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Author Topic: Rank the 4 EBI brands....  (Read 11001 times)

stopncrank

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Rank the 4 EBI brands....
« on: January 03, 2013, 09:49:15 AM »
I thought it would be interesting to get feedback from those on here as to how you rank Ebonite, Track, C300 and Hammer in terms of equipment, customer service, quality, and just overall perception of each indivudual brand, with a rank of 1-4 with 1 being the best, and 4 being the bottom.

Also, maybe add condensed comments as to why you put what brand in what spot...we have a company only site that is a great feedback tool with alot of folks who work for EBI, and I feel this would be a great way to give them feedback on what/how their customers past and present perceive the brands...

Thoughts??
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JohnP

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Re: Rank the 4 EBI brands....
« Reply #1 on: January 03, 2013, 11:04:23 AM »
My rating, based primarily on sales with the other factors being equal. 

1.  Hammer
2.  Ebonite
3.  Track
4.  Columbia 300

Hammer and Ebonite switched positions with the introduction of the Black Widow series.  I have one customer that buys Track.  It's been a long time since I sold anything Columbia 300 except White Dots.  --  JohnP
« Last Edit: January 03, 2013, 11:07:28 AM by JohnP »

TWOHAND834

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Re: Rank the 4 EBI brands....
« Reply #2 on: January 03, 2013, 11:20:01 AM »
1.  Columbia 300
2.  Hammer
3.  Ebonite
4.  Track

I put Columbia first because of two people:  Bugsy Kelly and Chris Barnes.  In their videos, Bugsy probably throws it the best of anyone on any video the 4 companies put out.  Secondly, it doesnt hurt to have someone like Chris Barnes in your corner as he very well may be the most respected bowler on the planet

I put Hammer second because they use a variety of bowlers in their videos and even do ball comparisons. 

The reason I put Ebonite third, is because even though they make great equipment, there is someone different in each video.  One video has Ed Gallagher.  The next has Tommy Jones.  A couple had Kulick and Couch.  Another has Anthony Amadeo.  It would be cool to see all the videos in the same format and even with side by side ball comparisons.  Another thing, is I liked it better when Ronald Hickland was doing the videos.  Not saying that Ed is doing a bad job or anything.  I just think Ronald has a better on camera persona and more polarizing figure. For me, when I think Ebonite, I think Ronald Hickland (plus I bowled with him in Cincinnati a few years back.  SUPER nice guy).

I put Track last because I simply dont know as much about them as I do the other 3.  It doesnt hurt that Fagan is making shows. 
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Walking E

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Re: Rank the 4 EBI brands....
« Reply #3 on: January 03, 2013, 12:45:09 PM »
1. Track
2. Columbia
3. Ebonite
4. Hammer

1. Track. I like their equipment the best of the four companies. It just seems to store energy and hit harder than any of the others for me. This is an easy #1 for me.
2. Columbia. I've had quite a bit of success with the a few of their recent releases (Ransom Demand, Eruption, Outburst).
3. Ebonite. I've liked a few of their recent pieces. Unfortunately, I did run into issues with the covers going weak fairly quickly even with maintenance. I liked the way a few of their pieces rolled for me in ball demos so I think the balls react pretty well as a whole.
4. Hammer. Unfortunately, I have only thrown one of their recent pieces (BW Sting). It was great for 15 games and then turned into a dud. I haven't thrown enough of their equipment to rate them higher at this time. Not a knock against the brand - just not enough firsthand knowledge to rate them higher.

My customer service ratings are biased because my pro shop has Track and Columbia reps, but not a dedicated Ebonite rep and no Hammer rep. I imagine that customer service for the four brands would be pretty equal. I do enjoy working with the Track and Columbia guys in the shop.
I think the Hammer videos are EASILY the best of the four brands, though I still think they lean too heavily towards the higher rev bowlers. Track has the second best videos, followed by Ebonite and Columbia.

Matt Fortney

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Re: Rank the 4 EBI brands....
« Reply #4 on: January 03, 2013, 01:12:06 PM »
Interesting topic. I guess I really have two lists. A realistic, general "popular in my are" list, and a personal preference list. To combine the two would be almost impossible for me lol. So based on bowlers in my area and just what I see, the popularity list is:

1. Hammer
2. Track
3. Ebonite
4. Columbia

For me personally however, it's like this:

1. Hammer - And let me say, the difference between 1 and 2 for me is like...almost non existent. The only reason I put Hammer in the number 1 spot is because I've been very impressed by the Taboo Deep Purple. Although I haven't thrown one, I've seen a bunch thrown, and that ball alone kind of tipped the scales for me.

2. Ebonite - Like I said, really close second. I guess if they had that "wow" ball, they'd be up at the top.

3. Columbia - Although I wouldn't hesitate to throw one, even less of that "wow" factor for me.

4. Track - I was a big fan of track back in the day before the EBI buy out. Seems like the products have changed drastically since then, and honestly, although I appreciate the idea behind the number=name system, it's really hard for me to get excited or even want to throw products named a number. I would really prefer to see the number/letter system stay, b/c I think there's value in it, but I would personally prefer to see it on the side of the ball, separate the name. Similar to the 900 Global/AMF cover strength number system.

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vkowalski1970

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Re: Rank the 4 EBI brands....
« Reply #5 on: January 03, 2013, 01:43:29 PM »
1) Hammer, had not thrown Hammer in 15 yrs, purchased both Jet Black and Deep Purple Taboos....Love them both!! Deep Purple is a beast!! Not crazy about Cobalt Vibe, too snappy for my liking

2) Track, Loved the 505T, great ball, but not much since, hated 607A

3) Ebonite....SR 300 great, nothing liked since. Mission wasnt good for me...

4) Columbia....havent thrown in years, but Violent Eruption looks good to me
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billdozer

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Re: Rank the 4 EBI brands....
« Reply #6 on: January 03, 2013, 02:57:58 PM »
to me i see it like this....

#1 hammer has the most complete line up, fan favorite cores/covers, the best "image"...they have proper line succession like storm has...like how the sauce core (once a high end ball) is in the arson line. i forsee that they are going to lose the no.1 spot....they need a mega release that draws everyone back to the brand..so does ebonite...once again...a few years ago they had us all wrapped around their finger with the mission...as did hammer with the first taboo release..now its all...blah.

#2 track....they have the what's next? cutting edge, innovation that all brands need...the only thing they cant really produce is the high-end blockbuster releases....i feel the 811 c/t is going to turn the tide in their favor for high end releases...

I have been saying this for years...my prediction is the return of the megatron core for the 10 series ball...this will get me to purchase a kentucky product for sure! loved that core. 

#3 columbia 300-I feel in the coming year or so, will leapfrog hammer and track...theyre 90% there but need a bit more "you gotta have this" to their image...they have a few homeruns....but they gotta do better than the eruption line...they also appear to struggle with a high end reputation.

#4 ebonite...the only thing I see done right is that rainbow cyclone...if they could produce equipment that looks good, and works better in every line they might actually get close to their glory days.  i do feel their is more effort with shelf appeal...but it is very weird...i have only seen 2 guys throw their stuff out of three bowling alleys that i consistently bowl in.  save your brand, bring back the mission, and make some shows...sheesh..
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rotogrip_rick

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Re: Rank the 4 EBI brands....
« Reply #7 on: January 03, 2013, 03:57:17 PM »
In order of customer's buying power at my shop:
1) Track-- Cannot keep the 5-series and 8-series balls in stock.
2) Hammer-- Vibe line and Smokin' and Arson line has done well
3+4-tied) I can say I have not sold a Columbia 300 or an Ebonite ball in about 3 months except for maxims and white dots....

northface28

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Re: Rank the 4 EBI brands....
« Reply #8 on: January 03, 2013, 06:04:35 PM »
1. Track- The numbering system is awkward, but it works. Real popular, Storm, DV8, & Track are hogging the lanes.

2. Columbia- No ball that you "have to have", but lots of solid pieces.

3. Hammer- Kind of like unicorns, hear about them, but I rarely see them.

10. Ebonite- Yes, I went from 3 to 10, Ebonite has some of the worst stuff out right now. The last good ball they had was the Mission. Cyclone is ok, but there are dozens of balls that are similiar. If it werent for a local staffer, I couldnt tell you the last time I saw a Ebonite ball.
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bradl

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Re: Rank the 4 EBI brands....
« Reply #9 on: January 03, 2013, 06:52:51 PM »
I'm game for this, and I'm coming from starting out with Hammer in the Fab days, then switching to EBI for 3 years, then C300, then between EBI and Fab in the late 90s/early 2000s, and staying solely mainly EBI until they bought Hammer, then Columbia and Track. With that in mind,

1) Hammer. Hammer struggled a bit back when they were first bought. Though the Vicious and Blade series were good, they struggled afterwards. The Sauce series got everyone's attention for a split second, but when the BW series started, it exploded. Then they brought out the Vibe series, Taboo, and up to where we are now. Add in the fact that they pinched Jeff Ussery from PowerHouse to be the brand manager, they now have this swagger to their line that makes their gear popular.

2) C300. Last two balls of theirs I threw were the Pearl Quake (my first 300 ball), and the Pearl Pulse. The white dot was my first bowling ball ever (hey, I was 5!). I almost picked up the Boss Pearl, but got talked into a black 3-D Offset Hammer. Fast forward to now. The Omen and the Dark Encounter, the Omen, and the Vow are absolute killer balls, and given that they have most of the multi-brand reps throwing their gear more often than not, tells you that C300 is back on the way up. This outside the fact that Barnes is still making the shows, keeping the presence of the brand out there.

3) Track. I'm being a bit hard on C300's little brother, as Fagan is keeping this brand going and then some. About 10 years ago, I moved from Vegas to N. California, and lost my shops and reps with Ebonite, as everything in the area was Track at the time. So in looking for a pro shop to get established in, I was talked into a Track Animal. It was okay for about half a season, then the performance tanked badly. I was tempted to get into a Phenom Unleashed, but luckily I went searching around and found this new ball Ebonite put out, called the Total NV. Haven't looked at Track since, though I did throw their 515E Special Edition during a demo days event. Smooth rolling ball, but that was it. Nothing wrong with the brand; just that I'm not feeling it. I'm seeing a LOT of track gear being thrown, so that tells me they are doing something good.

4) Ebonite. I'm being a bit biased here, because IMHO, they are in some trouble. I love the brand; every ball I've had of theirs going back to the Turbo/X has been nothing but wonderful. I still keep my Optyx Formula 1 and TPC Warrior in my bag. But after Mika's ToC win, they've been in trouble. Where Hammer has concentrated on the product and getting it to the average bowler, Ebonite has been more about marketing, and being "all filler, no killer". They've abandoned the level of detail and getting down and talking to the bowler, in favour of marketing and buzzwords, and that is killing them. The Pursuit and Pursuit/S bombed, and they should have kept the Mission X to an overseas release. The Challenge is a killer ball, but they haven't had any star power to showcase it. Kulick is doing her best, but Jones has been bowling more overseas and is in a huge slump as far as the PBA goes. Plus add in the fact that they've been balling down to something in the mid-range series (isn't their fault, as that is what the shot may call for), so the Innovate and Elevate have been getting more time than the high-range balls. So they have no real presence out there, and it clearly shows in the videos they've been putting out. Something is just wrong here and Ebonite needs to figure it out.

All in all, in the past year and a half, there has been a HUGE shift in reps and quality of products. It's big enough that EBI lost two huge reps in CDB (she was dominating with EBI up to and after the PWBA folded), and Leanne Hulsenberg. I get my gear punched up at her and her husband's pro shop and it shocked me to see that she was picked up by Storm, and she was EBI for a good 15 - 20 years. With nearly every Storm/Roto Grip rep making the TV shows and winning, plus the onset of multi-brand contracts, and the shift of of pros from one company to another (Couch retiring, Webb shifting to Storm, finding his touch again, and winning), new blood getting on the two-handed train, Ebonite (not EBI) is finding itself a bit out of touch and needs to do something to get back on their feet. Otherwise, we'll be stuck with more fruit-smelling balls, and more people fed up with the 'major' brands (EBI, Brunswick, Storm/Roto-Grip), and will head to more of the independent/new guys coming up (900Global, Lord Field, DV8, Motiv).

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rockerbowler18

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Re: Rank the 4 EBI brands....
« Reply #10 on: January 04, 2013, 12:26:11 AM »
10. Ebonite- Yes, I went from 3 to 10.

I lol'd.

As for myself - I'd probably say hammer, c300, track, ebonite.

Tough for me to say - since I pretty much only throw ebonite; but, I'm throwing older pieces. Mission, lanebreaker, the one, sr300, complete nv, NVD, etcetera.

From what I've seen - track was huge with the 715t and all the 505 balls...but the 503 series is really a miss. Ebonite really doesn't have much going for it right now. C300 seems to have a popular round with the eruption/violent eruption, but the hammer arson line is the stuff I see people throwing at tournaments.

In all honesty though, compared to storm - these are all #4 due to the iq tour line...road balls, and the lucid/vivid. Everyone loves them (although I'm not partial to storm).

MrPerfect

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Re: Rank the 4 EBI brands....
« Reply #11 on: January 04, 2013, 05:30:43 PM »
1. Track (the stuff they are producing right now is the best equipment I have ever thrown)
2. Columbia (Best compliment within the brand to the Track equipment)
3. Hammer (Always solid, but just haven't loved their stuff as of late for my game)
4. Ebonite (a long way off from the top 3, can't think of the last Ebo ball I've liked)

tdub36tjt

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Re: Rank the 4 EBI brands....
« Reply #12 on: January 04, 2013, 06:09:34 PM »
Haven't thrown enough of the 4 to really vote. I can say i haven't seen an Ebonite ball that impressed me since the mission. Ebonite was huge in our area during the nv/one days but now they are almost non existent. The challenge looks ok but no one will drill one so doesn't really matter.....i miss the nv line. IMO they have been making their covers stronger lately and it has made their stuff totally different.

arickdm

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Re: Rank the 4 EBI brands....
« Reply #13 on: January 04, 2013, 07:59:17 PM »
1. Track
2. Track
3. Track
4. Columbia 300, Hammer, Ebonite

tommyboy74

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Re: Rank the 4 EBI brands....
« Reply #14 on: January 05, 2013, 01:24:02 AM »
Even though I use mostly Storm/Roto, I do have stuff from EBI also. 

1.  Track.  The balls I have thrown from them are really good.  The oldie but goodie 505T still has a spot in my bag.  For the price, that was a tough core/cover combo to beat.  The 919C has also been very good in some tournament conditions that I face.

2.  Columbia.  I currently don't have any of their new releases but have thrown other balls from them before.  Their new stuff seems to be making home runs.  The Enigma, Mass Eruption, Vow all look like really good pieces that could find a spot in my bag.

3.  Hammer.  Hammer offers good stuff, but found their balls to be a little more condition specific with their core/cover matchups than I would like.  But, the Brick has a spot in my bag when I need to throw hard and on shorter patterns. 

4.  Ebonite.  Other than the Vital Energy (which I throw on occasion) and the Mission (that ball would have been good in my hands), I haven't seen anything that would appeal to me.  They need to get back to focusing on their R&D and not the marketing end of it.  Plus, if the Ebonite brand would use covers that don't die as quickly, then I would give them another look.  Their other 3 brands don't seem to have as much of an issue.
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