Home » R/E/P » Klaus Heyne's Mic Lab » Opinions About Bill Bradley?
| Opinions About Bill Bradley? [message #191316] |
Sun, 08 October 2006 13:32  |
 outloud
Messages: 11
Registered: April 2006 |
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I know Fletcher (has commented negatively about) him. I've bought from him. But now I hear contradictory stuff all over on different forums. Please let me know what your experience has been?
He has a mic I am very interested in - but I lack the ability to distinguish the subltle signs on the diaphragm that might indicate re-skinning/new capsule/non-original, etc.
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| Re: Bill Bradley? [message #191327 is a reply to message #191316 ] |
Sun, 08 October 2006 15:15  |
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I've bought good mics from Bill, but it has been many years since.
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| Re: Bill Bradley? [message #191730 is a reply to message #191366 ] |
Tue, 10 October 2006 15:55 |
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Klaus Heyne
Messages: 2942
Registered: April 2004 |
Platinum Member |
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| outloud wrote on Sun, 08 October 2006 17:10 |
... I decided not to purchase a C24 he had for sale. Maybe this is the wrong forum. I don't want to annoy Klaus - Just wanted to know what the word was.
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Let me be crystal clear: This forum IS the right source for any kind of information coming from experiences customers have had with a vendor- good and bad. It is NOT the forum for hearsay and other third-party-'information' chats.
(By the way, it helps your credibility when posting about your experience, to do so in a polite, constructive manner!)
Being able to get first-hand infos about an equipment vendor, service provider, or product from those who have had actual dealings is one of the most productive results of the Internet Revolution.
It has made the world of commerce a lot safer and more pleasant, because it forces all of us who offer our services and wares to do so to the best of our abilities. And if we don't, the consequences for our reputation are now far more severe (and everlasting) than they were in the past.
Klaus Heyne
German Masterworks
www.GermanMasterworks.com
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| Re: Bill Bradley? [message #192006 is a reply to message #191867 ] |
Wed, 11 October 2006 16:23 |
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J.J. Blair
Messages: 12567
Registered: May 2004
Location: by the sea & sand |
Diamond Member |
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I own a U47 that the former owner had serviced by Bill. The condition is fantastic and has been trouble free. However, I did not care much for the K47 capsule that was in it.
I don't know if it were a reskin or not, but I immediately A/B'd the capsule with another that seemed to have better low end response, so I did not keep that capsule.
As far as the origin of the diaphragm, why don't you just ask him? I doubt he will misrepresent it. Perhaps, like a recent episode here, he will cop to a reskin but then try and tell you why it's as good as the oiginal.
studio info
They say the heart of Rock & Roll is still beating, which is amazing if you consider all the blow it's done over the years.
"The Internet enables pompous blowhards to interact with other pompous blowhards in a big circle jerk of pomposity." - Bill Maher
"The negative aspects of this business, not only will continue to prevail, but will continue to accelerate in madness. Conditions aren't going to get better, because the economics of rock and roll are getting closer and closer to the economics of Big Business America." - Bill Graham
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| Re: Opinions About Bill Bradley? [message #192578 is a reply to message #191316 ] |
Fri, 13 October 2006 18:19 |
Rader Ranch
Messages: 217
Registered: April 2004
Location: TN |
Active Member |
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My recent experience in sending Mr. Bradley some mics and power supplies for evaluation was negative enough that I won't consider him in the future:
Confused, disorganized, stories changing with each phone conversation. He told me one supply was putting out bad voltage and the other, which he'd never seen and knew nothing about (Gefell N61) wasn't worth testing...instead pushing his own custom built supplies ("pushing" is a relative term, he's a very pleasant and friendly guy).
The N61 ended up with Oliver Archut, who said it's a fine supply, and the other went to the German manufacturer, who said it tested 100%. I won't know about the quality of the internal work I agreed to on a couple 582's until I get that PS back, but nothing about the experience inspired any confidence, such that I wish I had just asked for everything back and gone elsewhere.
Scott Rader....
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| Re: Opinions About Bill Bradley? [message #194903 is a reply to message #191316 ] |
Thu, 26 October 2006 18:09 |
johnmacy
Messages: 13
Registered: May 2004
Location: Colorado |
Member |
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I have bought several microphones from Bill since 1990, and they have always been exactly like he said and worked flawlessly. He has also maintained my mics since then, and I have always been 100% satisfied. I have been out to his house/lab many times and watched him work. My last trip to Nashville I managed to forget a power supply to a KM54 and he loaned me a supply and cable for a week at no charge. My two most recent repairs were a total rebuild of a Sony C37A, which sounds amazing, and a tube socket cleaning and elastic supension rebuild that holds the tube on a U47, which now works flawlessly. I have several of his power supplies which I have had no trouble with...
So I would consider myself a satisfied customer from personal experience...
Oh yeah, I have always had very enjoyable conversations with him, both on the phone and in person--confident, yes--arrogant, not IMO...
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| Re: Opinions About Bill Bradley? [message #194932 is a reply to message #191316 ] |
Thu, 26 October 2006 23:57 |
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Teddy G.
Messages: 369
Registered: March 2005
Location: Lititz, PA |
Active Member |
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| Quote: |
"...I bought a U67 from Bill - which is working great...".
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Quote from "Outloud".
Lest we forget!
Are we buying mics here, or making some sort of "investment" in our retirement plan? If the thing "works great", I wonder why so much concern about what's "in there" anyway? If you've been lied to - preferably in hard-copy writing, certainly, tell us all about it! Otherwise..?
I find it hard to recollect purchasing anything from anyone that I couldn't find negative comments about if I looked. Each deal is between dealer and dealee. Both parties need to be careful, both parties need to be satisfied with the deal - neither money nor goods must change hands until...
I DO think comments, such as some of those expressed here, especially the "anonymous" 2nd./3rd/4th party negative "comments" are treading on mighty thin ice. I cannot condone them - anywhere at anytime.
Someone who, personally, has an experience, good or bad, fine, share, carefully -- though pardon me for trying hard not to put much stock in them either, particularly with no 'back and forth' between the parties for all to see and judge for themselves, as the best of us have our bad days. Frankly, I believe 'testimonials' (of any kind) are the absolute worst form of "advertising" and should always be taken with a ton or two of salt (yes, a million people CAN be wrong, millions are every day, in every way.)- say-la-vee.)...
It is f-a-r too easy to stomp on someone these days, for all the world to see. The internet must make all of us even more vigilant in what we say and who we say it to, if to anyone at all.
TG
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| Re: Opinions About Bill Bradley? [message #194938 is a reply to message #194932 ] |
Fri, 27 October 2006 00:35 |
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Klaus Heyne
Messages: 2942
Registered: April 2004 |
Platinum Member |
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| Teddy G. wrote on Thu, 26 October 2006 21:57 |
I DO think comments, such as some of those expressed here, especially the "anonymous" 2nd./3rd/4th party negative "comments" are treading on mighty thin ice. I cannot condone them - anywhere at anytime.
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Believe you me: This forum's credibility is on the line if I would let anything like you claim go through- I did not create the iron-fisted ground rule on third-party/hearsay for nothing.
I read all posts in this thread again, and carefully. Except for outloud, the thread starter, who has mentioned Fletcher's personal experience with B.B. (on another forum, I presume), but promised to share with us (and hopefully does so very soon!) the results of an independent examination of the state of originality of the mic he just purchased from B.B., there have been only first-hand reports of B.B.'s clients in this thread.
I add that I contacted Fletcher and asked him to post here, so as to move his supposed comments into the first-person column. I might also add that I will kill the thread if outloud will not provide the independent analysis of the mic as promised.
Klaus Heyne
German Masterworks
www.GermanMasterworks.com
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| Re: Opinions About Bill Bradley? [message #194966 is a reply to message #191316 ] |
Fri, 27 October 2006 08:21 |
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Fletcher
Messages: 2691
Registered: April 2004
Location: München |
Platinum Member |
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Hi all... let me say that when Bill had his company in Chicago he had done quite a bit of rather good work for me, as well as for friends of mine.
It was only after he moved to Nashville that I began to find problems with his work, as have other friends of mine... but my friends' problems being kinda in the "hearsay" category I shall only relate my personal bad dealing.
Rewind to the year 1999. I was about to start an album, our shop was jammed to the gills with other projects and our shop manager asked if it would be cool if they didn't recap a power supply for one of my C-12's, so would it be cool if they sent it out?
I said sure, called Bill Bradley and asked him if he would change the filter caps in the power supply of this particular C-12 [its brother, dare I say "twin brother" had its caps changed about a month earlier but then we got swamped and nobody got to the second supply].
Bill asked me to send down the full rig from top to bottom... which I have found to be standard practice... so off went the mic, the pattern switcher, the cables and the power supply.
A week later we got a box from "The Mic Shop". In it was a brand new "Bill Bradley Power Supply" [not the original, no pattern selector, and the original cables with different end connectors!!] and my mic with a very shiny new capsule... and an invoice for a fair measure over $2,200-!!
Recapping a power supply is at best a $200.- job if you're greedy about it [which I am as I usually charge $200- to recap someone's supply]... so I was a bit taken about by the 1100% 'overcharge'.
It seems that Mr. Bradley decided that my original supply was "no good" [all it needed was filter caps!!], and that the capsule in my microhone was also no good [it was just fine until he got his paws on it. Not only did it work really well but it matched its brother and had exactly the treble characteristic I wanted!!].
So here I was between a rock and a hard place.
Long story short, I ate the less than satisfactory capsule that Bill added to my mic without authorization because I figured that if he was that much of a (low human being) to (mess) with my mic capsule without authorization, the odds of my getting my original capsule back were somewhere directly between slim and none.
I figured that if he was that much of a (low human being) to steal my capsule in the first place I would get back some completely (unusable capsule) so he could "prove his point" and my nightmare would never end.
I never thought to mark my capsule before I sent it to Bill so I will take some blame... but I didn't think I HAD to mark my capsule as I never in a million years thought that Bradley would steal my original capsule. My bad, live and learn.
So I paid (him) for the new, not so good sounding, and unwanted capsule. While it stuck in my craw that he did that, I am not a deadbeat so I paid (him) and explained that along with my payment would come my retelling of this story whenever possible... He took the money, and I'm telling the story. He sent back my original power supply and pattern selector. We got back my original connectors. My shop manager, being a hell of a sweet guy did overtime to restore what was left of my C-12 to what it had been.
He recapped the supply, went through everything else... we replaced the (bad) capsule from Bradley with one from a C-12A that was at least on Lansdowne St. [the road next to Fenway Park] as it wasn't really in the same ballpark with the original capsule that Bradley stole.
I got through the session but not with the pair of mics I had originally intended to bring. Due to much reconstruction on my 100+ year old house both of the C-12's [along with all my other classic mics] were eventually sold to pay for the home construction... but I will never forgive (him) for (messing) up one of my favorite microphones, ever.
FYI, I will be more than happy to recount this story to the man's face, I will be more than happy to hear his side of it in a public forum... I wouldn't walk across the street to hurt the man but I also wouldn't (help) him if he were on fire.
If you're looking for my recommendation... avoid (dealing with him). (...) He has caused me years of agita and dismay.
I'm glad that some have had a postitive experience with the man, I know I had many very positive experiences with the man and his work until he decided the time was right to try to treat me (badly).
CN Fletcher
TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik
mwagener wrote on Sat, 11 September 2004 14:33
We are selling emotions, there are no emotions in a grid
"Recording engineers are an arrogant bunch.
If you've spent most of your life with a few thousand dollars worth of musicians in the studio, making a decision every second and a half... and you and they are going to have to live with it for the rest of your lives, you'll get pretty arrogant too. It takes a certain amount of balls to do that... something around three"
Malcolm Chisholm
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