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Thread: Giving credit where credit is due

  1. #1
    Struggle Monkey B381's Avatar
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    Default Giving credit where credit is due

    Bought a snark tuner. It broke at the arm connection, a design that needs to be reworked as its a failure point.

    Contacted snark, they sent a new one out right away. That's customer service. Anyone have a use for the tuner head that still functions?

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    "It doesn't matter how much you invest in your instrument until you invest in you and your ability..."

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  2. #2

    Default Re: Giving credit where credit is due

    Great customer service, for sure ......BUT, and its a big BUTT -- people have been complaining about this weak spot on Snark tuners for years and nothing gets done about it. In fact, and just for fun, I clicked your second picture to enlarge the "sorry" card and it has a date of 2014 on it!!! So, they have been aware of the problem for FIVE years and still find it cheaper to just replace rather than redesign or make from better materials. That's called planned obsolescence and they are certainly in good company with many other companies who find it cheaper to do the same........a little disappointing, but again, I have to remind myself it is not 1957 and what degree of service can we honestly expect from an $8 dollar tuner?
    Last edited by Jeff Mando; Jun-07-2019 at 11:47am. Reason: precision of thought

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  4. #3
    Barn Cat Mandolins Bob Clark's Avatar
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    Default Re: Giving credit where credit is due

    I like fixing things when they break, so I can keep using them. This was an easy fix for me that has lasted now for a bunch of years. Just a little loop of tape and enough epoxy putty to fill it, and good as new. Use the tape as a barrier to keep the epoxy nice and neat. It doesn't swivel, but as long as you point it in the right direction when you apply the epoxy; no problem.

    So, for a bit of epoxy putty and a very small piece of tape, you could have a spare tuner. What could be better?
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  6. #4
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    Default Re: Giving credit where credit is due

    A fiddle playing friend of mine takes his tuner clip off anyway. Just holds it against the fiddle and reads where it is at. I don't think it is a Snark so didn't break, he just likes it that way. I am also a fixer and a friend gave me a tuner with a broken clip, easy fix. it is on the bench several years later and works fine.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

  7. #5

    Default Re: Giving credit where credit is due

    Good points, Bob and pops1! If it still works, somebody can get some use from it, regardless of whether it is living up to its original design. Snarks remind me of those one dollar quartz wristwatches that sprang up about 30 years ago -- black plastic band, ugly as sin, BUT more accurate than a Rolex, and like I said, cost a dollar! So...........hard to argue the utility........
    Last edited by Jeff Mando; Jun-07-2019 at 4:45pm.

  8. #6
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: Giving credit where credit is due

    I had a red Snark break at the ball joint. Friend gave me a little length of plastic tubing sized to fit over Autoharp tuning pins. I glued it to the (still working) tuner body and got an Autoharp tuner.
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  9. #7
    mandolin slinger Steve Ostrander's Avatar
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    Default Re: Giving credit where credit is due

    I bought a Snark a couple years ago and it broke after about two weeks. The store— a well known retailer who is mentioned here often— refused to replace it. I guess I should contact Snark directly.

    If that wasn't bad enough, I borrowed my buddy’s Snark one time and broke his too. I refuse to buy another Snark until they fox the problem.
    Living’ in the Mitten

  10. #8
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    Default Re: Giving credit where credit is due

    I have three Snark tuners, black, blue and red. It's been several years at least and none have broken. I don't believe they just break but a rethink of the design or material selection may be in order. My fiddle playing friend has one and it's broken. No you can't borrow mine.

  11. #9
    F5G & MD305 Astro's Avatar
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    Default Re: Giving credit where credit is due

    I lost the rubber pad off both of my snarks. I emailed the company twice trying to get one and they never responded. Since then one of the snarks "ball socket" broke. I reglued it and wrapped it with rubber bands for stability and I still use it but its fragile. How did you contact the company? They never answered me. Maybe I had the wrong contact.
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  12. #10
    Struggle Monkey B381's Avatar
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    Default Re: Giving credit where credit is due

    emailed
    "It doesn't matter how much you invest in your instrument until you invest in you and your ability..."

    Kentucky KM-150
    Eastman MD-404
    Eastman MD-305
    Morgan Monroe MFM-300 (passed on to a new player)
    Rover RM-75

  13. #11

    Default Re: Giving credit where credit is due

    How are you guys breaking them? I've had 2 red Snarks for years and never had any trouble with either.

  14. #12
    F5G & MD305 Astro's Avatar
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    Default Re: Giving credit where credit is due

    Rubber pads just spontaneously disappeared. I cant remember how the ball joint broke. But it didn't take much.
    No matter where I go, there I am...Unless I'm running a little late.

  15. #13
    Registered User Eric Hanson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Giving credit where credit is due

    Congrats to you on your replacement.
    It is nice to see that they have improved on this.
    A few months back I had the same problem. Broke in the same place. Contacted them via email. They did reply, but I did not receive any compensation nor replacement.
    Must be a bit of a hit and miss situation for them.
    Bummer. I liked their product well enough up to that point.
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  16. #14
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    Default Re: Giving credit where credit is due

    Upon further study of my Snark tuners I noticed the following condition. When the tuners were new the ball moved freely in the socket but as the months go by the ball begins to stick in the socket. It's as if the plastic of the ball begins to meld with the socket. The blue and red ones with the slightly textured surface seem to be the worst case. I've not noticed this before as my tuners are assigned to a single instrument so I never have to rotate the ball joint. I checked the condition of my Snarks, based on this thread, and they all resist rotating freely. The sockets are stuck to the ball and it takes considerably more force to change the position of the tuner head. I assume the resistance is a cause of the cracked socket on many Snarks. I applied a dry, spray graphite lubricant (like used to free up sticky locks) on one of the tuners and the ball freed up considerably. I'm going to wait and see if anything bad happens in time before I lubricate the other two tuners. Check your tuners out and see if the ball is sticky in the socket. A little lube may be the cure.

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