passed, in 2015, Donna had to take the reins at SOTA, and then, in 2016, A.J. Conti passed too early as well and Jolanta was thrust into a business that she was not all that conversant with. Since then, the two companies have traveled different paths, but both have remained viable in difficult times and both have their champions, which says a lot about the respective owners. 

I owned a couple of Sapphires and Star, but the Bodinets made the decision that they did not want their service manuals and data posted on Vinyl Engine and had them taken down. To this day, there is no literature listed and SOTA is not listed in the turntable data section either. That was enough for me as I interpreted it as being anti-hobbyist, as I prefer to do my own service when possible,  so I sold my SOTAs and have never ventured back, but owners make decisions every day and some are bound to alienate certain customers. YMMV.

Wow, you read my post very differently than I do. I complimented SOTA and Donna as well as her achievement in moving the company forward. My interactions with her have always been pleasant. 

But disagreeing with a policy does not require a defense, unless one is not interested in both sides. And that policy at SOTA may have evolved in the long time since Kirk’s passing, though I still do not see any literature for them on Vinyl Engine.

All companies have good and bad, as we can see regarding a lot of people in this thread not being comfortable with Basis’ policies. And frankly, if they did not answer my emails, I would not be a customer either. I get that. And I am not a cheerleader, or fanboy, just an end user that was happy with both products, as well as Linn, Rega, VPI, and a host of others.  But hey "go team!" Whatever floats your boat.