The Zinky Superfly blog

Suddenly the whole task appears more laborious than the early "nearly fixed it" emails implied.

But Bruce is going to try to get it done within a week and there'll be no charge for the update - that's got to be good?

I still haven't got confirmation on the other requirements though, so I had to send yet another email asking the same thing - see part 42.

Perhaps using some CAPITAL LETTERS will help?

No, in fact I got no reply and was so fed up with trying to get a straight answer from Mr Zinky that I left it for another month.

Then I had an idea - it's not so easy to dodge questions like that during a telephone call. The number's on the Zinky website so in early December 2008 I decided to give him a call - see part 43.

So I called the company and to my surprise got straight through to Bruce. The discussion focused on the availability or otherwise of a new head-only case.

He apologised for the delay and when pressed, gave the information on the right.

Being the eternal optimist, I took this as a positive sign and left them to get on with it, expecting that finally the work could be wrapped up.

When I had not heard anything more for yet another month, I figured I'd better call again - see part 44.

I wasn't exactly overjoyed that "Nate" had not found the time to get the case re-covered in the intervening month since Bruce had assured me he'd be tackling it next day.

But at least there was something of a revised plan shaping up. Or so I thought...

Nearly five weeks later I've heard nothing more, so it's time for another call - see part 45.

This is really not what I wanted to hear.

I mentioned the replacement power valves and this was the first topic in a surprise email I received from Bruce later the same day (see below right). This email contained even more unwelcome information: they simply couldn't get the silver case re-covered! This despite being told during my first call on 3 December 2008 that "Nate" would do it next day.

It seemed so straight-forward and would hopefully break the deadlock:

I'd like to have a black case, but would settle for a silver one and could shop around for an affordable re-covering service in the UK once I'd received it.

So that just left the amp to be finished up...

Except that my email wasn't replied to, so after a few days, yet another call seemed necessary - see part 47.

The call was productive in the sense that I could have the silver case, but tediously predictable in that nothing had been done with the amp, irrespective of the issue of re-covering the case.

I decided to fire off a confirmation email just so it was in writing.

I had no real idea of how soon the rest of the work would be done; not very soon as it turned out, judging by my next call - see part 48.

This was a very hurried call, suggesting that the task of "keeping the lights on" was very time-consuming and that discussing with me work that should have been wrapped up many months ago - or even better doing it - was not a priority.

Little surprise then that the communications referred to did not materialise. So yet another call was required - see part 49.

So my call at least prompted Bruce physically to take a couple of pictures and get them sent to me (see left).

How much more was done "after lunch" I doubt, but there at least is my amp... in bits, on the bench.

But Nate's attention must have been diverted because another two weeks went by and the "shipping information" that I had been assured of on 3 March did not materialise.

Low on patience I called Bruce again - see part 50.

So this call didn't go particularly well, both of us lost our cool and nothing was achieved except that some of my suspicions concerning the commercial viability of the Superfly were confirmed.

As of October 2009, there are several retailers in the US and UK advertising "new" Superflys in stock or to order. If you've read this far, you would be expected not to want to buy one at any (low) price.

I decided that calling Bruce was no longer effective, so sent him a terse email with a few reminders - see part 51.

Before sending this email I checked the Zinky web site customer service page - it was blank (see picture on left and just for fun, try clicking the link in the email text!).

I also did a web search to see if anyone was offering a Superfly for sale, and I got lucky: there on the well-known CraigsList site was an ad which sang the amp's praises and made much of the Lifetime Warranty provided by Zinky.

For example:

It's truly a work of art and has a lifetime warranty, because Bruce warranties his amps for life.

After some initial searching, it became obvious that, being separated by thousands of miles, the legal option could be costly and time-consuming itself.

I then had a brainwave - Bruce has no motivation to fix my amp. Would a direct financial incentive tip the balance? Worth a try...

The email response was almost immediate and worthy of any English cricketer's "straight bat" defensive stroke - see part 53.

Obviously whatever Bruce needed to devote all his time to was more lucrative even than a $1,000 bounty on fixing my amp.

So back came an effectively worthless assurance that he would do so at no cost - but when? No time soon it transpired - see part 54.

31 July came and went and much as expected, Bruce had not put in the effort to fix the amp that I would have rewarded with the $1,000.

So another 90 days after I made the offer, it was time for an email.

Had Bruce really done nothing at all since 17 March? Six days later came a rather surprising reply - see part 55.

Oh, joy - actual activity! Ship tomorrow! A second email!

Some harsh words about their transformer suppliers there.

But hang on... what about the silver case? Perhaps I should send yet another reminder of what I'm expecting - see part 56.

So, nothing complicated, just a reminder of what I'm expecting and an offer still to pay the agreed price for the silver case as well as the power valves.

That can't present a problem after all this time and discussion surely?

Well as suddenly as Bruce appeared to be focused on the amp again, he dropped it - see part 57.

Frustration soars again - as far as I know Bruce now has a working amp, a silver case, a stock of power valves and my home address.

Just take my money and send it back. According to his reply it is indeed as simple as that - see part 58.

Ah, more apologies but no explanation where the last month went to.

Oh, and no mention of the silver case that should be housing the amp instead of my home-made shipping board.

Time for yet another reminder before Bruce ships me just the chassis. I wonder if that will stop him in his tracks as on previous occasions - see part 59.

There it is again - the question about the silver case.

A question apparently with the power to stop Bruce in his tracks. The evidence is compelling - see part 60.

On 19 October 2009, Bruce was going to "get it on the way" that very day. Didn't happen.

Ten days later, there has still been no response to my question about the silver case.

How can one man take 18 months and still not complete a repair job that has been sat on his bench all that time?

How can one man advertise a Lifetime Warranty and then expect his customers to wait - what? - two years before they get their amp back?

But of course it's not over yet - see part 61.