MikeC Posted February 15, 2019 Report Share Posted February 15, 2019 I'm not sure where to post this so I'll do it here. Is there any way to contact The Strad. I tried to do a free trial subscription from my iphone, got charged $50 and still do not have access to the Strad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Allen Posted February 15, 2019 Report Share Posted February 15, 2019 They are notoriously slipshod with their customer service standards. Even talking to them face-to-face at the VSA was the same. All scatterbrained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzupe Posted February 15, 2019 Report Share Posted February 15, 2019 Fell apart when Marianne left Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtd Posted February 15, 2019 Report Share Posted February 15, 2019 The problem goes back to the late 90s if you read some of the earliest posts on maestronet. By the way is the Catgut Society Mag. etc. still in print? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC Posted February 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2019 sounds like I may be out $50 bucks, lesson learned I guess. oh well its only money, I'll make more. I really wanted to see the current edition though, I was curious about the varnish article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richf Posted February 15, 2019 Report Share Posted February 15, 2019 Cancel your credit card payment to them. That will usually get the attention of a human being. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Pope Posted February 15, 2019 Report Share Posted February 15, 2019 When I've had an issue, like a missing issue, I always contact them at customerservices@thestrad.com Provide them what information you have about the subscription and someone will respond in a business day or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC Posted February 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2019 I did send a message to customer serveice at the Strad so I'll wait and see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Molnar Posted February 15, 2019 Report Share Posted February 15, 2019 3 hours ago, MikeC said: I'm not sure where to post this so I'll do it here. Is there any way to contact The Strad. I tried to do a free trial subscription from my iphone, got charged $50 and still do not have access to the Strad. I had a similar experience. They are slow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Yacey Posted February 16, 2019 Report Share Posted February 16, 2019 I gave up on the Strad. It was bad enough when they discontinued their posters excepting for annual subscribers, but I found that there wasn't enough content geared towards makers to hold my interest. For a number of years Chapters / Indigo books would contact me when the latest issue arrived (6 to 12 week late) and hold the issue for me. After awhile, I told them not to bother holding them for me, as many of the issues had nothing of interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dimitri Musafia Posted February 16, 2019 Report Share Posted February 16, 2019 In addition to being an advertiser in The Strad, and an occasional contributor as well, I've had a subscription to the magazine since 1985. In this period, management and ownership of the magazine have changed hands numerous times, but I can say that subscriptions have ALWAYS been a problem. Right now in my inbox I have an email from customer service confirming my renewal (which required some effort on my part and it took them a month to confirm it), and a subsequent email stating that I just received my last issue. We'll see who is right, but I can see how people can get fed up and give up altogether. I'd really wish they could address this and fix it once and for all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l33tplaya Posted February 16, 2019 Report Share Posted February 16, 2019 I found the peeps at subscription quite responsive and extremely helpful. This was as recent as 1-2 years ago. Though slow - initially they took a week or two to respond, later it was down to 48 hrs. I found them much slower via email as opposed to voice mail. Try leaving a messsage at the toll free number. Remind them you are EST, so they don't call too early. Trying to find that 800 number....Looks like that USA number doesn't exist? Try their UK number over skype? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Szyper Posted February 16, 2019 Report Share Posted February 16, 2019 The Strads content is great, but so far I have not come across with worse customer service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC Posted February 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 Update: I got my subscription. Strad support wasn't very helpful. Apparently they don't deal with digital subscriptions but working with my iphone apps I was finally able to decrypt the secret sequence with a little luck. Apple support was totally unhelpful also by the way. And the varnish article in the Strad that prompted this in the first place was not worth it. It's nothing more than the standard linseed oil / pine rosin varnish that we all know how to make. cook the rosin for color, wash the oil, all standard stuff, nothing new. Although the author did say that cooked rosin is not alcohol soluble which I don't believe and also said that you can add cold oil to the cold finished varnish which I think is probably a bad idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H_Axel Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 If you only need occasional access to individual articles, try the research section of your library’s website. My local library provides free access to EbscoHost which allows full text search of many magazines including The Strad. Your library may do the same. Using EbscoHost, I logged in and viewed a pdf of the Gilles varnish article in just a few minutes by searching for “The Strad varnish.” The Robson article from September popped up too. The only downside is that you have to wait a few weeks after publication for new articles to appear and you can’t easily browse the entire issue. I guess they do this so as not to cannabalize the magazines’ business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtlVcl Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 That mag should be available for sale at any high-end violin shop, assuming you live anywhere near one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Szyper Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 19 hours ago, MikeC said: Update: I got my subscription. Strad support wasn't very helpful. Apparently they don't deal with digital subscriptions but working with my iphone apps I was finally able to decrypt the secret sequence with a little luck. Apple support was totally unhelpful also by the way. And the varnish article in the Strad that prompted this in the first place was not worth it. It's nothing more than the standard linseed oil / pine rosin varnish that we all know how to make. cook the rosin for color, wash the oil, all standard stuff, nothing new. Although the author did say that cooked rosin is not alcohol soluble which I don't believe and also said that you can add cold oil to the cold finished varnish which I think is probably a bad idea. Why don’t you believe? My cooked colophony is not soluble in alcohol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Burgess Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 19 hours ago, MikeC said: And the varnish article in the Strad that prompted this in the first place was not worth it. It's nothing more than the standard linseed oil / pine rosin varnish that we all know how to make. cook the rosin for color, wash the oil, all standard stuff, nothing new. Although the author did say that cooked rosin is not alcohol soluble which I don't believe and also said that you can add cold oil to the cold finished varnish which I think is probably a bad idea. Alcohol solubility of rosin will depend on how long, and at what temperature you cook it, and also on what other ingredients you cook it with. On the other end, there's the time of exposure to the alcohol, what type of alcohol and the "proof", the temperature, and what you consider to be "dissolving", versus softening, or plumping up a bit from alcohol absorption. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC Posted February 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2019 I thought rosin would be soluble in alcohol regardless of it being cooked or not but have not tested it so I could be wrong. so old Cremona varnish is soluble in alcohol so does that prove they did not use highly cooked rosin? I live in a rural area away from big cities so no violin shops and only a small library which I have not visited. Anyway I've got a year subscription so it will give me something to read but on my iphone I'll have to use a microscope.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
not telling Posted February 21, 2019 Report Share Posted February 21, 2019 Hold on, who just added raw, or washed linseed oil to their varnish? Nicholas Gilles? I don't believe that's a thing. I don't know anyone who believes that's a thing. Yet every piece of wood he touches turns into a gold medal, so he can't be wrong. I mean that without sarcasm. That is interesting information that I have never seen or heard of. Barnes and Noble quit stocking copies of the Strad, and a subscription seems like a major commitment, really. The content has been inconsistent for awhile now, from what I can tell. But then I miss interesting articles that come along occasionally from esteemed contributors. I think a lot of people are at the same impasse with The Strad. Oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC Posted February 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2019 NT I had to read it again to make sure I'm not telling a fib. "It's always possible to add some cold cooked oil to the finished varnish later, to adjust the oiliness" So probably not something he would do normally. Just a special case if it needs adjusting. I still think it's not a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rue Posted February 21, 2019 Report Share Posted February 21, 2019 ...I still enjoy the pictures... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.