So today I decided to drive over to Guitar Center (Cerritos, California) on my lunch break. Now I never shop there EVER, I was just killing time. I started by looking in the effects department for Moogerfoogers, nothing! Looked around at guitars then ventured over to the Keyboard room (now I know that GC has Moog Music products, right?) I find Little Phatty #1. I think I’ll noodle around on this a little while then go back to work. Its powered off (I think?) Push the power button, Nothing! Check to see if its plugged into the power, yep! Try it again nothing. Change the outlet, Push power button, nothing. (watching my Moog time running out!) Give up As I’m walking out of the department I eye Little Phatty #2, Its powered off, push the button “NOTHING!” check the plug and try the button again, nothing! change outlets and try again, NO SIGN OF LIFE! I give up on my Moog lunch hour and back to work I go.
Now I have shared this because I’m a Moog HEAD (Moogerfoogers) and my next addition is either a Little Phatty or a Voyager. I can’t decide right now What I’m wondering is this just a Guitar Center experience or is there a Moog Music quality problem?
I would be so bummed If I spent serious cash for a Voyager or a Little Phatty and It gave me meltdown type trouble when it was brand new. I don’t know what I would do? My question is: In a real world situation are these road worthy? Or am I at the will of the shipping department at said music store? Fedex? UPS? or is this just a fluke experience? Please chime in…
Road worthy? Mine went back to the factory from Illinois to North Carolina, and came back without the side screws and was fine, compliments of UPS. Even though it was in a road case, I was impressed that UPS managed to not destroy it, especially with the front panel loose like it was. BTW, mine went in for service, as one of the main board connectors was being stubborn and wouldn’t go back in the socket after the LP fell off the stand. Amos put it right, and that’s when I decided to get some of the LED’s switched out with blue ones.
When he sent it back, he forgot the panel screws, which I realized after trying to get it out of the case. Oddly enough, it worked perfectly.
Okay,
I went into a guitar center one time…not that I shop there either or even hang out there. But I managed to see a phatty there and I had never seen any moog synths here in arkansas aside from the ones that I own. So I gave this stage I a trial run. Powered it up, hit some keys…nothing.
I looked at the plug, tested the volume…nothing. THen I remembered back in the old days when my father had to reset the MicroMoog for me because as we all know, if we don’t know anything about synthesis its easy to set it up where it negates its own sound. So I thought…Wait…its a Moog! I tweaked the filter cutoff and lo and behold it came to life.
I imagine that people go in there ant tweak knobs all day long and set up a patch where the sound isn’t coming out and they leave not knowing what happened.
WOrse comes to worse, when a Moog doesn’t make a sound, open the filter up all the way and turn the attack all the way ccw and its bound to work.
In answer to the original poster’s question, that was a “Guitar Center is not on the ball” problem. I’ve never seen a Little Phatty that was plugged into a working power outlet fail to turn on at all, ever.
Which GC store is that? I’ll be happy to call them up and ask WTF is with their Moog display…
I say, buy with confidence, tubeampguy! I haven’t dropped mine off anything (yet?) but it’s survived a trip home on the subway, two moves, a few good bangs and thumps here and there. I try to be careful with my stuff, but st*ff happens and when it’s happened to the Phatty, the Phatty seems to be able to handle it.
Both of these Little Phatty’s were in groups of other company’s keyboards fired up and ready to play. LP#1 was on one wall in the back of the department and LP#2 was in the front. Plugged into live powerstrips I checked the IEC cables (both ends) in several different outlets on the powerstrips. I will guess that in a room that size there is more than one circuit and both these LP were on different walls. Neither showed ANY sign of powering on (Dead!) This was not a LP filter being closed.
You ought to go there and say that you want to buy that PHatty, but since it isn’t working you want a su[per reduction. 500 dollars. THen send it to Amos and hell fix it real good like.
Hi, I have been too busy to call… but interestingly enough, a very helpful Guitar Center employee read this thread and took the initiative to make enquiries himself. He found out that one LP is up and running just fine (might have been an AC power issue there, who knows) and the other one apparently needs some sort of service and they are going to get it taken care of. These poor floor models, they’re not always treated with respect by the general public…
So, there is currently a working LP on the floor at that GC, and we will sort out the second one ASAP.
That is interesting! Who would have guessed Guitar Center had very helpful employees? I’d like to meet this employee, if not just to ask why they are still working at Guitar Center. Obviously, this person deserves a raise or promotion.
I think there are forums and threads about how much GC sucks. I mean I went in there and saw DIRTY Fantom G’s. I mean thats one of Roland’s flagship units and the simulated ivory keys are supposed to be a new innovation (sweat absorbing and slip resistant) and there were several that looked like people got into a mud fight and came in and practiced chopsticks.
Its like a store where you are some status person by walking in there…even though they are totally a catalog corporation. Im also angry because they are responsible for the local music stores closing and now Best Buy wants to sell instruments.
My little Phatty came from GC in the display box only and it works just fine. BTW I went into the Music dept? at Best Buy and people were dropping their young kids off while they shopped.. Horrible…Kids banging on the keys with their fist. No Moogs though. At least it mostly musicians at GC.
As I’m walking out of the department I eye Little Phatty #2, Its powered off, push the button “NOTHING!” check the plug and try the button again, nothing! change outlets and try again, NO SIGN OF LIFE! I give up on my Moog lunch hour and back to work I go.
BTW, mine went in for service, as one of the main board connectors was being stubborn and wouldn’t go back in the socket after the LP fell off the stand. Amos put it right, and that’s when I decided to get some of the LED’s switched out with blue ones.
Oddly enough, it worked perfectly. 
I’ll make sure I don’t mention it again. 
