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[jamesisapayne]

Edward, can i ask a question about the DXM process?

As it's a cad-based way of shaping the bats, would it be possible in a few years time to have an Epic made even though the model has been discontinued?

Thanks, James

[Edward Lowy]

My point was made to another post about how I believe GM doesn't have a clear identity hense the analogy to the Jaguar rear view mirror test.
Lets just say I don't get where GM are going if youre happy that's fine.

No problem - where we are going in terms of brand execution is to increase visibility. As I said at our sales meetings last week:

"Let's be clear. We make bats"

Whilst we would be delighted to please as many folk as possible, we quite understand that people have their own likes and dislikes. By the way, you didn't come back about our "terrible" video? Which one did you mean, what didn't you like?

Kind regards

Edward

[Edward Lowy]

Edward, can i ask a question about the DXM process?

As it's a cad-based way of shaping the bats, would it be possible in a few years time to have an Epic made even though the model has been discontinued?

Thanks, James

Hi James - yes indeed. We can make any of our existing profiles literally at the touch of a button. Sorry about Epic, but most products have a life cycle - Epic was waning so time to move on.

Kind regards

Edward

[WalkingWicket37]

Hi James - yes indeed. We can make any of our existing profiles literally at the touch of a button. Sorry about Epic, but most products have a life cycle - Epic was waning so time to move on.

Kind regards

Edward

Does that mean you can make an original shape Purist still??

[jamesisapayne]

Hi James - yes indeed. We can make any of our existing profiles literally at the touch of a button. Sorry about Epic, but most products have a life cycle - Epic was waning so time to move on.

Kind regards

Edward

Ha ha no worries about the Epic, I totally understand why models get dropped. I love the Icon, but prefer the Epic as i like to drive a lot and the middle's obviously lower.

I've got a Flare that's on it's last legs and sent back for a refurb too so maybe I'll have the pair of them re-made!

The reason I asked is that I didn't know if you had to seriously re-program the whole machine or you could just select a model and boom, it's done.

James

[jamesisapayne]

Does that mean you can make an original shape Purist still??

I bet Colesy is foaming at the mouth in anticipation!

[Edward Lowy]

Does that mean you can make an original shape Purist still??

Yes and, er, no!

Let's have a chat about Purist...

We launched this in 1998 - it was a very successful introduction and heralded a new look, a new livery for GM bats. At the time, we were much criticised by a section of customers for changing the look of GM - "what were we doing messing around with our heritage, confusing branding, don't know what you are doing", that kind of thing. However, time moves on, and we needed to move GM on too.

Purist was a beautiful bat. No bow, no concaving, pretty much parallel edges. It endured until 2007 - during it's life cycle, it went through several changes of livery as it happens. By 2007, times had changed, sales were declining. We introduced Purist 2 in 2008 with what were then deemed necessary bow and contoured edges.

Both Purist and Purist 2 pre-dated the introduction of our DXM processes - so the answer to can we make the original Purist is yes, as our craftsmen and women can make any shape, but no it does not exist as a DXM shape.

Which brings us to the discussion of "retro" in this thread and the apparent dismay about Purist 2014 style.

Please don't let anyone run away with the idea that yesterday will power tomorrow. It simply won't. Life has moved on in all walks of life and if we introduced the original Purist shape in next year's range, it would be loved and lauded by a few and derided by the many. Sales would be minimal. Talk to people who actually sell bats and they will tell you that there is a niche for retro, but the mainstay of their sales come from innovation and contemporary market relevance.

As for labelling bats in a similar style to 1998, well as I have said above, the labels we introduced then were considered very nice by some and loathsome, detestable and brand crucifying by others. 1998 was not a defining moment for GM, it was an important point in time but was one of many in our 128 year history. If I had to pick a more relevant change, it would be the Hero bat of 2005 which for the first time took us away from our house colours of blue and green. The reaction to doing that, over all, was much more positive than the introduction of Purist, and freed us from the constraints of just two colours. In my view other brands have just this issue now.

So, there we go - short question, long answer!

Kind regards

Edward

[Number4]

Maybe a bat next year based on the golden number phi Edward? 

[Edward Lowy]

Maybe a bat next year based on the golden number phi Edward? 

I'm going to have to Google that! 

[Butterfingerz]

So why the decision not to call it Purist 3 or 3.0?

With DXM being CAD based then surely an exact copy of any bat could be made?

[Number4]

I can see it on shelves now... The GM Phi... Or the GM 1.618 

[toenails97]

To EDWARD,

Well I've got to say I'm overwhelmed by the GM range and love the softs, and the flatter face option however I'm still disappointed about the purist but hey like you say you have the 1885 and halo a go which was basically the same shape, so I think we should forgive you!

Do the original LE pads have padded straps? Just I think this is a huge detail when your paying so much for a pair of pads.

Cheers
Tony

[Chad]

Yes and, er, no!

Let's have a chat about Purist...

We launched this in 1998 - it was a very successful introduction and heralded a new look, a new livery for GM bats. At the time, we were much criticised by a section of customers for changing the look of GM - "what were we doing messing around with our heritage, confusing branding, don't know what you are doing", that kind of thing. However, time moves on, and we needed to move GM on too.

Purist was a beautiful bat. No bow, no concaving, pretty much parallel edges. It endured until 2007 - during it's life cycle, it went through several changes of livery as it happens. By 2007, times had changed, sales were declining. We introduced Purist 2 in 2008 with what were then deemed necessary bow and contoured edges.

Both Purist and Purist 2 pre-dated the introduction of our DXM processes - so the answer to can we make the original Purist is yes, as our craftsmen and women can make any shape, but no it does not exist as a DXM shape.

Which brings us to the discussion of "retro" in this thread and the apparent dismay about Purist 2014 style.

Please don't let anyone run away with the idea that yesterday will power tomorrow. It simply won't. Life has moved on in all walks of life and if we introduced the original Purist shape in next year's range, it would be loved and lauded by a few and derided by the many. Sales would be minimal. Talk to people who actually sell bats and they will tell you that there is a niche for retro, but the mainstay of their sales come from innovation and contemporary market relevance.

As for labelling bats in a similar style to 1998, well as I have said above, the labels we introduced then were considered very nice by some and loathsome, detestable and brand crucifying by others. 1998 was not a defining moment for GM, it was an important point in time but was one of many in our 128 year history. If I had to pick a more relevant change, it would be the Hero bat of 2005 which for the first time took us away from our house colours of blue and green. The reaction to doing that, over all, was much more positive than the introduction of Purist, and freed us from the constraints of just two colours. In my view other brands have just this issue now.

So, there we go - short question, long answer!

Kind regards

Edward

Hi Edward, about this, have your drying techniques changed allowed for a bigger bat that you used to be able to make in 2007? I was having a think about this, and thought that perhaps you could beef up the edges to around the 30mm mark, still have the non-concaved back and the profile of the Purist, and maybe make it a limited run? Of course, this would probably have to be made in Players grade willow, but if you can get the Trott Icon to be that big without concaving, surely the Purist wouldn't be impossible? I know I'm probably just thinking in a fantasy world of mine, probably because a Purist 303 was my very first bat, but I'm just curious if it could be done. I completely understand the reasoning behind the traditionally shaped Purist not being brought back, even Newbery have apparently changed their Mjolnir profile for this year, (for a thicker edged profile) probably because thick edges sell bats.

I think GM have done a great job, maybe a little too much information, but I'm a bit of a cricket bat geek and I like info like this, and if the majority of your customers buy online, then why not give them as much information as you can? I'm warming to the Zona style stickers too, I think it's just the profile that wasn't quite to my liking.

I do have a question about the weight differences for a bigger edge, is this because you press the flat faced bats a little harder? I would have thought that if you pressed them with the same force for the flatter face ones, which would mean the edges wouldn't be as compressed but the middle would be just as compressed, which means that you still get the bat at the same weight, just with a thicker edge. Perhaps it's the profile shaping that's slightly different on the CNC, but surely you would get around a 5mm thicker edge from the F2 face compared to the F7 face. I'm just guessing here though...

[Chad]

I can see it on shelves now... The GM Phi... Or the GM 1.618 

We may have to take the camber of the pressing into account too!

[Jimmyg]

With DXM being CAD based then surely an exact copy of any bat could be made?

Has Edward not fully explained this already? You seem keen to keep chipping away at any comments Edward makes.
Any GM bat that has been designed with the DXM system can be reproduced again easily. However a bat that hasn't been produced under DXM ie a Purist couldn't be reproduced without a) scanning and coordinating an original Purist bat, or b) producing on CAD from scratch a model of a Purist bat. Neither is something GM is going to do.
Its like saying that because GM have a DXM CAD system surely they could make an exact replica of the Taj Mahal out of willow. Technically it's possible but its not going to happen because it's not viable to do it.