Mosaic service

[Ted O'Reilly]

It has probably been discussed before, but I've got to admire the folks at Mosaic for their service.

I took advantage of their current sale, and picked up the OKeh/Brunswick Bix, Trumbauer and Teagarden set. Played through Disc 1, then, in taking Disc 2 out of the case, it snapped! Now, I've been handling records since 78s as a kid (and have even had some cylinders as collector's items), but have never had that happen before. I phoned them, and they said "Sorry, it happens....we'll send you a replacement right away."

Damn, that's Taking Care Of Business! It may very well have been my fault, and I was prepared to pay for the single disc replacement, but they're doing it on their own hook. This is the first time I've ever had to call them for any problem whatsoever (and when I was with a radio station, we bought EVERY Mosaic release, from the first one onward, including the Commodore sets). It's a good thing, dealing with reputable companies.

Now, if I can only get them to change the jewel case they use for doubles. It's the type that is hinged to the right for the second disc, which means you've spread out three 'units' wide. You have to set it down to get to Disc 2, and Disc 1 is now exposed to the surface below. With centre-hinged cases, it's a one-handed operation, and Disc 1 is facing the booklet. Much easier and safer...

[JETman]

The same thing happened to me when I purchased the set. I got the same response from them as you did. As a matter of fact, the person I spoke to mentioned that they had gotten alot of complaints about the type of jewel case you describe.

In any event, they are and will remain a great company -- part of a rapidly dying breed, I'm afraid.

[porcy62]

Yep, pretty like the very same story.

[PHILLYQ]

The last Mosaic I ordered(a few weeks ago) on a Wednesday night and it arrived on Thursday!

[HoytClagwell]

The ironically named "brilliant box" jewel cases Mosaic uses are atrocious. The problem I have with them isn't the way the hinge swings, it's the way lip secures, actually snaps over, the CD too tight. With a normal jewel case, the Cd doesn't physically snap over anything to hold it in place, it slides onto it. With these cases, once it gets snapped in there there is no easy way to get it out until they get broken in a little. I've learned to wiggle them out safely now, but it's more trouble than it should be, and a couple of my discs have little stress marks from removing them.

[sidewinder]

I've come pretty close to breaking CDs from these snap cases on a few occasions when they were damn difficult to release. I ended up rotating them each way whilst very gently pulling out. Seems to do the trick !

Call it the 'Mosaic twist'.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

The weird thing is, this has been a problem for years. I had a Mosaic disc crack pulling it off that locking tab too. It had to be 6 or 7 years ago by now.

These slim-line doubles are a pain. What I do now is rotate the disc off the first time, like Sidewinder, and after, I use a razor to shave down that little hook.

Kevin

[alppila]

Those guys really know what they're doing. First rate products and service all the way...

[Ted O'Reilly]

I'm happy to learn that I'm not alone in disliking those particular jewel cases. I'll have to try the "Mosaic Twist", as I'm unlikely to shave the gripper-hooks.

[Peter Friedman]

This is a different take on the high quality of Mosaic's service.

Some years ago I found a copy of the Woody Shaw Mosaic box set for sale by an individual, but without the box or the booklet. I didn't care that much about the box, but very much wanted to get a copy of the booklet. So I telephoned Mosaic, placed an order for a box set by another musician and told them about the situation with the Woody Shaw set I asked if they had an extra booklet they could send me along with what I was purchasing. They said they would be happy to do so and did not charge me for it either!!!!!

[Big Wheel]

The weird thing is, this has been a problem for years. I had a Mosaic disc crack pulling it off that locking tab too. It had to be 6 or 7 years ago by now.

These slim-line doubles are a pain. What I do now is rotate the disc off the first time, like Sidewinder, and after, I use a razor to shave down that little hook.

Kevin

I'm thinking Mosaic may have switched to a different brand of these slimline doubles that has teeth that are designed to catch the disc more tightly. I've had a bit of difficulty in the past with double jewel boxes but it was nothing like the experience I just had trying to wrench discs 1 and 2 from my new Oliver Nelson set.

[sidewinder]

and after, I use a razor to shave down that little hook.

Kevin

Great idea - I'll give it a go !

[AllenLowe]

just push down on the center of the little thing with teeth -

[AllenLowe]

reminds me to call them and tell them I've accidentally cracked all 40 cds of the Capitol collection -

[Kevin Bresnahan]

just push down on the center of the little thing with teeth -

That doesn't do anything with the double cases.

The worst thing about the double case they use is that if you get one CD off of one side, the disc on the other side is even harder to remove since they share the retention hooks.

[king ubu]

just push down on the center of the little thing with teeth -

That doesn't do anything with the double cases.

The worst thing about the double case they use is that if you get one CD off of one side, the disc on the other side is even harder to remove since they share the retention hooks.

indeed!

and something else I am (in the slightest way of slightly) worried about is those new double jewel cases where the tray doesn't have any kind of hinge, but rather just sort of a perforation that allows it being opened/flipped open - these will eventually just fall apart, I assume... question is, will they last as long as I live? (I am not quite yet 30, but it's only a few months...)

[jazzbo]

Ummmm. . . you can buy replacement cases! I never expect a jewel case of any type to last a lifetime! (Not one of my clutzy lifetimes!)

[king ubu]

um, I wasn't entirely serious...

threads like these get so... nerdy...

[jazzbo]

Ummm. . . .

I know what you mean!

[sidewinder]

but rather just sort of a perforation that allows it being opened/flipped open - these will eventually just fall apart, I assume... question is, will they last as long as I live? (I am not quite yet 30, but it's only a few months...)

A serious and near-catastrophic issue ! :rsly:

There have been a few times that these things have swung open, jettisoning out the disk and forcing me to perform Olympic-standard pseudo back-flip manouevers to catch said disk before it hit the woodwork !

Edited August 20, 2008 by sidewinder

[king ubu]

but rather just sort of a perforation that allows it being opened/flipped open - these will eventually just fall apart, I assume... question is, will they last as long as I live? (I am not quite yet 30, but it's only a few months...)

A serious and near-catastrophic issue ! :rsly:

There have been a few times that these things have swung open, jettisoning out the disk and forcing me to perform Olympic-standard pseudo back-flip manouevers to catch said disk before it hit the woodwork !

hey, next time you perform such extraordinary deeds, please swith on your homecam and put the results up on youtube!

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

but rather just sort of a perforation that allows it being opened/flipped open - these will eventually just fall apart, I assume... question is, will they last as long as I live? (I am not quite yet 30, but it's only a few months...)

A serious and near-catastrophic issue ! :rsly:

There have been a few times that these things have swung open, jettisoning out the disk and forcing me to perform Olympic-standard pseudo back-flip manouevers to catch said disk before it hit the woodwork !

hey, next time you perform such extraordinary deeds, please swith on your homecam and put the results up on youtube!

MG

[Werf]

I bought the Dizzy Gillespie small group box two weeks ago, and cracked the first and sixth discs. The sixth one didn't even make it out of the case, and it snapped almost in half. Glad to hear Mosaic responds well to these mishaps. I'll contact them this week to see what they can do for some replacements.

[romualdo]

I bought the Dizzy Gillespie small group box two weeks ago, and cracked the first and sixth discs. The sixth one didn't even make it out of the case, and it snapped almost in half. Glad to hear Mosaic responds well to these mishaps. I'll contact them this week to see what they can do for some replacements.

Did the same with a disc from one of the recent Ellington sets a couple of years ago - there's a real art to getting those discs out (unbelievably tight) in some of the boxes

[king ubu]

These 2CD cases are moronic anyways ... they put way too much stress and strain on the discs.

Never had a disc break ... I did break some CDRs, but that was deliberate and needed plenty of force. Not sure how you guys seriously arrive at breaking discs, I'd make sure to crush the jewel case (or rather the inner part with the evil "teeth") before that happens!