Anyone heard from George lately??

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Feverdog
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Anyone heard from George lately??

Post by Feverdog » Wed Jul 27, 2022 2:03 pm

Has anyone heard from George lately?? I placed an order and paid for some transformers a little over a year ago and they still haven't shipped. I tried calling and emailing him a couple times but no one has gotten back to me, which is unlike him. Every time I've contacted him before this he has gotten right back to me. I just want to know that my order hasn't been forgotten about.

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Re: Anyone heard from George lately??

Post by danman » Wed Jul 27, 2022 6:24 pm

Have you checked his Facebook page? He has been posting their occasionally keeping folks informed of the delays he is experiencing due to the current situation. I do know that transformers have been hard for him to get because Heyboer is so backlogged at the moment.

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Re: Anyone heard from George lately??

Post by VelvetGeorge » Mon Sep 12, 2022 12:04 pm

Hey, I owe everyone an explanation on transformers. There was no single culprit for delays on these, more of a perfect storm scenario.
Personally, I got an "unknown virus" in January of 2020 and was sicker than I've ever been. By March the World was shutting down and we knew it was Covid.
I suffered long term affects for two years. Several times finding myself in the ER unable to breathe. Those 2 years were hellacious.

In December of 2021, my Fiance Cris and I both tested positive. In fact, it was Dec 21st. Two days later we both got monoclonal antibody injections. Then we went home and didn't see anyone for 10 days. I was sleeping 16-18 hours per day, while Cris spent the holidays with a stuffy nose and her heart broken to not see kids, grandkids.
By January, my symptoms started to relent and I forced myself to work as much as I was able. Some days that was an hour or two. As weeks passed I gained more stamina and put in longer workdays.
Now I have most of my pre-Covid stamina back. I'm working a lot. I still have fuzzy brain at times and by Friday I'm exhausted. At least I can breathe.

In March 2020 here in Michigan we were shut down. Heyboer could not produce transformers and even if I was healthy enough, I couldn't produce amps.
Weeks later, they were able to re-open partially. With limits and mandates in place, not ideal but at least something was happening.
As we limped along in slow gear, doing our best to produce with whatever parts we could get our hands on...another shut down. And, a new reality. Raw materials were impacted by supply chain failures and lead times were impossible to predict.

If this weren't dire enough, that Summer Magnetic Components went out of business. Leaving an enormous demand for transformers unfulfilled. Amp companies that were still functioning at this time began to freak out. Large companies rushed to Heyboer and placed huge orders, small companies (like mine) were out of luck.
Heyboer now found themselves overwhelmed. Operating at a fraction of production capacity with uncertain supply side resources and twice the demand for parts.

As the pandemic dragged on and supply chains realized the new reality I stayed in touch with Heyboer and my orders would trickle out as they could build them, not to mention as I could pay for them. It's important that I declare without exception that most of the reason transformers were not shipping during this time is I didn't have the funds left to pay for them.
I'm effectively a one-man corporation and when I can't work, the whole enterprise grinds to a halt. Which it did.

Starting in Summer 2020, I applied for every type of assistance available to small businesses. PPP, EIDL, gig-workers UIA... you name it, I tired to get it. Ultimately, I never received one single cent. I sold guitars and amps, I borrowed money to make building loan payments. The power was turned off several times. The internet was turned off. Every week there were charge backs on transformer orders. So much so that my Paypal account was not in the positive for weeks at a time. This was a downward spiral. Then, charge backs started for amp orders. It felt like rock bottom, and it was.

Mag Comp began liquidating machines, laminations, wire, bobbins and so on. Heyboer was able to purchase several truck loads of this stuff. They went from a shop typically running 3 post-War Lessona winding machines to having 6 or 7. Theoretically doubling their production capability. Despite this, Covid ran through their building several more times over 2+ years. They remained overwhelmed with orders and unpredictable supply chain. Many people were simply unwilling to work, let alone learn the quirky skills needed to operate those old winding machines. I typically visit Heyboer several times per year and could recognize many of their workers. But these days most were not familiar.

Fast forward to 2022 and things are opening up, Heyboer is running full time and catching up on the back log. We are navigating the big tube scare of March '22. Artists are touring again, which means they're buying amps again. I've taken on OEM design and manufacturing work to build my way back to square zero. I even managed to release the updated Super-Plex MK II. That seems unthinkable a year ago.

I have a handful of outstanding transformer orders still open. I assume anyone who didn't file a claim or chargeback by now understands the state of the industry over the last few years and still wants the parts when they're available. They're trickling out.
I have no certain ETA for anything. I'm sorry. The big companies are taking most of what Heyboer can produce. Each part requires a set up on the winders and it's just not cost-effective to wind one-offs. Despite that, they are getting made.

I beg your forgiveness for not handling the last several years more professionally. There were many days I didn't have the strength to send an email, let alone navigate the pandemic as a small business.
Applying the hard lessons learned has amounted to many changes:

I accept that I am not an unstoppable force of nature who can do all things here

I accept that I have to focus on my strengths and business model. Designing amps, not supplying DIY parts.

I accept that I must have help and delegate tasks.

I had to do a lot of soul-searching and decide if I have the passion and relentless motivation to carry on in the amp industry.
Most people don't know that I haven't paid myself in nearly a decade. Everything goes back into the biz and building towards something greater. Unfortunately, that means I operate with no safety net. And, require myself to be an unlimited resource. Obviously, I am not.

I have decided that I do have the passion to carry on. I do have more to prove with inspired amp designs and new circuits. I have not satisfied my own desire for the ultimate plexi experience with modern convenience. So I quest on.
I also demand better life balance. My kids are growing towards adulthood and I've asked them to join me in sacrifices made in pursuit of my dreams for their whole life. They deserve more of me at my best, not exhausted and giving less than 100%.

Please accept my complete sincerity in what I write here. It's literally taken years to be able to make this post.

G
Check out Plexi Replicas for my personal amp builds...
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Re: Anyone heard from George lately??

Post by danman » Mon Sep 12, 2022 5:53 pm

Glad to hear that you are doing better and will continue to make amps! It's a tough business to be in but it wouldn't be the same without you. Hoping the new Super-Plex MKII will be a big success for you!

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Re: Anyone heard from George lately??

Post by Feverdog » Tue Sep 13, 2022 5:43 pm

Holy smokes George. Glad to hear you made it through this whole mess alive and stronger. One of your open transformer orders is mine, and honestly, I can wait as long as it takes.

The main reason I even build my own amps in the first place is the fact that you answered my phone call around 2008 and very patiently answered my question "do the board components go in the turrets or just lay on top of them?". I couldn't believe you answered the phone. At the time I just assumed you had a bunch of people working for you that answered phones and dealt with mind numbing questions like the one I asked. I'm very grateful that you take the time to help people like me out.
Last edited by Feverdog on Tue Sep 13, 2022 7:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Anyone heard from George lately??

Post by Asphaltbouncer » Tue Sep 13, 2022 7:02 pm

George, sorry to hear about all this. Sounds like this fulfills the saying, “Ya can’t keep a good man down”!

I am new to the Metropoulos / MetroAmp fold, but I know I have hitched my wagon to a Winner!

Looking forward to see what the future holds, I know it will hold great promise for you and we, the customers.

IC XC
NI KA

Mark

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Re: Anyone heard from George lately??

Post by VelvetGeorge » Thu Sep 15, 2022 8:23 am

Thanks guys, I appreciate it. It's been a tough run.

I sometimes get people thinking Metropoulos is a huge company. The phone used to ring and people would ask for sales or the support department. lol At the height of the DIY stuff, around 2008-2009, we were still in the little basement. In 2010 we built 52 Ampeg B15 reissues out of that space. Soon after, we built over 300 Friedman amps there. I'd say we got the most out of it.
In July 2016 I bought the commercial building. It was a nice office space attached to 4,600 sq ft of open, unheated barn. I've spent the past 6 years slowing turning what started as an open dairy barn into an amp manufacturing facility. Spray foam, drywall, 2x6 walls, radiant heat, benches, shelving and so on.

Here's the day I got the keys to the place:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gguARqoVzL8&t=1s

I can't do a shop tour video now, due to NDA's with the companies I manufacture for. Someday when it's just Metropoulos in production I'll be able to.

Transformers are still trickling out. There are only 6-8 orders left to fill. Thank you for your super-human patience on these. I will sleep better once they have all shipped.
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Re: Anyone heard from George lately??

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Re: Anyone heard from George lately??

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