Basis also makes good tables. I would go used as tables seem to depricate more than most. Service on tables has never been good. In 1970 I wanted a arm board for a current Sony belt drive. I could not fine one and I was living in NYC then I went out to Sony headquarters in Long Island City. After an extended search of their wear house they found ONE. I ask them how much it was and they didn't know and they gave me that one for nothing saying that they wound never get another anyway.
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Harry seems sharp as a tack from his posts on the VPI forum. He posts there regularly. His son Matt also posts and answers questions multiple times a week. Marc, seems to be a technician at VPI, and is always answering questions as well as giving advice. Harry is doing "cutting edge" stuff in his basement as well and posts his thoughts and creations on Facebook. VPI is defiantly NOT slowing down it seems. You just have to let the memory of Shelia answering the phone, waiting for you to send a check before sending parts out go by the wayside. I too miss that but VPI is still a real force in the industry. |
That's what is wrong with so many people that they can't understand how someone can make a simple pulley.....And buy a lathe to make record clams and knobs or whatever ??? Next time one of you ask me about my VPI dealer, take a minute and look on a map for Lewiston, Idaho and point out where my VPI dealer might be ?? There is not one person on this forum that has half as many VPI turntables as I do , and I used to call Harry and he would look around and send me a used tonearm base or mounting base....All by what I would describe , now the only way I can get a belt is on E-bay and hope it not made in China.....But I have so much VPI that I can just borrow a part off another one......Lucky most VPI parts are interchangeable........autospec |
I can tell you what I think....They should hire someone (like Audio Research's Calvin) and pay them out there huge profits to take calls and get small things handled for there good customers, but not to even try and handle things and fudge the people like myself off because they just don't have time.........I could make a pulley faster than I could even find anyone to sell me one......So I did....I'm kind of like a YUGO dealer, I just move the parts from turntable to another......... |
I think the problem is that Matt no longer wants to deal with customers directly. It takes too much time in his opinion. They set up a forum on their site to stop the constant Emails that need to be answered, thus eliminating an employee, for "supposed" cost and time savings. In my opinion good customer service used to be a VPI trade mark, but no longer. Word will get out, and they will either go back, as before, or lose customers. I just hope my TNT Mk III holds up, and does not need repair or parts. I want service for old VPI turntables and arms. I would like Matt at VPI to show up on this thread! Two years ago I dealt with Matt and he was very helpful with an old motor repair. |
Hello Everyone, I would be more than happy to help you out with locating a new pulley for your turntable. We no longer offer direct sales to customers. You would be able to reach out to any of our dealerships and they would be able to send you the 300RPM pulley and any other parts you may need. Here is the direct link to our dealership page for our website. http://www.vpiindustries.com/dealership.html. There is no log in required on our website. If there is not a local dealer in your area we offer several online dealers such as Soundstagedirect.com, Musicdirect.com, Elusivedisc.com and more. You would be able to give them a call and order the part if you prefer. We are more than happy to answer any questions about our tables. We answered an all time record of over 18,000 emails in the past year alone. Please feel free to email us at info@vpiindustries.com or email me directly at marc@vpiindustries.com if you have any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Marc VPI Customer Service Director |
Marc: If it matters, I could make one before I could find anyone to sell me one....Do you have any idea how simple it would have been for me to call you and order one.....It could have been done in less than five minutes....One more happy customer....Keep up the good customer relations......Thanks for taking the time for the e-mail.......autospec |
Harry was always fun to deal with, He is why VPI is what it is, the kids couldn't pull that success by themselves..... If WNTRMUTE2 doesn't believe me about the lathe and the brass rod, send me your e-mail address and I'll send you some pictures and while I am at it I'll send some pictures of my more than (15) VPI turntables.......So I have invested plenty in VPI......... |
autospec - Sorry, but if you did some of the basic things one
normally does to get support these days, you would have been able to get
your pulley.
If you simply sent an email to the support email address they probably would have helped you find one.
Marc from VPI reached out to you directly and you basically
blew him off.
I get it - you do not like the current VPI support model. But that does not mean you cannot get a part if you try. You did not want to try. That was your choice. I also wonder why you needed the pulley. Did your break one? Or buy a motor second hand and not get the pulley? Or did you figure out who makes the motor (not hard to do) and buy it from someone other than VPI? Sorry, but the negativity is tiring. |