Sadly, I feel compelled to express my discontent with Zolla guitars.
Around August 10th I ordered a custom guitar from Bill Zolla prepaid.
It
is now October 29th and I have not yet seen my guitar or a refund. I
realize that custom orders can take a while but the situation now
is ridiculous.
I ordered a rather stripped down guitar, a steinberger paddle design
for the body, and a headless neck. The bridge was to be a headless
system ordered through allparts. The headless system was specked for
a 1 5/8" nut and I had asked if it might be possible to bend the spacing
out a bit and fit the system on a 1 3/4" neck. So after a couple of
weeks I called to see how the nut fitting had gone and if any kind
of compromise would have to be made.
He said that it should be fine and that the guitar should go out within
a week. I was to hear this same line every Mon. when I called for the
next three weeks. It accompanied things like, I had a friend die this
week, this week was really busy etc. Then he told me he had lost my
piece in the shop somewhere and would have to get back with me. Then
again that it should ship in a couple of days. Then again that he
couldn't find it. Finally he told me he had my order confused with
a headless bass order and he had everything but the bridge and the body.
This meant that he had made the neck. The other parts were screws a pot
and a humbucker that he should have had in a drawer in the shop
somewhere.
So I asked him if I could just get a refund, because I was getting
nervous.
He said ok begrudgingly, then I offered to take the neck since it was
supposedly together in the shop and a partial refund on the rest. Again
it was to go out in a couple of days. I called a week later, his
shipping
guy was out and he didn't know where my account was at. He said the
refund
hadn't gone through the credit bureau because he would rather send a
check
with the neck than do it electronically. I said fine, have it to me in
10
days or this story goes on the usenet and to the better business
bureau. I
called once and talked to him after that, his shipping guy was out again
I
think, I emailed him to remind him and on Mon. this week left a message
on his voice mail reminding him that tues would be the last day to send
me the stuff second day air and get it to me on time.
Every time I called the shop, I talked to Bill himself and he was always
very courteous and apologetic. But I have been screwed before by the
nice and apologetic. I have given him ample warning and time and
patience
and I just don't want anyone else out there to go through what I did.
I don't know if he is headed for chpt. 11 and can't pay the bills or
if his staff walked out on him and he is just way behind what he can
deliver or what. But I would warn anyone who is thinking of doing
business with him to order COD. Feel free to email me to see how
things wind up if you are curious. But I don't know what the better
business bureau will do for me in arbitration since Bill and I both
seem to agree I need my money back.
regrettably,
Isaac Davenport
I bought a body and neck from Zolla Guitars in San Diego. Pleased with the purchase as I was I saved enough to purchase 3 more bodies and 3 more necks. In order to save a few bucks I obtained a merchantile license to get an A discount. I was told that after I give him a deposit he would get to work. Well he lied about the continuance of any work and strung me along for nearly a year. First it was a wildfire and he needed to evacuate, then he had to change buildings. It was one excuse after another. Finally he shipped me pieces that were scuffed, had scratches in the finish and even though his site advertises a 9/16" hole for mounting tuners the necks he sent me were barely 13mm. I sent everything back which cost me plenty to overnight and that
#@%&$@@5^ hasn't refunded my money yet. He is disrespectful of his friends, he used McP's visa machine to charge my credit card because he didn't have a visa account of his own, if I had pressed the issue with visa they could've screwed Mr. Mc Parlec and his business for allowing someone to defraud someone in interstate commerce.
If you live in the San Diego area or see his ads published in periodicals don't give this drunken lush a chance.
I thought I'd post this as a warning