UPDATED: Mark L. Schifter, PLEADS GUILTY to suspicion of charity fraud

[Chu Gai]

Remember when MLS said he sold his "reference" $20,000 Goldmund amplifier because he said the X amp was "just that much better"?

Like he ever had one! Good thing he held onto the 25" Sharp TV. Now that was a keeper!

Oh, thanks. Looking it up on wetpaint, I see I was confusing "Mascarey" with "African Macassar Ebony" Never paid enough attention to the spelling of that word until today. I thought they were both the same thing!

..dane

No matter what he called it, you can be sure if it was put on in Colombia, it would crack and keep cracking.

 

[woofersus]

Oh yeah I can see how that would be confusing. I think they stopped Mascarey because they couldn't get them to stock cracking or something like that. It was a cool veneer though.

Seems they couldn't get ANY of their veneers to stop cracking. Palisander was no good, Moho was no good, Mascarey was no good. In fact, the only veneer that consistently worked was Rosewood, and even that got a little sketchy after they stopped manufacturing at SAC. Maybe it's not the wood's fault after all. In hindsight I'm glad my MFW-15 is in satin black because I couldn't afford a veneer at the time...

 

[Jed M]

You think he can really afford that amp?

It depends on the raffle I suppose.

 

[Jed M]

I've been informed that the beloved Anita Koch Interview with that Secret man has been removed from the Xtranormal site. It seems that someone who is very smart has complained and taken offense at the parody.

However, we do have some words from a member of the Audio Design Groupe. They can be found here.

Are you referring to the brilliant man with all the degrees who had to be told that his bff was a con-man and a cheat and yet still didn't believe it because the message was delivered by a far less educated/knowledgeable and lower class of individuals? Or am I not being specific enough?

 

[skeeter99]

A quick question ..

Now that AV123 is gone, is av123.wetpaint.com going to disappear as well? It would be useful to keep around to reference old product information (such as looking up the name of that Macassar Ebony I just mentioned).. Who runs that site? Any plans on shutting it down?

cheers,
..dane

I'm pretty sure that site was completely independent from AV123. It was a wiki site and some of the info wasn't correct from what I remember. It would be a good idea to have people update info they have so we can possibly get a place to have manuals, etc. Maybe even Hugh and Seaton and Kevin can post links to their sites for support of products ...

 

[Hugh-Melody]

Good idea Mr. AH.

I'm pretty sure that site was completely independent from AV123. It was a wiki site and some of the info wasn't correct from what I remember. It would be a good idea to have people update info they have so we can possibly get a place to have manuals, etc. Maybe even Hugh and Seaton and Kevin can post links to their sites for support of products ...

 

[Chu Gai]

Seems they couldn't get ANY of their veneers to stop cracking. Palisander was no good, Moho was no good, Mascarey was no good. In fact, the only veneer that consistently worked was Rosewood, and even that got a little sketchy after they stopped manufacturing at SAC. Maybe it's not the wood's fault after all. In hindsight I'm glad my MFW-15 is in satin black because I couldn't afford a veneer at the time...

Well, look how they put on the veneer! They used phucking steam irons! How they managed to sell anything after that picture appeared at the AV451 site is beyond me!

 

[Jed M]

Well, look how they put on the veneer! They used phucking steam irons! How they managed to sell anything after that picture appeared at the AV451 site is beyond me!

That photo might have been the moment the forum jumped the shark.

"Looks great Mark"
"Where do I sign up Mark"
"Mark is so hands on"
"Drool!"
"Those are some high end looking tools Mark"
"For some reason I feel like doing laundry"

 

[gonk]

Its all Seaton's fault though, right?

Of course - Schifter loves him to death, but if anybody's getting pitched under the bus, it's somebody else.

 

[gonk]

A quick question ..

Now that AV123 is gone, is av123.wetpaint.com going to disappear as well? It would be useful to keep around to reference old product information (such as looking up the name of that Macassar Ebony I just mentioned).. Who runs that site? Any plans on shutting it down?

cheers,
..dane

It's independent, but also incomplete - since it started mainly to focus on the products that were developed (or announced) after SAC kicked them out, the Rockets are not well represented. Also, I think a lot of the pictures linked back to AV123's site (which is a dead end now).

 

[Das]

Well, look how they put on the veneer! They used phucking steam irons! How they managed to sell anything after that picture appeared at the AV451 site is beyond me!

Awe, come on, that guy in the back staring on is using a Rowenta, those are quality German tools being used there. Or so Schifty would proclaim


But in all seriousness that picture is very telling because that cabinet is actually being fixed post-production. You can clearly see the cabs in the background are already veneered but unfinished, and the cab Schift is so kindly scratching with his Folex watch band has been lacquered already. Probably got a little to wet of a coat on the edge and the solvent from the finish started softening the adhesive and the veneer lifted.

The ironic thing is that according to Schift, when I asked him which glue he was using, he said they were using Urea Formaldehyde. Thing is that common formulations of UF glue do not like heat nor moisture, therefore the fact that they are using a steam iron on a finished veneer that was applied with Urea is quite funny. They are probably using it to set whatever "repair glue" (should be epoxy) that they're using. Or the whole thing could have been staged, who knows. Had they been using PVA an industrial iron (not clothes iron's) is actually a common tool used to dry apply, heat set, or fix peels on veneer. Problem is they were using urea formaldehyde glue, or so Schift said.

 

[Chu Gai]

After all that stuff is sold

do you think it's going to generate enough money to pay off any actual customers?

 

[j_garcia]

My guess is any funds will go to their suppliers first and it probably won't even cover that, so chances are customers will end up on the low end of that totem pole. In other words, no.

 

[jvgillow]

Looks like honeybear1 has kicked off the bidding.

 

[mannoiaj]

AV123.com is done. They are out of business. Mark Schifter was the owner of the company AND is in deep **** regarding his business practices. It's over... what is there to possibly talk about now?

 

[Stereodude]

Asset liquidation. Duh...

 

[NicolasKL]

Not to mention sentencing.

 

[Stereodude]

Or, availability of replacement parts.

 

[NicolasKL]

Plenty to talk about after sentencing also. What facility he's been remanded to, what the food is like, what the incidence of surprise buttsex and random shankings are there, etc.

Plus there's restitution. Who got paid, who didn't, who might, who won't, how fast, etc.

I think this topic has another year or two worth of fun in it.

 

[Chu Gai]

Or assisting others who are owed monies and are looking for advice on how they might pursue its recovery. He still has the house and there's personal property. Besides, he's a royal prick of the first order and football/basketball has yet to start.