Showing some respect for CS1.5 woofers

One of the most heartbreaking phone calls I (thankfully seldom) have to make goes like this:
"Hi, it's Gary from THIEL. Just calling to let you know we received your parts."

Customer says, " Great, that was fast, what did you find wrong?"

"Well, your drivers were more or less wrecked. I can't tell if they played pin ball or demolition derby on the FedEx truck en route here. The combination of sparse styrofoam peanuts and ill-placed bubble wrap provided little in the way of protection. Oh, and the shoe box you packed everything in fell apart in the rain storm we had yesterday. The only reason they got here to begin with is that you strategically placed a strip of packing tape over our address."

"Oh, so could you tell what was causing them to buzz? Is it under warranty?"

*nearly choking* "Are you kidding??"

Unfortunately, this extreme is far more common than the opposite extreme. Allow me to share an example of the opposite extreme with you. Dear customer Arthur warmed my heart this week by packing his CS1.5s in such a way that made freight damage all but impossible. I was so tickled to receive his package that I almost giggled like a school girl. This man KNOWS how to package his drivers. Pictures are worth 1000 words. Behold:

THIEL Restoration Shipping Tips

There is a very active trade network for used THIEL speakers old and new. A search any day on Audiogon or ebay turns up several THIELs from all eras. Such robust enthusiasm for our older models prompted us to advertise the capabilities of our service department as savvy THIEL restoration experts. 

One of the great challenges (as clearly illustrated above) of getting a good restoration job is getting the speakers to THIEL in the same condition that they left your house.

It's no secret that THIEL speakers weigh a ton. Even our bookshelf speakers can be surprisingly heavy in their boxes. This mandates expensive and well padded shipping containers for all models, but even with very protective packages, damage happens sometimes. So, when returning your speakers to us for refurb, take some extra care in doing so.

1) When at all possible, use original packing material for your speaker. If you don't have it, buy it from us. Not only is the original packing the safest for your speaker, but if you need to file a claim, most shippers are more receptive to paying a claim if you are using original packing material.

2) If you're shipping CS2 series or larger, please contact me so we can arrange to get them back by truck. Surprisingly, it's not as expensive as you think to send these by truck compared to a common carrier. More? Yes, but not tons more.

3) Do your best to procure a pallet to which the speakers can be strapped. This creates a boundary around the speakers (albeit small) and also boosts the odds that the speakers will stay upright throughout their whole journey. Pallets are not too hard to find. Ask any big-box retailer or grocery store if they'll give you one, and they probably will. Or, you can find a place to buy one via the phone book or Google.

4) How do you strap the speakers to a pallet? Duct tape is pretty stout stuff and should do the trick. Or, you might even try a roll of kitchen grade cling-wrap. It's very strong - just ask my high-school friend Kevin how easy it was to get into his Toyota after my junior-year prank. Whichever you use, be generous!

5) If you live within a few hours of Lexington, KY consider bringing the speakers down yourself. I'm happy to show you around the place and spin a few tracks with you in our listening room. It'll be fun!

6) Don't worry if you're having trouble reconciling any of the above. If you have a special case, call me. I'm sure we can work something out. Long live your THIEL classics!

Your freight-claim filing friend,

Gary